nonprofit

Washington-Liberty HS to serve as community service hub during MLK Day

By James Jarvis
MLK Day of Service 2023 Volunteer Arlington W-L High School (via Volunteer Arlington/Facebook)

An Arlington high school is once again gearing up to become a hub for community service activities on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

On Monday, Jan. 15, from 8:30 a.m. until noon, Washington-Liberty High School will host various in-person volunteer opportunities, such as a donation scavenger hunt, SNAP ambassador training and the assembly of winter hygiene and safety kits, organized by nearly a dozen local nonprofits.

In addition to in-person projects at the school, there will be several virtual and off-site options, including restoring Potomac Overlook Regional Park, the Long Bridge Connector Trail clean-up and Culpepper Garden clean-up.

Organized by Volunteer Arlington, a collaboration between the Leadership Center for Excellence and Arlington County, the MLK Day of Service event — now in its seventh year — aims to promote civic engagement during the federal holiday, per the organization’s website.

The event was held online for several years during the pandemic, but shifted back to an in-person setting at Washington-Liberty High School last year.

Participants are encouraged to sign up in advance through Volunteer Arlington’s website, with registration available until tomorrow — Thursday, Jan. 11. However, walk-ins are also welcome, with check-in starting at 8:30 a.m.

The first 750 volunteers to sign up also get a free shirt.

Post check-in, participants will be ushered into an opening ceremony at 9 a.m. Following the ceremony, volunteers will proceed to their chosen service projects. Volunteers opting for off-site projects will need to arrange for their own transportation to each location.

While the event officially concludes at noon, some projects may go over.

The following opportunities are currently accepting volunteers, per the website.

Photo via Volunteer Arlington/Facebook

Podcast: Bridges to Independence CEO on rising youth homelessness in Arlington

By James Jarvis
Bridges To Independence offices in Green Valley (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Over the last 18 months, Arlington nonprofit Bridges to Independence has experienced a notable surge in children and families seeking shelter, resulting in a growing waiting list.

CEO Fraser Murdoch sat down with staff reporter James Jarvis to discuss what factors may be driving the youth homelessness crisis in Arlington and how the broader community can intervene.

Listen below or find the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn.

Arlington nonprofits achieve Giving Tuesday goals, but donor participation concerns linger

By James Jarvis
Arlington Free Clinic on Columbia Pike (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Nearly a dozen Arlington nonprofits surveyed by ARLnow reported meeting or exceeding their fundraising goals for Giving Tuesday this year.

But there’s a catch.

Several nonprofit leaders have expressed concerns about rising costs and a decrease in donor participation potentially impacting their ability to meet increasing demands for assistance across the county.

“Inflation is our greatest challenge as it is raising our expenses faster than our income is coming in,” the director of the strategic partnerships at PathForward, Liz Norah, told ARLnow in an email. “The cost of goods and inflation have caused many families to make difficult decisions regarding their charitable giving, and we have seen the impact of this.”

On Giving Tuesday — the Tuesday after Thanksgiving — PathForward, which provides housing support for homeless individuals and families, raised about $8,000, says Norah.

While that is comparable to last year, she underscored that the organization is still uncertain corporate and individual support will match previous years.

“We are still seeking [corporate] partnerships for 2024, so it’s a bit early to say if this is going to impact us,” Norah said.

PathForward’s experience mirrors national trends. During Giving Tuesday, the United States saw a modest 0.6% increase in donations from last year, totaling approximately $3 billion, according to data from the global philanthropy organization GivingTuesday.

The data also shows a 10% drop in participating adults, from around 38 million in 2022 to 34 million.

Arlington Free Clinic Executive Director Nancy White said there is no denying that nonprofit fundraising is down.

She argued, however, that nonprofits are also comparing their 2023 fundraising figures to the higher-than-normal amounts raised during the pandemic.

“I think that everybody’s seeing some of the impact because people were so generous, particularly toward safety-net nonprofits, during the pandemic and really reached deep to be able to support us,” White said. “So relative to that, a lot of nonprofits are seeing a decrease.”

This decline in donor participation comes at a particularly challenging time, when Arlington nonprofits are experiencing a growing demand for their services.

Linley Beckbridge, director of Communications and Advocacy at Doorways, which provides shelter to survivors of domestic violence, says the number of adults and children they have checked into the shelter has doubled within the last five years.

“Domestic violence is on the rise,” Beckbridge said. “As Arlington’s only provider of safe housing — emergency shelter for survivors and their children in imminent danger due to domestic violence — it is critical that Doorways expands our capacity to meet the growing need.”

During this year’s Giving Tuesday, Doorways raised about $4,000, primarily from Arlington supporters. Beckbridge says this is consistent with last year but not enough amid inflation.

“As the need for our services escalates, and the cost to provide those services rises, we will need more support from our community in this pivotal time of year,” she said.

Costs are rising not only for nonprofits but also for families, driving more households to lean on assistance. Within Northern Virginia, South Arlington, for instance, has one of the highest concentrations of families who cannot afford basic needs and childcare.

(more…)

Veteran and longtime Arlingtonian gets needed home repairs from volunteers

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

(Updated at 1:25 p.m.) When volunteers hung a starch-stiff American flag on a shed belonging to 89-year-old local veteran William Johnson, he told them how proud he was to have served his country.

“You are so wonderful,” Johnson told the volunteers from Navy Federal Credit Union earlier that day. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.”

The flag replaces a worn one that hung from the same spot for 20 years, according to a blog post from the credit union. Employees placed the finishing touch after they and staff from the nonprofit Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church finished repairs on his red-brick Arlington home of 50 years.

Johnson served in the U.S. National Guard and Army in the 1950s and moved into the right half of a side-by-side duplex in 1966, after he and his late wife, Daisy, got married. There, they raised a daughter, who now lives down the street; worked for Virginia Hospital Center; and were active in a local church.

But the home where he and Daisy lived out their years began to show signs of aging. Johnson, a retiree on a fixed income, could neither do the work himself nor afford help. So Navy Federal teamed up with the local nonprofit Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church, which makes home repairs for Northern Virginians in need.

“Houses need maintenance. Things change, our bodies change, and we have to adapt our homes to our bodies,” Patti Klein, the nonprofit’s executive director, tells ARLnow. “At the same time, Navy Federal wanted to work on a home of someone who served in the military. We thought it was a perfect fit.”

After volunteers wrapped up their day of service, many returned on Saturday for more jobs, though they did not have to, Klein said. The resulting work, spanning up carpentry, landscaping, painting and other jobs, moved Johnson.

“He was thrilled, he really was, and when they came back on Saturday, he was very touched by it,” Klein said.

Navy Federal Credit Union, which is headquartered in Vienna, serves military communities and “embraces and encourages service among its nearly 25,000 employees,” per the blog post.

“We believe in coming together for the community and for people who have served our military and our country, and this really embodies that,” Sun Bayless, senior vice president of Real Estate Lending at Navy Federal, told volunteers that Saturday. “We’re ready to roll up our sleeves.”

The credit union says volunteers have supported 30 projects benefiting four area low-income homeowners and 26 nonprofit organizations, several of which serve the veterans.

In Arlington, Klein says employees have helped on a number of projects, including building an outdoor classroom at Carlin Springs Elementary School.

“They really believe in community and giving back,” she said.

In total last year, the local chapter of Rebuilding Together, a national nonprofit, spruced up 115 homes, Klein said. Of them, 90% had a resident over the age of 65 and 60% had a resident with a disability. The homes tend to be older and need more work as well as aging-in-place modifications.

With Giving Tuesday around the corner, Klein says Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church welcomes financial donations, volunteers who can work on weekdays or weekends and client referrals.

Several Arlington Christmas tree markets to open Friday amid tree shortage

By James Jarvis
A vibrant yellow stand selling Christmas trees (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Trucks brimming with Christmas trees have started arriving in Arlington, signaling it is time to pull out those holiday ornaments.

Several Christmas tree markets across Arlington are set to open this Friday, after Thanksgiving. However, holiday shoppers are being cautioned not to wait too long due to a reported shortage of trees this year.

Factors such as Canadian wildfires and drought continue to impact tree availability, posing challenges for local lots in securing their usual supply.

Due to these shortages, the Gazette Leader reported several traditional tree vendors in the area have had to limit the number of trees on sale this year, including the Optimist Club of Arlington.

ARLnow has compiled a list of markets that are confirmed to be opening.

Optimist Club of Arlington

Starts: Friday, Nov. 24 at noon
Knights of Columbus (5115 Little Falls Road)

In addition to garlands, wreaths and ornaments, the local nonprofit plans to sell 2,100 Christmas trees, including tabletop Fraser fir and white pines from Galax, Virginia.

The lot is open seven days a week, although times vary depending on the day.

The profits go towards Arlington youth sports and academic activities.

Boy Scout Troop 162

Starts: Friday, Nov. 24 at 9 a.m.
Dominion Hills Pool parking lot (6000 Wilson Blvd)

Boy Scout Troop 162 in Arlington will sell trees along with wreaths and garlands. The troop has been conducting this sale since the early 1970s.

Scout Troop 167

Starts: Friday, Nov. 24 at noon
Mount Olivet United Methodist Church (1500 N. Glebe Road)

Once again, Scout Troop 167 is hosting its annual tree sale near Ballston from Nov. 24-27. The sale begins at noon on Friday and Sunday and 10 a.m. on Saturday. The lot is open until 8 p.m. each day. In case of bad weather, a backup weekend is scheduled for Dec. 1-3.

Trees and wreaths can be pre-ordered and picked up on-site either Friday or Saturday. There is also a delivery option for a $20 fee.

Clarendon United Methodist Church

Starts: Saturday, Nov. 25 at 9 a.m.
Clarendon United Methodist Church (606 N. Irving Street)

Clarendon United Methodist Church has 300 Fraser Fir trees from Canada. The sale, an annual event since 2007, is set for Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 25-26) and the first weekend in December (Dec. 2-3). All proceeds go to Arlington Thrive.

Knights of Columbus 

Starts: Saturday, Nov. 25 at 9 a.m.
Our Lady of Lourdes (830 23rd Street S.)

The Knights of Columbus tree lot at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Aurora Highlands  will be open Tuesday and Friday evenings and weekends until Dec. 18, or until trees sell out. The profits will support charitable activities, including the Coats for Kids drive.

National Landing Christmas Tree lot

Starts: Friday, Dec. 1 at 5:30 p.m.
Metropolitan Park (1321 S. Elm Street)

The National Landing Business Improvement District plans to sell Christmas trees supplied by Almost Heavenly Trees during its ski-themed holiday festival from Dec. 1-3 at Metropolitan Park, next to Amazon’s HQ2.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church 

Starts: Saturday, Dec. 2 at 9 a.m.
Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church (4000 Lorcom Lane)

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church near Cherrydale is set to sell 200 trees from Vermont. The sale will run through the weekend and continue every Saturday and Sunday until sold out. According to the sale’s webpage, 85% of trees were sold on the first weekend last year.

Aware of any other local Christmas tree sales? Let us know in the comments.

Annual Jennifer Bush-Lawson 5K and festival slated for Saturday

By James Jarvis
Jennifer Bush-Lawson 5K race (via Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation/Facebook)

Get ready to dust off those old running shoes.

The ninth annual Jennifer Bush-Lawson 5K race and festival is set for Saturday in the Yorktown neighborhood.

The event commemorates Jennifer Bush-Lawson, an Arlington resident who was struck and killed in 2014 by a dump truck while placing her child into a minivan near Nottingham Elementary. More pedestrian fatalities have since occurred on the same stretch of Little Falls Road, though new safety measures were installed earlier this year.

The race, first held in 2015, kicks off at 9 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus (5115 Little Falls Road). Those who want to support the cause without running in the cold can participate in a “Family Fun Day” festival, featuring a beer garden, a children’s fun run, moon bounces, laser tag, a rock wall, balloon animals, face painting and live performances.

The registration fee for the race is $40, which includes a T-shirt, or $35 for those opting out of the shirt. Participants can also choose to donate without participating in the race.

Festival-only tickets are priced at $25, granting access to all activities excluding the 5K. A combined ticket for both the race and festival is available for $50.

Proceeds support the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation, founded in 2015 by Jennifer’s husband, Neal Lawson, to provide women in need and their babies with maternal and infant care.

“This event carries on the legacy of Jenn Lawson, a dedicated mom and runner who was passionate about making available to all mothers the same level of care she received for her own complicated pregnancies,” the event page says.

In line with previous years, the Arlington County Police Department has announced several road closures for the duration of the event.

The following roadways will be closed from approximately 8:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. to accommodate the event:

  • Yorktown Boulevard, from Little Falls Road/N. Greenbrier Street to N. Kensington Street
  • Little Falls Road, from N. Edison Street to Yorktown Boulevard and from Yorktown Boulevard/N. Kensington Street to N. Ohio Street
  • N. Lexington Street, from Yorktown Boulevard to 27th Street N.
  • 27th Road N., from the dead end to N. Lexington Street
  • 27th Street N., from N. Lexington Street to N. Ohio Street
  • John Marshall Drive at 27th Street N.
  • N. Ohio Street, from 27th Street N. to Little Falls Road

When safe to do so, residents of the affected areas will be escorted through the road closures, as necessary, to minimize the impact on the community. All roadways are expected to reopen at 10:30 a.m. Community members are asked to park vehicles in driveways to reduce the congestion on the course and to allow for standard traffic conditions to return as quickly as possible.

Photo via Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation/Facebook

Local nonprofit set to expand neurodivergent job training program with federal grant

By James Jarvis
Sen. Mark Warner visits the Melwood Disability Services facility in Arlington Sept. 22 (courtesy of Office of Sen. Mark Warner)

(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) A local nonprofit specializing in job placement for disabled individuals is drawing on federal funding to expand its services.

Melwood Disability Services, a Maryland-based organization that operates a facility in the Aurora Highlands neighborhood, has received a $307,000 federal grant aimed at expanding enrollment in its 14-week neurodiverse job training program, abilIT, by subsidizing associated costs.

On Friday, Sen. Mark Warner (D) and Rep. Don Beyer (D) visited Melwood’s facility near Pentagon City and presented the nonprofit with a ceremonial oversized check.

Jewelyn Cosgrove, president of Government and Public Relations at Melwood, told ARLnow that 78 individuals participated in the abilIT program from July 2022 to June 2023. She noted, however, that the newly acquired federal grant, in combination with ongoing fundraising efforts, will enable Melwood’s Virginia facility — acquired in 2017 through a merger with Linden Resources — to double its enrollment of people with disabilities in the job training program.

“We will serve an additional 80 people next year with just what we have in normal funding available,” she said. “The [federal] grant allows us to add 30 people, so next year, because of the grant funding…we’ll be hitting, I think, 110 to 115 total people served.”

Melwood, which also provides a range of services from affordable housing to horticulture therapy and family support services, also received a $500,000 federal grant in July to support its neurodiverse job training program in Maryland.

Cosgrove clarified the two grants are separate and the $307,000 will go exclusively toward helping offset the costs, such as curriculum, of operating abilIT.

Within the last year, abilIT has helped dozens of people secure employment through several prominent private and public sector employers, Cosgrove said, such as MITRE and Falls Church-based Enabled Intelligence.

“It’s a program that really blends [professional and personal skills training] together to help job candidates… get an industry recognized certification and then go on to employment,” she added.

Local food bank avoids canned food shortage with donation from local Bloomberg office

By James Jarvis
1/2

The Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) says it avoided a canned goods shortfall with a timely donation from Bloomberg Industry Group.

Over Labor Day weekend, the local food bank said it received more than 3,600 canned goods from the Arlington-based affiliate of Bloomberg, which provides legal, tax and business reporting and services.

In a press release, AFAC says it was facing a week-long shortage of canned food donations, which “threatened to disrupt the lifeline they provide to thousands of Arlington families.”

The donation comes as the food pantry, which serves around 3,300 Arlington families a week, is seeing an uptick in clients. It attributes the uptick to inflation and rollbacks in Covid-era federal food assistance and child tax credits.

“As demands for food assistance exponentially increase due to economic setbacks like inflation and cuts in government assistance, AFAC’s mission to provide essential resources to vulnerable families has never been more crucial,” the nonprofit said in a press release.

That need is particularly acute in South Arlington, according to a recent study, which found the area has one of the highest concentrations of families in the nation who cannot afford basic necessities and childcare.

Overall, Bloomberg Industry Group — which has hosted food drives and helped bag food for AFAC before — collected 14,290 pounds of food for distribution.

“It was our privilege to lend a helping hand to AFAC in their time of need,” says Josh Eastright, CEO of the company, which has offices in Crystal City. “We’re proud to support the great work they do serving our local community, and I want to thank our team for their generosity supporting this effort.”

Last Saturday, employees of another company with a significant local presence volunteered with a food distribution event.

Amazon employees teamed up with nonprofit Food for Neighbors, which combats child hunger in the region, to collect nearly 20,000 pounds of food and toiletries, according to a press release.

After the collection, dubbed a “Red Bag” event, the items were distributed to more than 5,800 students across 42 secondary schools across Northern Virginia, including Arlington Community High School, Gunston Middle School, Kenmore Middle School and Wakefield High School.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Amazon as a Food For Neighbors Community Champion and sponsor of our first Red Bag food and toiletry collection event of the new school year,” Karen Joseph, founder and executive director of Food For Neighbors, said in the release.

The event was part of Amazon’s Global Month of Volunteering, “when tens of thousands of Amazon employees around the world will go out in their communities and do good together,” Melissa Robinson, principal program manager of Volunteering at Amazon, said in a statement.

Amazon previously helped feed Arlington Public Schools families last fall via a $155,000 donation to Food For Neighbors from Amazon Fresh, Joseph noted.

Photo (1) via AFAC/Facebook

Report: More than half of South Arlington families struggle to afford basic needs

By James Jarvis
Arlingtonians wait in line for holiday meals at the Arlington Food Assistance Center (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 12:45 p.m.) Within Northern Virginia, South Arlington has one of the highest concentrations of families who cannot afford basic needs and childcare.

In this half of the county, 52% of families cannot afford food, housing, medical expenses and childcare, compared to just 15% of families North Arlington, per a new report.

South Arlingtonians are not alone.

About a third of families across Northern Virginia are not earning enough money to subsist, dubbed “income inadequacy” in the report, prepared by Insight Region, the research arm of the nonprofit Community Foundation of Northern Virginia.

The report states that inflation pushed many more families into income inadequacy in the first half of 2023. However, several needs-based nonprofits in Arlington say inflation is not the only contributing factor, pointing also to the rollback of Covid-era benefits.

They tell ARLnow it is time for a systemic overhaul to mitigate increasing income inequality.

“Those basic needs numbers are really concerning to us,” says Brian Marroquín, a program officer at the nonprofit Arlington Community Foundation. “What happens when people lose those benefits is really important… It’s a Catch-22 for many people in our community to try and get ahead while kind of facing the system as it’s set up currently.”

‘Income inadequacy’ in Northern Virginia (via Insight Region)

Why families are struggling today

Before the outbreak of Covid, Charles Meng, the CEO of Arlington Food Assistance Center, said his organization typically served about 1,800 to 1,900 families a week. At the height of the pandemic, that number rose to about 2,500 families a week in 2020.

For a short while, the demand for food assistance decreased as case numbers dropped and individuals returned to work. But that changed in February 2022.

“If you’ll remember, inflation started hitting, fuel prices went up first, and then food prices started going up. And since that time, we have seen a steady increase in the number of families coming to us,” Meng told ARLnow. “We’re now serving 3,238 families [a week]… That’s basically a 30% increase from the prior year.”

“I’ve never seen a 30% increase in a year before,” he added.

Meng also attributes the sudden jump partly to inflation, which reduced the purchasing power of already struggling families. He noted the clawing back of other government benefits, such as SNAP, played a role as well.

“These families have effectively gotten a 14% to 15% reduction in their income… They’re paying more for food for a whole bunch of other things,” Meng said.

Data from ACF highlights that over 10,000 households — about 24,000 people — in Arlington make under 30% of the area median income. That translates to about $45,600 for a family of four. AFAC serves many households in that group.

“There’s a lot of families in Arlington County who are hurting,” Meng said.

In addition to SNAP, Marroquín, said the elimination of the Advanced Child Tax Credit, which cut child poverty nearly in half during 2021, also dealt a big blow to Arlington families.

“What that did was it put money in parents’ pockets. At the time, it was particularly important for childcare. Childcare was hard to find and got more expensive as well during the pandemic in 2021,” Marroquín said.

(more…)

Green Valley nonprofit MySecureKid provides opportunities in IT and cybersecurity

By Caroline Gage
Co-founders Quiana Gainey (left) and JaLisa Johnson (right) (courtesy of Quiana Gainey)

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups, founders, and other local technology news. Monday Properties is proudly featuring Three Ballston Plaza. 

A Green Valley-based nonprofit is encouraging kids to dream about working in tech the same way they dream of being a doctor or lawyer one day.

To help launch them into those career paths, MySecureKid — which also educates families about internet safety — connects children and teens with programming, apprenticeships and mentors.

Since founding the organization in 2018, Quiana Gainey and JaLisa Johnson have focused on supporting children from underrepresented backgrounds. While cybersecurity and technology are projected to grow more than 13%, they say a “knowledge gap” is holding back Black and Hispanic people, as well as people with disabilities, from riding that job growth wave.

“We were the first IT apprenticeship in D.C., and we were servicing a population that was what they consider disenfranchised. We just said that they’re undiscovered,” Gainey said.

Gainey and Johnson have both founded for-profit companies in cybersecurity and healthcare tech, respectively. Using that experience, plus their backgrounds in government contracting and military service, the duo say they created curricula for students to bridge that knowledge gap.

“We want them to see that there’s a shortage in cybersecurity [and that] our infrastructure, our country needs this,” Gainey said. “So let’s start with building that into the curriculum, building partnerships with community, with nonprofits like ourselves, so that we can help the next generation realize their dreams and also help them not go into all traditional [careers].”

Co-founders Quiana Gainey (left) and JaLisa Johnson (right) (courtesy of Quiana Gainey)

MySecureKid offers apprenticeship programs for teens as well as summer cyber camps and after-school programs for younger children. They pair high school students with mentors and provide scholarships to those pursuing education in IT, emerging technologies, healthcare, cybersecurity and entrepreneurship.

It also has worked with Arlington Public Schools for three years and has plans to partner with their apprenticeship program in the fall.

With these programs, Johnson says she hopes that students gain hands-on skills over time — similar to a trade school.

“We make things fun but challenging,” Johnson said.

She and Gainey also make sure parents have opportunities to learn about tech issues, such as internet safety.

“I always tell parents, when you give your childhood phone, it’s like leaving them in the middle of the intersection, and telling them to find themselves their way home,” Gainey said. “Now, you wouldn’t do that, right. So when you give them that cell phone, it’s time to have that conversation.”

Their space in Green Valley, which they call the “360XP Zone,” is self-sufficient, powered with renewable energy and connected to its own water supply. It features learning, retail and event spaces and is equipped with a full-service kitchen and bar. Small businesses can even rent these spaces and benefit MySecureKid in the process.

Calling on her healthcare background, Johnson designed the space to include clinics that she says meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards.

“We always say, ‘I don’t wait for someone else to do something. You can be the change you want to see,” Gainey said.

Inside one of the learning pods at MySecureKid’s facility in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Rocks commemorating gun violence victims vanish from Courthouse garden

By James Jarvis
1/4

More than 100 painted rocks commemorating victims of gun violence seem to have gone missing from a garden in Courthouse.

The Arlington chapter of Moms Demand Action suspects someone may have stolen most of the 150 rocks in “Hope Garden,” a memorial garden located near Courthouse Plaza.

“Sometime in the last week, most of the rocks were stolen. Now about 25 remain,” says Susan Koch, the group leader, adding that she has “no idea who did it or why” and that members are “heartbroken.”

The garden near the intersection of N. Courthouse Road and 15th Street N. was dedicated in 2019. Since then, Koch says many group members have painted rocks and placed them in the garden to honor friends and relatives affected by gun violence, either through tragic loss or enduring trauma.

Apart from the stolen rocks, the rest of the garden remained untouched, she said.

Koch said the group plans to ask for the community’s support to restore the garden but she remains wary of future incidents occurring.

“We’re going to paint more rocks for sure to try and make up for the ones that were stolen,” Koch said. “But…how do we protect them from not being stolen again?”

Founded in 2012 after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Moms Demand Action has emerged as a platform for some 10 million members to advocate for statewide and national gun safety measures.

Over the last decade, the local chapter has worked with elected officials, including Del. Patrick Hope (D) and State Sen. Barbara Favola (D), on gun safety laws, including a series of bills, such as universal background checks and “Red Flag” laws, passed by the General Assembly in 2020.

The group also discusses gun safety with schools and community organizations and works with local nonprofits, such as Doorways, which provides resources to victims of domestic violence.

“We have a program called, ‘Be Safe,’ which basically tells people how important it is to store their guns safely,” Koch said.

She emphasized that the group is not “anti-gun.” Instead, its members advocate for gun safety education as a crucial aspect of weapon ownership.

“We don’t want to take people’s guns away. We just want them to be safe,” Koch said.

Koch said the group might go to the police and file a report. Whatever the outcome, she noted the incident would not “break” them.

“We will persevere,” she said.

View More Stories