Fostering Academic Achievement in South Arlington

The Nonprofit

Greenbrier Learning Center (GLC) was founded in 1994 at the request of parents, teachers, and community members seeking after school tutoring and enrichment activities for the children of South Arlington.

Greenbrier Learning Center’s mission is to promote education, youth leadership and strong families through structured enrichment programs beyond the school day.  Utilizing a community-driven approach, GLC (1) fosters academic achievement and personal growth among our afterschool students; (2) acts as a resource for youth and adults; and (3) increases collaboration among service providers in Northern Virginia.

The Programs

GLC has 2 main programs: Learning ROCKS! and Parent Connection.

(1) Learning ROCKS!: GLC’s flagship program that provides afterschool assistance to 60 South Arlington 3rd-5th graders at two different sites, Greenbrier Baptist Church and Virginia Gardens Apartments. . Learning ROCKS! focuses on four themes: Literacy, Community and Culture, Healthy Lifestyles, and Life Skills.

 (2) Parent Connection: GLC provides weekly topic-based, informational workshops and leadership opportunities for parents and adults at three sites. Workshops are conducted in the evenings and support three distinct objectives:

·         Parents are able to effectively engage in and support their child’s education;

·         Adults are able to identify criteria that create optimum home and community environments;

·         Adults are able to develop their individual skills and interests and to become community leaders. 

Both Learning ROCKS! and Parent Connection are supported by GLC’s Learning Links AmeriCorps team:  AmeriCorps Members seek to provide service across the three aspects of a child’s life: in school, after school, and in the community. This is done through partnerships with four local elementary schools in Arlington County, providing support during Learning ROCKS!, and providing topic-based workshops for adults at three sites.

Sign up to help!

Greenbrier Learning Center is proud to announce that they will be partnering with Acumen Solutions for their 3rd Annual Race for a Cause™ 8K and 1 Mile Fun Run race on Sunday, October 16, 2011 in Arlington, VA. There are 3 ways that you can help GLC win:

• Register! Visit www.theraceforacause.com to register for the 8K or 1 Mile Fun Run. Be sure to choose GLC as the nonprofit you wish to support!

• Sponsor! Not able to make it to the race? You can still help GLC win by sponsoring a student, parent, or AmeriCorps Member to participate in the race. Visit www.raceforgreenbrier.eventbrite.com and choose who you wish to sponsor. It’s that simple!

• Spread the word! Tell family members, friends, and co-workers about this amazing opportunity to support a local nonprofit!

For more information about Greenbrier Learning Center and the Race for a Cause, visit www.greenbrierlearning.org or email Jilian Kuntz, Volunteer and Outreach AmeriCorps Member, at jilian@greenbrierlearning.org.

Non-profit Spotlight: A-SPAN

Arlington Street People's Assistance Network (A-SPAN) works with the street homeless population of Arlington everyday, trying to help them lift themselves out of homelessness. Programs that provide food, clothing, and toiletries run every day and night – mostly with volunteers.

Over 1,000 volunteers help us serve 29,000 meals, collect and distribute over 50,000 articles of clothing, and serve 1,500 clients a year. We also operate the Emergency Winter Shelter for Arlington County from November 1^st through March 31^st and house 18 formerly homeless clients. With a staff of only 18, volunteers are vital to our operation.

We are hosting a happy hour at 3 Bar and grill in Clarendon from 5 - 9 p.m. on Tuesday, October 12^th to share our volunteer opportunities and let our on-line supporters meet more of us in person. We’ll also be holding a raffle (suggested donation of $5 and a pair of new socks!) in order to raise funds for these programs.

If you can’t make it, we’ll be holding an open house and Mini-Walk for the Homeless at the Arlington County Emergency Winter Shelter on Saturday, November 6^th.

Contact Jan Sacharko anytime at jsacharko@a-span.org to get involved. To learn more about A-SPAN, visit at: www.a-span.org.

In lieu of our regular monthly meet-up, CVN is proud to be joining A-SPAN at the happy hour on October 12^th. We encourage you to attend to learn more about A-SPAN, meet fellow volunteers, and sign up for upcoming CVN events.

Non-profit Spotlight: Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless

Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless (AACH) is a private non-profit organization that provides transitional housing and support services to homeless families and women.

AACH offers homeless people more than just a roof over their heads, we provide a foundation to help them rebuild their lives. Our mission is to move people into a permanently self-sufficient, independent life. We do this through four programs:

Sullivan House: A 10-unit, 50-bed homeless shelter for families and women in Arlington. Volunteers assist clients with computer training, career development, and front-desk assistance.

Adopt-A-Family: A scattered-site transitional housing program serving both the Alexandria and Arlington communities. In addition to providing a rental subsidy for up to 24 months, participating clients receive extensive counseling and opportunities to increase employment options and build assets.

Micro-business Enterprise: The purpose is to assist homeless and other at-risk families augment household incomes by capitalizing on their entrepreneurial talents. The project involves training, one-on-one mentoring, and the availability of small amounts of start-up capital provided through a participant-run lending club. Volunteers are needed to provide mentoring and to assist clients in developing their skills as they participate in the program.

Youth Development: Homeless children represent 60% of the clients served by AACH. To address the developmental needs of the children residing in Sullivan House shelter, this initiative provides focused opportunities and enrichment activities for our youth. Volunteers participate in evening children’s activities, after-school homework help, and weekend field trips.

Our volunteer program is critical to fulfilling our organization’s mission and we are committed to offering volunteers with rewarding and fun volunteer opportunities. For more information about volunteering with AACH, please contact Katie Tressel, Volunteer & Community Outreach Coordinator, at ktressel@aachhomeless.org, or visit www.aachhomeless.org.


Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless

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Non-profit Spotlight: AHC, Inc.

AHC is a private, nonprofit developer of affordable housing in the mid-Atlantic region that provides quality homes for low- and moderate-income families. Created in 1975, AHC has 35 properties with more than 4,300 affordable apartments.

AHC also offers a variety of programs to help families build strong futures, including homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals; affordable mortgage services and loan programs; renovation and repair services for homeowners; and services for residents, including after-school programs, tutoring and adult workshops.

Currently, AHC is looking for volunteers to tutor teens throughout the school year. AHC has been providing one-on-one tutoring to at-risk teens for more than 15 years. Last year, 100% of students who participated in the program graduated from high school and 80% went on to college.

There are 6 locations in Arlington where tutoring takes place and the sessions begin on September 13th. AHC asks tutors for a commitment of one night per week, 60 or 90 minutes per session, and they ask volunteers to commit to their teen from September through June.

If you can make this commitment and are eager to affect the lives of disadvantaged youth, AHC would love to hear from you!

For more information, please contact Jennifer Cavaliere at cavaliere@ahcinc.org. You can also visit AHC online at www.ahcinc.org.