Investing in our Community- Senate Federal Credit Union
Thank you to the team at US Senate Federal Credit Union for making such a generous contribution to help ALIVE! in our mission to support our Alexandria neighbors in need.
Financial contributions, make a huge impact on our ability to meet the need for assistance in our community! As you know, For more than 50 years Alexandria families looking for a safety net have turned to ALIVE! for groceries, shelter, and emergency financial assistance for rent and other basic needs. During the pandemic, ALIVE! saw a huge increase in the number of people seeking food assistance, and the need has not receded to pre-pandemic levels. Currently, ALIVE! distributes free groceries (produce, chicken, eggs, bread) to nearly 4,000 Alexandria families each month.
But ALIVE! provides more than just food for people in need. ALIVE!’s volunteers and service navigators have helped to provide emergency funding to help families in crisis avoid eviction, pay for medical bills, and find temporary housing.
Planned Closures and Winter Holiday Schedule
The December “Last Saturday Food Distribution” events took place on December 17th, and all ALIVE! offices and programs will be closed on December 30th, December 31st, and January 2nd. We look forward to seeing you in the new year!
ALIVE! Receives $1.5 Million for Community Project Funding Request
Last week, the Senate and House voted and passed the year-long federal government funding bill which includes $1.5 million dollars for ALIVE!’s Community Project Funding Request. This $1.5 million investment amounts to the largest one-time commitment of funds in ALIVE!’s 50 year history and will allow ALIVE! to secure a dedicated warehouse to store and distribute food to Alexandria residents in need.
Jennifer Ayers, Executive Director of ALIVE! had this to say about the project, “We are so incredibly grateful to the faith organizations, and city departments that have provided flex spaces for our food bank distributions in the past. I’d like to thank Congressman Don Beyer for his advocacy on behalf of the vulnerable communities we serve. Investments like this will have a huge impact on our organization’s ability to meet the lingering challenges of the pandemic that our community continues to face.”
During the pandemic, the City of Alexandria saw a huge increase in the number of people seeking food assistance, and this increased need has not receded to pre-pandemic levels. Currently, ALIVE! distributes free groceries (fresh produce, meat, eggs, bread, and dry goods) to nearly 4,000 Alexandria families each month.
Volunteers Needed for 2023
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the December 17th food distribution events in Alexandria and shout out to the members of Xi Alpha Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc for volunteering to serve our neighbors in need (despite some chilly temperature!).
As we look to the upcoming year the ALIVE! furniture team is starting to plan out the Saturday morning furniture pick-ups. If your congregation would like to reserve a specific Saturday please let us know by sending a message to: furniture@alive-inc.org
We’ve found that putting a date on the calendar for your congregation to recruit volunteers for is one of the best ways to ensure that we have enough volunteers to make the pick-ups and deliveries.
End of Year Giving
ALIVE! relies on contributions from supporters like you in order to provide food, rental assistance, transitional housing, and other basic needs for Alexandria City residents.
Please consider pitching in with a financial donation before the end of the year, and click the video below to share an end of year appeal from ALIVE! Board Member Ashley McNeil.
Season’s Greetings from the ALIVE! Staff
With all the programs, pop-ups, and planning that takes place throughout the year it’s sometimes rare for the entire ALIVE! staff team to be in the same place at the same time. Luckily we were able to capture one of these moments at the recent staffing appreciation bowling event.
Thank you for all of your support this year, and we wish you all a happy and healthy new year!
Thank you for having us!
Thank you to ALIVE! member congregation Westminster Presbyterian for inviting us to be a part of the Alternative Giving Bazaar. We are always looking for creative ways to help spread the word about all the ways ALIVE! helps provide a safety for vulnerable communities in the city of Alexandria, so please let us know if there’s an upcoming opportunity for our team to visit your congregation.
ALIVE!’s Food Distribution Schedule
ALIVE! distributes free bags of groceries (produce, chicken, eggs, bread) at three locations one Saturday per month. Please bring reusable bags to food distribution events so that ALIVE! can recycle them for future events. All reusable bags are accepted. ALIVE! food distributions are for City of Alexandria residents. No ID is required.
Click here for a PDF of the full January Food Distribution Schedule
Saturday, January 28 from 8:30am – 10:30am
Drive-through:
Cora Kelly Elementary School (3600 Commonwealth Ave)
NVCC Alexandria Campus (parking lot B-1 via 5000 Dawes Ave)- No walk up distribution available.
Walk-up:
Cora Kelly Elementary School (3600 Commonwealth Ave)
William Ramsay Rec Center (5650 Sanger Ave)
ALIVE! Food Hub
The ALIVE! Food Hub offers residents of the City of Alexandria:
• food • personal items • cleaning supplies • school supplies • community • connections to information other about services
Food Hub Hours of Operation:
Tuesdays Noon-6:00pm
Wednesdays Noon-6:00pm
Thursdays Noon-6:00pm
Fridays 10am-1pm
Saturdays 10am-1pm
Located at:
510-F South Van Dorn Street
Pop-Up Food Distributions Events
ALIVE! provides bags of food to specific neighborhoods and apartment buildings, in collaboration with our community partners, in the parking lot at each pop-up location. Drive-through and walk-up service available depending on site. ALIVE! food distributions are for City of Alexandria residents.
Thursday, January 12 from 4:30pm – 6:00pm
Ramsay Rec Center (5650 Sanger Ave)
Friday, January 13 from 4:30pm – 6:00pm
Casa Chirilagua (4109 Mt. Vernon Ave)
Friday, January 20 from 10:30am – Noon
Old Town Community Church (212 S. Washington St)
Saturday, January 21 from 8:00am – 9:30am
Fairlington United Methodist Church (3900 King St)
Saturday, January 21 from 10:00am – Noon
UNCUT Youth (1501 Cameron St)
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