nonprofit

Caps Players, Media Personalities to Man the Grills at Ballston Nando’s Opening

By ARLnow.com
1/3

The new Nando’s Peri-Peri in Ballston will hold its grand opening celebration this coming Saturday, Sept. 17.

The restaurant, in the former Vapiano’s space at 4401 Wilson Blvd, is celebrating its opening with appearances by Washington Capitals players, media personalities and the Caps’ Red Rockers squad.

The new Nando’s will be open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and all opening day sales will be donated to the Capitals’ official charity, the Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation, according to a press release. The guest appearances will take place between noon and 7 p.m.

Among those expected to help flip chicken on the grills during the opening event, are:

  • Radio personality Elliot Segal from “Elliot in the Morning”
  • Left winger Andre Burakovsky
  • Center Lars Eller
  • Right winger Stanislav Galiev
  • Defenseman Nate Schmidt
  • Right winger Tom Wilson
  • Capitals alumnus Paul Mulvey
  • Red Rockers squad
  • Caps announcer Wes Johnson
  • CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Capitals analyst and Caps alumnus Craig Laughlin
  • Capitals contributor Courtney Laughlin

“Nando’s is thrilled to partner with the Caps to Rock the Red in Ballston and support Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation,” said Nando’s U.S. CEO Burton Heiss. The Capitals practice facility, Kettler Capitals Iceplex, is located in Ballston.

From the press release:

Nando’s has built an intensely loyal following by providing fresh food in a relaxed atmosphere with friendly service. Nando’s is known worldwide for its succulent PERi-PERi chicken, marinated for 24 hours, flame-grilled to perfection, and basted to the customer’s preferred flavor and spice.

Every Nando’s is painstakingly designed and completely unique, with earthy textures and bright colors that reflect its sunny African-Portuguese heritage. With thousands of pieces of original works of art that are a constant reminder of where the restaurant came from, Nando’s has become the largest collector of South African contemporary art in the world. In the United States alone, there are more than 600 pieces of original African art in Nando’s restaurants.

Locals to Rappel Down Crystal City Hotel for Brain Cancer Research

By Tim Regan

Photo via Twitter : OverTheEdgeLocal thrill-seekers will have a shot to rappel down the side of a Crystal City hotel building during a charity fundraiser next month.

Over The Edge, an organization that helps raise money for nonprofits across the U.S., is set to partner with Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure during a daredevil event at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City (2799 Jefferson Davis Highway) on Sunday, Sept. 18.

During the challenge, participants who register and raise at least $2,000 to help fund brain cancer research will get the chance to rappel down the side of the hotel. Though the feat might look daunting, no experience is necessary to join in on the fun, organizers said.

Registration costs $75 and reserves attendees a spot on the list. All who want to participate must raise at least $2,000, according to organizers.

Photo via Twitter / Over The Edge

Arlington Thrive Helps Locals Pay Utility Bills as Weather Heats Up

By Adrian Cruz

arlingtonthriveWith Arlington in the middle of an electricity-draining heat wave, one local nonprofit is helping residents in need pay off electric bills.

Since July 2013, Arlington Thrive has provided more than $180,000 in utility assistance. In the month of June alone, it has helped almost 150 people nearly three dozen families different households.

“I imagine with the heat wave expected next week we will be helping even more people in July,” executive director Andrew Schneider said.

Almost half of Americans couldn’t afford an emergency expense of $400 without selling something or borrowing money, according to a report from the federal reserve on American households.

Schneider’s organization aims to change that.

“Arlington Thrive provides emergency same-day financial assistance to Arlingtonians in crisis working in partnership with social workers from the County and our social services partners like A-SPAN and Doorways for Women and Families,” he said. “Our largest areas of assistance are with rental assistance to help people avoid eviction and medical costs,” including doctor’s bills, prescriptions and dental assistance.

The organization provided nearly $475,000 in rent payments in fiscal 2015 between July 2014 and June 2015, helping prevent the eviction of almost 425 households, many of which had children.

Along with its daily emergency fund, Arlington Thrive also sponsors other programs.

Its Carter-Jenkinson Memorial Homeless Prevention Fund provides long-term assistance that the daily fund is unable to cover. Another initiative is its Dress for Work Success Program, which gives new professional work attire for clients who have completed Arlington County’s Arlington Works job readiness program.

In fiscal 2015, the organization received half of its income from Arlington County, with individuals providing 34 percent. The remaining 16 percent came from various businesses, civic organizations, foundations and faith groups.

“Arlington Thrive is a great example of a successful public-private community partnership that provides a financial safety net for our residents,” state Sen. Barbara Favola (D) said on the organization’s website. “I hope that successful model will continue for many decades to come.”

Arlington Community Foundation Celebrating 25th Anniversary in Pentagon City This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Community Foundation fundraiserThe Arlington Community Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year in style.

The nonprofit, which awards scholarships to local students and grants to community groups, is holding a gala fundraiser Saturday night at the Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City.

The event is changing its format this year — instead of a sit-down dinner, there will be food, wine, beer and dessert tastings from a number of local restaurants and stores, thus encouraging guests to move around and mingle. Among those slated to be mingling: chef and prolific restaurateur Mike Isabella.

The event will have a silent auction, as usual, but this year it will feature a four-night stay for four people at a castle in a Tuscany, Italy vineyard, donated by Total Wine, which is opening a new store in Ballston. The stay is valued at $5,000.

Music at the event will be primarily by the band Marquise. The full press release about the event is below.

The Arlington Community Foundation will host its 25th Anniversary Gala on May 14 at The Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City. The Foundation has been serving the Arlington community in the areas of scholarships and grantmaking through the management of charitable funds for 25 years.

With an exciting “Celebrate Community” theme, this year’s gala promises to be a one-of-a-kind evening featuring culinary delights and gourmet tastings presented by local chefs.  You can also expect wine tastings by Barrel Oak Winery; craft beer tastings by The Brew Shop; and desserts by local bakeries – Artisan Confections, Bakeshop, Buzz Bakeshop, The Cheesecake Factory, Clement’s Pastry Shop, Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe, LeoNora Gourmet Bakery, Northside Social, Pastries by Randolph, Livin’ The Pie Life & Whole Foods.

There is an exciting auction planned for the evening, featuring unique items that have never been offered before, as well as bringing back some very popular items from past events.  The celebration will also feature the unveiling of a new video – “Arlington: Past, Present and Future” – featuring interviews with Foundation founder the Honorable William T. Newman Jr., current executive director Wanda Pierce, and past chairs of the organization.

The Foundation is honored to have this year as Gala Co-Chairs Mr. & Mrs. John & Marcia Shooshan and Mr. & Mrs. Brad & Cathy Coyle.  “We continue to be impressed by, and grateful for, the outpouring of support to make this year’s gala a success,” Cathy Coyle said. “There are so many people . . . [who] have gladly and generously donated time, energy and resources.”

“They are bringing a tremendous amount of energy and creativity to the event,” said Wanda Pierce, Executive Director of the Foundation.  “They are leading a committee that is bringing a different look and feel – it will be the event of the year! We are looking forward to a fun evening to raise funds that will enable the Foundation to continue operating and supporting the stellar work of nonprofits and deserving students in the area.”

For a full listing of sponsors, visit bit.ly/2016acfgala. Tickets are available at bit.ly/2016acfgala or by calling 703-243-4785.

Taste of Arlington 2016 to Feature 400-Foot “Street Pub”

By ARLnow.com

Taste of Arlington will feature a mammoth “street pub” this year.

The 400-foot long portable bar travels the country, offering draft beer from Oregon-based Deschutes Brewery at various large events. Proceeds from the beer sales will be donated to charity, said a rep for the Ballston BID, which organizes the annual event.

Taste of Arlington 2014 crowds“This partnership will not only take the beer garden to a whole new level, but will greatly increase Taste’s fundraising clout,” said Mollie Wagoner.” As a signature event of the Ballston BID’s new charitable arm, BallstonGives, they hope to outdo all past fundraising. The BID has already guaranteed a minimum $25,000 donation to Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) with a goal of raising much more.”

The event, held along Wilson Blvd in Ballston, features food from more than 50 restaurants and attracts some 40,000 people each year. The beer and wine sales area is consistently one of the most crowded sections of the festival.

This year’s Taste of Arlington is scheduled for May 15 from noon to 6 p.m.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Construction in front of the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall

County Board Work Sessions to Be Broadcast — Arlington TV, the county government’s cable channel, will begin broadcasting County Board work sessions on cable and online this month. First up: the riveting County Board work session on the FY 2017 budget, scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday. [Arlington County]

Meal Delivery Startup Now Serving Part of Arlington — Galley, a D.C.-based meal delivery startup, says it just expanded its delivery area to include Rosslyn, Courthouse and Clarendon.

ACPD Focusing on Heroin Use and Addiction — The Arlington County Police Department is joining other law enforcement agencies around the region in an initiative to try to curb the distribution, possession and use of heroin. For those battling addiction, there are a number of treatment options in Arlington. [Arlington County]

Schneider to Lead Thrive — Former Democratic County Board candidate Andrew Schneider has been named the new Executive Director of Arlington Thrive, effective today. Thrive is a nonprofit that provides same-day financial assistance to residents in crisis.

Board Thanks Legislators for Hotel Tax Bill — The Arlington County Board is offering its thanks to the state legislators who successfully shepherded Arlington’s hotel tax surcharge reauthorization through the Virginia General Assembly. [Arlington County]

The Catalogue for Philanthropy: Your Guide to Charities in Washington

The Catalogue for Philanthropy is Greater Washington’s trusted guide to giving to the area’s best charities for high-impact local giving.

Created By BlankSlate

After hyper-spending through Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday provides a way to give back. But with so many charities, how can you find a worthy cause that keeps your donation close to home?

catalogue-for-philanthropy-washington-charities-capitol-hill-arts-workshopYour best bet to give like a local is The Catalogue for Philanthropy. The Catalogue is the only locally focused guide to giving in Greater Washington. They’ve spent more than a decade figuring out the best small charities in the area and connecting them to donors. Their team makes sure you’re not only giving like a local, but that you also feel good about giving back. All of their charities are screened for excellence so that your donation makes a real impact.

No matter your interest, with the Catalogue’s help, you’ll find a nonprofit that strikes a chord with your charitable impulse. Want to protect the Potomac? The Catalogue has 20 hand-picked organizations committed to environmental protection and conservation. Are you a die-hard supporter of DC’s vibrant arts scene? You can find more than 60 reviewed arts organizations in Greater Washington. Devoted to the future of DC? The Catalogue features more than 50 charities preparing our next generation for success.

The Catalogue not only screens nonprofits to make sure they’re doing the best for the causes you care about, they also make it easy to give. If you donate through the Catalogue, they don’t take a cut. You can even buy a gift card to make sure your family and friends also give like a local this year.

Find out more about The Catalogue for Philanthropy of Greater Washington and #givelikealocal.

Chefs Beat Out Firefighters in Charity Cooking Competiton

By Heather Mongilio
1/17

(Updated at 5:25 p.m.) Local chefs walked away with big wins at a charity cooking competition in Clarendon last night.

The Arlington County Fire Department’s finest firehouse cooks faced off against three groups of local professional chefs in a reality TV-style cooking competition where the competitors had 25 minutes to whip up dishes using only ingredients found in the Arlington Food Assistance Center’s pantries.

Judges Scott Brodbeck of ARLnow.com, Becky Krystal of the Washington Post and Chef George Pagonis of Kapnos Taverna sampled each dish before choosing a winner of the round by ringing a large bell, signaling a vote for the firefighters, or putting on a chef’s hat. Chef David Guas of Bayou Bakery served as emcee for the night.

At the end of the night, the local chefs walked away from the Clarendon Ballroom (3185 Wilson Blvd) with two of the coveted “Golden Eggplant” awards.

Arlington County Fire Department’s Lt. Romulius Queen and firefighter Frank Rachal took home the first “Golden Eggplant” of the night with their Southern Style Fried Chicken topped with a homemade barbecue sauce and accompanied by a zucchini pasta with a thai peanut and ginger sauce. All three judges rang the bell.

“That fried chicken, he really nailed it,” Pagonis said.

Queen and Rachal beat out SER Restaurant chef and co-owner Josu Zubikarai, who made Rulada chicken ragout with mushrooms and spicy vegetables.

It was Queen’s first time competing in AFAC’s Chiefs vs. Chefs event.

“It feels good to go home with a trophy instead of going home crying,” he said.

Chef Tom Madrecki of Chez le Commis took home the second “Eggplant” with his caramelized onion soup with buttermilk, accompanied by homemade bread with butter. He earned the votes of two out of the three judges for his simple but flavorful soup.

Cooking with only the food in AFAC’s pantry was a challenge, Madrecki said.

“It’s reflective of what thousands of Arlington families have to do every day, so it’s very rewarding,” he said.

Facing off against ACFD’s finest brought its own difficulties as the firefighters were both skilled chefs and have a connection to the community, Madrecki said. Votes for the firefighters were applauded by the crowd, whereas votes for the chefs were greeted by good-natured boos.

“We’re the underdogs as the chef because they’re the ones out in the community everyday,” he said. “They’re the ones protecting us so it’s an honor to cook with them.”

Cooking is part of the firehouse lifestyle, said Acting Chief Joesph Reshetar, adding that the firefighters often try out new dishes on their coworkers.

“The firehouse is where they experiment,” he said. “If you can please us, if you can please a group of people, you know you’re on to something.”

(more…)

Arlington Nonprofit Looking to Help Older Residents Age in Place

By Heather Mongilio

Arlington Neighborhood Villages (courtesy of Arlington Neighborhood VillageArlington Neighborhood Villages (ANV), a nonprofit helping older residents stay in their homes, is looking for volunteers and members.

Arlington Neighborhood Villages is holding an open house on Wednesday, Oct. 14 from 6-8 p.m. to inform people about the services it provides for older Arlington residents, as well as the volunteer opportunities it has.

The event will be held at National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (4301 Wilson Blvd).

“Celebrate ANV’s growth and bring your friends and neighbors to learn how they can continue to live in their homes and communities as they age,” the nonprofit, which launched a year and a half ago, said on the event page.

There will be light refreshments and a raffle. Members and volunteers can win a $25 gift card by bringing a friend who then joins ANV.

ANV helps Arlington residents, ages 55 and up, stay in their homes by providing them with social and educational outings, transportation and daily check-in calls. The organization relies on volunteers to help provide the transportation, run errands for older residents, do house check ups while people are away and perform household tasks, such as changing light bulbs or smoke detector batteries.

Arlington Nonprofit Sending Spa Products to Female Service Members

By Heather Mongilio

Spa Swag for Warriors logo

(Updated at 10:55 a.m.) A new Arlington-based nonprofit is looking to make the lives of female military personnel overseas more comfortable.

Spa Swag for Warriors is a women-owned charity that sends high-quality bath products — such as lavender-scented face wipes, skin creams, loofahs, shampoo, conditioner and lotion — to female service members serving abroad.

CEO and founder Lacey Chong said she started the organization after speaking with her friend Becca, a Marine Corps officer who was helping with the Ebola crisis in West Africa. The Marine told Chong about the limited access to bath products, which prompted Chong to collect items and send them over for Becca and other women to use “after a hard day of work serving our country.”

“Female soldiers put up with a lot overseas — unsanitary conditions, post-traumatic stress disorder, sexual assault and long hard days,” Chong said in a press release. “I think women instinctively understand that providing restorative products to deployed female service members can have an immediate impact on their morale and well-being.”

The nonprofit’s goal is to bring comfort to female service members, Chong said.

Female service member with spa goods

“We… aim to improve the morale and well-being of deployed female service members by providing high quality bath and body products,” she said.

The organization has mailed care packages across the world, including to countries in West Africa, East Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

“The items are hand-picked from socially responsible companies,” said the press release. “So far, the organization has been successful in securing donations of most-wanted items from companies such as Cate McNabb, Tom’s of Maine, Murad and Arbonne.”

The non-profit is looking for donations of the most-wanted bath products, including dry shampoo, eye cream, makeup remover and sleep masks. Donations can be mailed to Spa Swag for Warriors at P.O. Box 17207, Arlington, VA 22216.

Photos via Spa Swag for Warriors

Rep. Don Beyer Eats Crickets, Helps Prepare Food at La Cocina

By Heather Mongilio
1/8

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) was treated to a special meal when he visited La Cocina, a bilingual culinary school for the unemployed or underemployed: crickets.

Beyer visited the Hispanic-oriented culinary school in the basement of Mount Olivet Church (1500 N. Glebe Road) near Ballston yesterday, where he learned more about the school’s mission and heard from a couple of the six current students.

“This is very exciting,” Beyer told the students.

For his visit, the students, under Chef Instructor Alberto Vega, prepared a green salad with honey-crusted crickets and gluten-free chocolate chip and cricket cookies.

Crickets add protein into the people’s diets, La Cocina Executive Director Patricia Funegra said during a presentation. Crickets are also a sustainable food and La Cocina is working to encourage healthy and sustainable food into modern diets, Funegra said.

“We have to start thinking about that [sustainable food] in a very serious way,” Funegra said.

La Cocina is both a school and a food assistance program. The students prepare meals and then deliver them to residents of local affordable housing communities in a partnership with Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing.

All meals prepared are made with healthy foods, in hopes of fighting obesity, which plagues the Hispanic community, Funegra said. Meals contain 50 percent fruit and vegetables and 50 percent lean proteins, according to La Cocina’s website.

Yesterday, the students prepared a salad and spaghetti and turkey meatballs for the residents. Beyer helped the students by ladling the meatballs. He then joined them in handing out the meals to families.

La Cocina has seen a lot of success with its program, Funegra said. The last class had 100 percent completion and job placement. The current class is the school’s third.

“To have 100 percent completion is something to be proud of,” she said.

The school teaches bilingual culinary skills, sanitation practices, English needed for culinary work and life, and employment skills, such as working in a team. The school does not charge tuition and provides all the materials for the students, including a travel stipend, Funegra said.

Students come from the entire D.C. area, with some coming as far as Germantown, Maryland.

(more…)

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