nonprofit

NEW: Aurora Highlands property could become affordable housing for people with disabilities

By Jo DeVoe
1/8

(Updated at 5:40 p.m.) A local nonprofit intends to redevelop and add affordable housing for people with disabilities to its property near Crystal City.

Melwood, which connects people with disabilities with public- and private-sector jobs and opportunities, currently runs a workforce development site from the building at 750 23rd Street S., in the Aurora Highlands neighborhood.

It envisions redeveloping the property into a 100% affordable, 104-unit building with about 30 units set aside for people with disabilities. The five-story building would also house workforce development services and community programming.

“This project builds on Melwood’s ongoing commitment to create more inclusive spaces and empower people with disabilities to live, work and thrive in their communities,” the company said in a statement to ARLnow. “By redeveloping the 23rd St. S. property, Melwood and its partners will be addressing another persistent gap for people with disabilities and their path to independence — affordable, accessible housing.”

Melwood took an early step forward by filing an application for a Special General Land Use Plan (GLUP) study this week. The application says the study is needed because the property falls outside of any adopted county sector plan documents.

The Maryland-based nonprofit — which has operated in Northern Virginia for many years — acquired the Arlington property during its merger in 2017 with Linden Resources, a local nonprofit that similarly provided employment opportunities to people with disabilities. Melwood says it began discussing options for the site with community members and stakeholders in 2020.

“From these conversations, Melwood heard the community’s strong interest in leveraging its facility to support affordable housing in addition to Melwood’s existing program offerings,” which currently support about 500 Arlington residents, the nonprofit said.

The proposed apartment building will address the “significant need” for independent, affordable housing for Arlington residents with disabilities, Melwood says, adding that in 2019, 22% of locals with disabilities lived under the poverty line and couldn’t afford housing.

Melwood requests that the county change the land-use designation from “public” to “low-medium” residential uses so that the property can eventually be rezoned for apartments, according to a letter from Catharine Puskar, a land use attorney representing the nonprofit.

The privately owned property is designated for public uses because, until 1981, the building operated as the former Nellie Custis School.

After the school closed, Arlington County swapped the Aurora Highlands property for a parcel near the Ballston Metro station with Sheltered Occupational Center of Northern Virginia, another work center for people with disabilities, the letter said. As part of the land swap, the county gave the center a special permit to operate on land zoned for public uses.

The two parcels comprising Melwood’s Arlington property at 750 23rd Street S. (via Arlington County)

The property includes the tiny, .8-acre Nelly Custis Park. Long before the current iteration of the park was built, a project some objected to, the occupational center had to grant to the county an open space easement for a public park as part of the land swap.

The public easement and the park will stay, but Melwood is allowed to use the parcel to calculate how many units can fit in its proposed apartment building, Puskar said.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Blue Jay in the fall (Flickr pool photo by Michael Coffman)

Route 1 Project Now Mostly Funded — “Virginia is making a huge financial commitment to the transformation of U.S. Route 1 as it runs through Crystal City, fulfilling a key promise officials made to Amazon.com Inc. to lure the tech giant to Arlington. The Commonwealth Transportation Board, a panel that manages state transportation funding and policy, voted unanimously Wednesday to allocate $134.4 million to fund the highway’s overhaul through 2028. The project, designed to bring at least some portion of the newly renamed Richmond Highway down to grade and make it more friendly to pedestrians, has a total estimated price tag of roughly $180 million.” [Washington Business Journal]

FAA Says Proposed HQ2 ‘Helix’ Is Okay — “The Federal Aviation Administration has no issue with the height of Amazon.com Inc.’s proposed Helix, the towering conical structure that will be a major part of HQ2’s PenPlace phase, closing the book on questions raised by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.” [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington Says It’s Ready for Winter — “Despite predictions for another below-average snowfall this winter, the County can’t stray from a solid-if-not-frozen annual strategy: Prepare for whatever nature may drop. Commuters can take comfort knowing a big County response of almost 50 trucks – plus additional contractors – can roll in case forecasters are wrong at any point in coming months.” [Arlington County]

Ceremony for Re-elected County Board Member — “The public is invited to join the Arlington County Board at the swearing-in of County Board Member Takis P. Karantonis on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021. The ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. and will be followed by a brief reception outside the Board Room, Room 307 in the Ellen M. Bozman Government Center.” [Arlington County]

New Term for Electoral Board Member — “The three-member Arlington Electoral Board will have continuity for the coming year, with Republican Scott McGeary on Dec. 6 reappointed to a three-year term. Arlington Circuit Court Chief Judge William Newman Jr. signed the order of appointment, which was not a surprise – even though the Arlington County Republican Committee was expected to submit three names for the court’s consideration, McGeary (who has served on the body, on and off, for nearly 30 years) was anticipated to receive the nod.” [Sun Gazette]

New ‘Wish Catalog’ for Local Nonprofits — “Looking for a way to add more charitable giving to the season of giving while supporting your neighbors in need? For the second year in a row, Arlington Community Foundation is excited to host the Nonprofit Wish Catalog featuring grant ideas of 26 local nonprofits with wishes of up to $5,000 each.” [Arlington Community Foundation]

It’s Thursday — After a few snow flurries yesterday, today will also be cold, with increasing clouds and a high near 44. Sunrise at 7:15 a.m. and sunset at 4:46 p.m. Tomorrow there is a slight chance of showers after 1 p.m., otherwise Friday will be partly sunny, with a high near 54. [Weather.gov]

Flickr pool photo by Michael Coffman

Arlington housing nonprofit AHC to step back from property management

By Jo DeVoe
AHC Inc. Interim CEO Susan Cunningham during a recent Arlington County Board meeting

(Updated 10:35 a.m.) Nonprofit affordable housing developer AHC Inc. announced today (Tuesday) that it will begin ceding management of all its properties to third-party companies in the new year.

The move comes less than a year after AHC transferred day-to-day management of the Serrano Apartments (5535 Columbia Pike) to an independent company, which Arlington County required in response to complaints of rodents and shoddy maintenance.

Meanwhile, AHC has also been considering whether the other buildings still under its own management arm should move to independent oversight.

AHC doesn’t have the scale to “consistently provide best-in-class service to our residents or the high-quality career opportunities and the training AHC Management employees deserve,” Susan Cunningham, AHC’s interim CEO, said in a statement.

“This decision comes after a thorough and careful examination of our residents’ and employees’ needs, current industry trends and AHC’s long-term strategic goals,” she continued. “For over 20 years, AHC Management has served thousands of families across dozens of properties. However, AHC Management’s relatively small scale combined with two years of pandemic challenges, supply chain issues and persistent labor shortages has made it clear this is the best path forward.”

Sixteen AHC properties are already overseen by third parties, says spokeswoman Celia Slater. This change will impact 35 properties spanning Arlington, Fairfax and Montgomery counties, the city of Alexandria and Baltimore, as well as 100 AHC property management employees.

Each company intends to retain onsite management staff with similar job titles, pay and benefits, says AHC.

This “will also create high-quality career opportunities for the AHC Management staff currently serving these properties,” Cunningham said.

The nonprofit expects to begin the transitions in January and finalize them by April, as it receives approvals from lenders and investors.

The selected companies are Drucker + Falk, which oversees the Serrano Apartments, as well as Harbor Group, Paradigm Management and WinnResidential. These companies operate where the nonprofit has properties and have experience managing the types of buildings it owns, AHC says.

“We believe that transitioning the management of AHC’s communities to a diverse group of well-respected third-party management companies with proven systems and track records will enhance residents’ experience,” Cunningham said.

Since Drucker + Falk took over management at the Serrano, there has been a flurry of activity to improve building conditions. As of a mid-November meeting with the County Board, apartments with recurring moisture have mostly been remediated, a number of convectors have been replaced, buildings are regularly treated for pests and extensive plumbing repairs are ongoing, Cunningham told Board members.

Tenant advocates have welcomed the building repairs, but say that trust in AHC is still lacking among residents.

AHC committed to working with the management companies to continue providing services and community engagement opportunities for residents.

Last week AHC distributed toys, provided by Amazon and Wakefield High School, to the children of the Gates of Ballston apartments and delivered Christmas trees, donated by St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, to residents at the Woodbury Park and Frederick apartments.

This transition to the new companies will happen in tandem with the selection of a new permanent CEO in the first half of 2022, AHC says. The CEO will take over for Cunningham, who stepped in after former CEO Walter Webdale retired amid the controversy at the Serrano.

Arlington Knights of Columbus hosting Santa and Marines at annual Toys for Tots drive

By Matt Blitz
Toys collected last year during the Arlington Knights of Columbus drive (Photo courtesy Myles McMorrow)

After receiving thousands of toys last year, the Arlington Knights of Columbus on Little Falls Road will be hold its second annual Toys for Tots drive this weekend.

The drive will be held on both Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 4 and 5), from noon to 7 p.m., outside of the Knights of Columbus Arlington Council 2473 at 5115 Little Falls Road, in the Rock Spring neighborhood.

Like last year, the event will be drive-thru only, with uniformed Marines, volunteers, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus greeting folks and helping to gather toys. There will also be thousands of Christmas lights decorating the 117-year-old building and festive inflatables to get all in the mood.

The organization is also known for annually providing Thanksgiving meals to those in the community who are in need.

2020 marked the first year for the toy drive. Organized by Knights of Columbus member Myles McMorrow and his wife Kate Gilchrist, the community’s dedication last year caught them by surprise.

“We were just shocked at the outpouring,” McMorrow tells ARLnow. “We thought we may get a couple hundred toys. But, then, the cars kept on coming, coming, and coming.”

In the end, McMorrow says they collected nearly 4,000 toys for needy children. The hope, of course, is that the number will be topped this year.

What’s needed most this holiday season are toys for infants to 2-year-olds, as well as toys for older kids ages 11 to 14, notes McMorrow.

When collected, all the toys will be shipped down to the Toys for Tots facility near Fredericksburg, from which the organization,  run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, will distribute the gifts.

McMorrow believes the reason for the drive’s success so far is because many offices are either still shut down or at reduced capacity with more people working from home. Traditionally, offices are where such holiday donation drives take place. People still want to give, but the opportunities to do this are fewer given remote work, he notes.

If folks can’t make the trip this weekend, boxes will be available at the Knights of Columbus for toy drop-off through Christmas.

Even during an extremely tough 20 months for all, McMorrow remains amazed at the local desire to help others.

“People pulled up with van loads [of toys],” he says about last year’s drive. “I mean, the whole back of their Yukon was just full of toys. People are very generous.”

How to support local nonprofits and neighbors this holiday season

By Jo DeVoe
Volunteers distributing food at AFAC (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

‘Tis the season for charity, as year-end giving campaigns and holiday donation drives ramp up.

This year, with Thanksgiving and Christmas on the horizon, two dozen local nonprofits have listed what they need to serve their clients this holiday season.

Contribution opportunities include providing essentials to people in affordable housing, transitional housing and recovery programs, supporting the arts, feeding people and animals and helping nonprofits provide STEM programming and assist job-seeking clients.

The lists, republished with permission of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce after originally appearing in the Chamber’s Arlingtonian newsletter, are below.

AHC Inc.

  • Assemble holiday gift bags filled with fun items such as fuzzy socks, craft supplies and a gift card for teens and senior citizens in AHC’s programs.
  • Donate education tools for AHC’s youth. Purchase gifts from AmazonSmile through AHC Inc.’s Wish List.

Animal Welfare League of Arlington 

  • Donate food and supplies from our Chewy Wish list so pets and their families get the resources they deserve to stay together.
  • Donate items from our Amazon Wish list to give shelter animals the care they need or even a special surprise this holiday season.

Arlington Arts Center

  • Donate two foldable wheelchairs for visitors who may need assistance during their visit.
  • Donate painting supplies for gallery walls (roller covers, painters tape and drop cloths).

Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC)

  • Register online to organize a food drive to help AFAC collect food for Arlington families struggling against hunger. AFAC will provide boxes and will pick up the donated food.

Arlington Free Clinic

  • Donate a $25 Target gift card so that patients who are parents can buy holiday presents.
  • Donate lotion and hand cream for patients who visit during the cold, dry months.

Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing 

  • Donate household supplies, such as toiletries, for our Household Essential Pantry.
  • Donate winter clothing accessories for Holiday Seasonal Drive, such as children’s face masks, gloves, scarves and hats.

Arlington Thrive

  • Empower and celebrate an Arlington case manager or social worker by donating a gift — such as a gift card, office supplies, an experience or an accessory — for their holiday surprise care package.

Aspire! Afterschool Learning

  • Donate an Amazon gift card in any amount for student program needs and family support.
  • Donate an item from Aspire!’s Amazon Wish list.

Bridges to Independence

  • Donate towels for families in need of shower supplies.
  • Donate pots and frying pans to families in need of kitchen supplies.

Computer CORE

  • Donate used laptop or desktop computers for us to refurbish and give at no-cost to our low-income adult job-seeking clients.
  • Donate computer mice and external cameras for recipients to participate in Zoom meetings.

Culpepper Garden

  • Donate cloth face masks and personal hygiene products for seniors in our assisted living residence.
  • Support Culpepper Garden’s Daffodil Bulb Drive by ordering a reusable bag of 25 select daffodil bulbs to keep or donate back to Culpepper Garden.

ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia

  • Assist our move from the Courthouse area to National Landing in January 2022.
  • Donate a SmartBoard interactive display to use in our new accessible meeting room at our new location.

Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation (JBLF)

  • Check out JBLF’s Amazon Wish list and help elevate the lives of low-income moms this holiday season.

National Capital Treatment & Recovery (formerly Phoenix House Mid-Atlantic)

  • Donate socks or winter gloves to an adult struggling with substance use disorder.
  • Donate travel-size items for hygiene kits (such as toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant and shampoo) for an adult struggling with substance use disorder.

New Hope Housing (NHH)

  • View NHH’s Amazon Wish list at for items to donate which can serve our guests at the Residential Program Center (RPC).
  • Donate gift cards from Giant, Safeway, Walmart or Target in $25 increments. These make great welcome home gifts for our guests who move out of RPC and into their own place.

Operation Renewed Hope Foundation

  • Donate new bath towel sets: one large towel, one hand towel and one or two washcloths.
  • Donate a bagless vacuum cleaner.

PathForward

  • Donate a new twin-size bed bundle, such as sheets and a blanket, to an adult seeking warmth this winter at our Homeless Services Center.
  • Donate Glucerna Protein Shakes to an adult managing their health and wellness in our Medical Program.

Restoration Immigration Legal Aid 

  • Donate Walmart gift cards for asylum seekers and vulnerable immigrant children to buy food and holiday gifts for their families.
  • Donate essential hygiene items for the most vulnerable immigrants in our area.

Rosie Riveters

  • Donate a space where Rosie Riveters can hold paid and free after-school and weekend STEM programs.

RPSVA’s Arlington Peers Helping Peers in Recovery

  • Donate winter gear (such as hats, heavy socks, gloves, blankets and sleeping bags) for homeless adults.
  • Donate snacks and bottled water for homeless adults.

The Clothesline for Arlington Kids

  • Prepare a student for winter weather. Donate new winter coats or lightly used coats in excellent condition. Particular need for adult sizes for teens.
  • Put a smile on a kid’s face. Donate new sneakers.

Wreaths Across America

  • Sponsor a veteran’s wreath to be placed on the headstone of an American hero laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery this National Wreaths Across America Day (Saturday, Dec. 18). Each $15 handmade, live balsam wreath is placed by a volunteer and sponsored by an individual.

Local Christmas tree sales kick off next week, despite shortage

By Matt Blitz
A local Christmas tree lot (courtesy of Peter Golkin)

(Updated at 6:30 p.m.) With cold weather here, holiday music returning, and Thanksgiving a week away, it’s time for many to pick out that perfect Christmas tree.

Arlington has several Christmas tree sales, though that number seems to have diminished in 2021 compared to recent years. Unsurprisingly the pandemic is playing a role, but another cause is a reported tree shortage.

Supply chain issues, wildfires and heat waves in the Pacific Northwest, shipping delays, and a pine tree pest infestation in Kentucky are all contributing factors to the nationwide shortage.

The Knights of Columbus Christmas tree lot at Our Lady of Lourdes, on 23rd Street S. near Crystal City, won’t be having a sale this year, after cancelling in 2020 due to Covid-related concerns. This time around, the shortage is the primary reason.

“Our supplier for the last 15 years recently informed us that he had supply chain issues and would not be able to provide us with trees this year,” a spokesperson told ARLnow. “We contacted various other farms in North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia but none were able to provide trees either.”

They plan on coming back next year, however.

“We will work during the offseason to establish a relationship with a new supplier and plan on opening next year,” the group said.

The Arlington South Lions Club also won’t be having its sale near the intersection of Columbia Pike and Four Mile Run Drive in 2021, a club member said. It would have been the sale’s 59th year. The cancellation is not Covid- or shortage-related, we’re told.

Below is a list of sales that ARLnow has confirmed are happening.

  1. The Optimist Club of Arlington is holding its 75th annual sale at the corner of N. Glebe Road and Lee Highway, directly behind the Wells Fargo Bank and next to Metro 29 diner. It starts at noon on Friday, Nov. 26, the day after Thanksgiving. The sale will be daily until the trees are sold out. Organizers claim it to be “the LARGEST tree lot in all of Northern Virginia by volume” and sell about 2,500 trees a year. All trees are grown on the Virginia and North Carolina border and cut on Nov. 23 and Nov. 30. They recommend buying early since it’s anticipated they’ll sell out by Dec. 12. Proceeds go to youth sports programs and scholarships.
  2. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church at 4000 Lorcom Lane in Cherrydale also kicks off its sale on Friday, Nov. 26, the day after Thanksgiving. Two-hundred trees will from Vermont will be offered. The hours are Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Organizers are recommending buying early since 85% of the trees were sold during the first weekend. Volunteers are needed.
  3. The Clarendon United Methodist Church at 606 N. Irving Street is holding its pre-sale now with tree pick-up starting on Saturday, Nov. 27. There will also be a lot set up for those who wish to come in person. However, only 200 trees are available (plus a number of wreaths) and the church expects to sell out quickly. All the trees come from Canada, cost $75, and proceeds will go to the non-profit Arlington Thrive.
  4. The boys and girls of Scout Troop 167 are partnering with Mount Olivet United Methodist Church at 1500 N. Glebe Road in the Ballston area this year for a Christmas tree sale. The sale will only be for three days, the weekend after Thanksgiving. It starts Friday evening and runs through Sunday afternoon. A rain date will be the following weekend. Wreaths, medium, and large trees will be available. There’ll be no small trees this year due to drought but bigger trees can be trimmed. Pre-ordering and, even, home delivery are available this year.
  5. Boy Scout Troop 162 is again hosting its Christmas tree sale at the Dominion Hills pool parking lot at 5960 Wilson Blvd. The sale kicks off on Friday, Nov. 26 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Regular hours are Monday-Friday from 4-8 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wreaths and garlands will also be sold. Cash, checks and credit cards will be accepted. “Boy Scout Troop 162 has been selling Christmas trees to their Arlington neighbors since the early 1970’s,” says the troop’s Facebook page. “We are proud to say that we have sold trees to generations of families and look forward to many more years!”

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

At Phoenix Bikes, learning how to fix a bike is a life lesson

By Matt Blitz
1/8

(Updated, 11/16) For a Thursday afternoon, Phoenix Bikes just off of Columbia Pike is busy.

School’s out due to the holiday of Diwali, so there are a number of teenagers here at the shop on S. Dinwiddie Street spending their time learning how to build and fix bikes.

“I’ve learned how to fix a flat tire,” says 12-year-old Evelyn McCabe, holding a wrench in one hand, noting that she’s going to be an engineer one day. “I was actually on a bike ride and got a flat tire, but I knew how to fix it… it makes me feel good because I’m able to do that stuff.”

Phoenix Bikes is an Arlington non-profit, founded in 2007, that teaches kids how to fix bikes. Of course, their mission goes way beyond that. As their website explains, “Phoenix Bikes harnesses the power of bikes to help youth build passion, purpose, and a place in the community.”

“They’re learning social skills, they’re building confidence, they’re learning how to problem solve, persevere through frustration,” Phoenix Bikes executive director Emily Gage tells ARLnow, as cranking and clanging echoes in the background. “It’s so much more than bike mechanics.”

All students in sixth through 12th grades are eligible to go through the programs at Phoenix Bikes.

There’s no application or filtering process, only registration, says Gage. While the vast majority are from either Arlington or Alexandria, students come from across the region to work at the shop.

The main program is “earn-a-bike” where students fix up a bike, then donate it to a community member in need. Phoenix Bikes works with a number of other local nonprofits to provide these bikes to those who are experiencing homelessness, coming out of incarceration, or just in need of reliable transportation. After building a bike for a community member, students get a bike of their very own.

“All the skills they’ve learned, they can put to use on their own bikes,” notes Gage.

Overall, it usually takes the students 12 weeks and about 20 to 25 hours to complete the program, Gage says, though they’re able to do it at their own pace.

Phoenix Bikes relies on donations, both financial and bikes. The shop gets about 1,000 bikes donated a year, says Gage, all going towards helping students learn to fix, build, and maintain a bike.

It’s also a full service bike shop for the community, where everything from tune-ups to repairs to custom build outs-are done, with the profits also going back to programs. Older students are store managers and sales reps, helping customers work through their issues and find the right bike for them.

Phoenix Bikes also brings its unique method of teaching life skills to several Arlington County and Alexandria schools every semester, by taking the earn-a-bike program to meet students where they are.

Additionally, it has a racing team and more advanced mechanical classes.

In a typical year, Gage says Phoenix works with about 400 students in total. The past year, however, that number has been cut intentionally by half, to only about 200 students, to keep groups smaller due to Covid protocols. The hope is next year the program will get back to its previous capacity.

Tofik Beshir, 14, is walking out the door with his bike that he just repaired. He’s a star pupil and a recent winner of the GRIT award, given to students who show perseverance, discipline, and enthusiasm. He’s been working at Phoenix Bikes for about two years. When he started there, he saw a bike as just a mode of transportation. Now, he sees it as so much more.

“It’s completely changed my world,” he says. “It lets me be myself.”

Beshir has gotten really into mountain biking — something that can be a challenge in Arlington — and racing. Despite his age, he says he’s got his life all “mapped out.” He envisions himself becoming a professional racer, opening his own bike shop, and traveling the world with his bike.

Right now, though, he goes to school, bikes a lot, and spends the rest of the time at Phoenix Bikes tinkering. He also says, laughing, that his friends are asking him to fix their bikes all the time.

With the skills he’s learned, Beshir feels free. He can go anywhere and, if his bike does get a flat or a chain breaks, he can usually fix it.

“Sometimes, I just ride and ride,” he says.

New Mobile Cafe Puts Profits Toward Health Clinic in Sierra Leone

By Dana Munro
Pink Star Cafe owner Mohamed Jalloh in front of his coffee-serving food truck (staff photo)

A new vegan food and beverage truck is serving up coffee with a cause on Wilson Blvd in Ballston.

Pink Star Cafe opened its truck window Sunday, Oct. 3. and plans to remain parked in the area until it raises enough money to open a brick-and-mortar storefront.

But selling treats and cafe drinks is not owner Mohamed Jalloh’s top priority. His mission is to use the profits to fund a health clinic in his family’s home country of Sierra Leone.

“We’re going to give general checkups, menstrual products and necessities for those who don’t have access to them,” said Jalloh, a first-generation American who grew up in the D.C. area.

Jalloh plans to set up the clinic in early January in Freetown, the nation’s capital and the city where his mother lived before emigrating to the U.S. The three-day clinic will be run by some Sierra Leonean medical professionals who are the first in their families to become medical professionals.

How much money he dedicates to the cause will depend on what his profit margins look like by January, he says.

“As we grow, the plan is eventually to create bigger and better health clinics yearly, build more water wells and get people access to food,” said Jalloh.

Here in Ballston, Pink Star Cafe serves up classic, creative and seasonal espresso drinks, from lattes to purple hot chocolate to caramel apple tea lattes. It also offers vegan pastries, including glazed doughnuts, confetti cupcakes and seasonal treats, such as pumpkin cookies.

Jalloh said vegan treats are an integral part of ensuring the cafe is “socially and economically conscious.” He gets the vegan baked goods from a husband-and-wife duo in Austin, Texas.

“I wanted to work with a company that’s just as small as I am,” said Jalloh. “I just love supporting other small businesses. ‘I’m small, you’re small, let’s get big together or let’s just stay small.'”

The entrepreneur says he has spent much of his life working in the food service industry, learning from his mother how to sell food in crowded areas and give back to his community. Opening a food truck was a natural next step.

“My mom didn’t have an education, so when she first came from Sierra Leone, she had a hot dog stand outside of RFK Stadium where the Redskins — now Washington Football Team — used to play,” he said. “Every summer, when I wasn’t in school, I would work with her. She’d give me a cooler and I would sell water and Gatorade. Eventually, she went from a hot dog stand to a food truck. She’d drive around and feed construction workers while they were building up D.C.”

The Howard University alumnus first set up shop in Los Angeles in mid-2020. The locale and clientele inspired the name, he says, since “everybody in LA wants to be a star, so Pink Star is the place where everyone gets to be treated like a star.”

But he soon felt the pull to move back to the D.C. area.

“Los Angeles is a cool place but I just love it here,” he said. “I’m also a fall person, fall is my favorite season of the year. Fall and winter, it don’t get no better than that.”

(more…)

Local Paralympian Starts Fitness Nonprofit for People with Disabilities

By Dana Munro
Former Paralympian Alyssa Gialamas models a side plank (courtesy of Adapt, Move & Gain Fitness)

When 26-year-old Paralympic swimmer and Arlington local Alyssa Gialamas retired after 10 years as a competitive athlete, she decided to devote her newfound time to helping other people with disabilities get fit.

After competing in London and Rio for the U.S. Paralympic Team, she found inspiration for her next venture closer to home, where she saw few accessible workout opportunities.

“I started going to the gym and noticing there weren’t a lot of resources for people with disabilities,” said Gialamas, who was born with arthrogryposis, a condition that keeps some of the joints in her leg from moving easily.

The athlete drew on her expertise adapting workouts intended for able-bodied people to put together exercises and classes for people with different physical limitations. Last month, she launched a nonprofit organization called Adapt, Move & Gain Fitness to bring her exercises to people with differing abilities.

Gialamas aims to hold her first class in early November, with one class per month after that while the organization gets off the ground.

“There definitely are not adaptive classes here in Arlington, so I think it’ll be really cool to start here,” she said.

Gialamas said her organization taps into a pressing need in the local disability community, which includes more than 8,700 people under 65, according to the 2020 census.

“People with disabilities are three times more likely to have health issues like diabetes and heart disease,” said Gialamas. “There’s such a need for it. That’s why I started it.”

She developed three types of workouts: fully seated “Adapt” workouts, seated or standing “Move” workouts, and fully standing “Gain” workouts. The exercises are free to access.

“I don’t want people to not use these resources due to price,” said Gialamas. “Money will come through strategic partnerships and donations. There are some partners in the works. It’s been really cool to have so many people be excited about it.”

As for where the classes will be located, Gialamas said she hopes to one day operate her nonprofit from her own space. For now, she plans to host events at gyms around Arlington.

Folks can try her approximately 30-minute workouts at home, too.

“All of the workouts right now are on my website so you can do them anywhere, which is super cool,” said Gialamas. “There’s also a community page so if you do a workout you can post about it.”

Gialamas says it’s important for people with disabilities to have classes tailored to them and places to exercise with each other.

“I think there’s a really cool aspect of seeing other people like you, in any sense, and being able to base it [workouts] off of each other is really cool,” she said. “You don’t have to be a Paralympian to feel good in your body and about your disability.”

Executive Director to Step Down from Local Affordable Housing Nonprofit

By Jo DeVoe
Michelle Winters (courtesy Alliance for Housing Solutions)

The head of a local nonprofit that advocates for affordable housing is stepping down after five years at the helm.

Michelle Winters announced Friday that effective Nov. 30, she will no longer be the executive director of the Alliance for Housing Solutions (AHS).

“I am inspired by your dedication to the well-being of Arlington’s lower-income residents and to creating a more welcoming, affordable, and inclusive Arlington for Everyone,” referencing a set of AHS principles. “I’m proud of the many successes we have accomplished together, although I know there is still so much critical work to do.”

According to the alliance’s Board Chair Jenny Lawson, the board is “undertaking an active search for a new executive director.”

The nonprofit, founded in 2003, works to increase the supply of affordable housing in the county and Northern Virginia through education, policy development and advocacy.

Since Winters joined AHS in May 2016, she notes, the county has taken a number of steps to preserve and build affordable housing, including one in which AHS was closely involved: expanding opportunities to build Accessory Dwelling Units.

During this time, the alliance has also supported affordable housing developments throughout the county.

The nonprofit maintains discussion groups, hosts events and educates residents about Arlington’s housing efforts, from the Missing Middle Housing Study to its Affordable Housing Investment Fund. Last year, amid the national reckoning on race, it produced a video on race and housing in Arlington.

AHS has a fairly modest budget to do this work, tax records show. During Winters’ tenure, AHS’s annual donation base increased from $85,000 to nearly $148,000 in 2019. Filings indicate a good chunk is spent on employee compensation, operational costs and office maintenance for its space at 3100 Clarendon Blvd.

Winters earned $55,946 in reportable compensation in 2019, for 20 hours per week of work, according to the nonprofit’s IRS Form 990 filing.

Some of the biggest donors to AHS are local affordable housing developers AHC, Inc. and Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, as well as and Virginia Housing, a state-created nonprofit that helps Virginians attain housing.

The alliance’s Board of Directors praised Winters’ work.

“She has been a thoughtful and dedicated champion for affordable housing during years of significant growth and transition, generously sharing her policy expertise, partnership skills, and wisdom with those seeking to maximize opportunities for safe, decent, and affordable housing for everyone in Arlington,” the directors said. “Because of her dedication and commitment to our mission, AHS is strong and well-positioned to continue its work, and we will miss her many contributions and wish her well in her future endeavors.”

Lawson thanked the departing executive director “for her readiness to assist with transition issues now and later.”

Winters, who served on Arlington’s Housing Commission from 2007-10, says she will continue being “an active voice for change in Arlington, across Virginia, and nationwide on housing policy.”

AHS will highlight her accomplishments during its upcoming 2021 Bozman Awards on Nov. 14.

Winters has also worked on housing policy at the national level, working for the Fannie Mae Foundation and leading initiatives at two of the country’s largest affordable housing organizations, NeighborWorks America and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

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