People

Arlington: A-SPAN says, 'Don't Give Money to Panhandlers'

Most are not homeless: the money is not housing them but hurting them

"Most panhandlers are not homeless, and most homeless are not panhandlers," said Kathy Sibert, CEO of A-span, Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network, located in South Arlington off Four-Mile Run.

A Gathering of Woodcarvers Happens Weekly in Arlington

It’s more about the company than the product.

Wilda Garrison will be 93-years-old in two weeks.

Arlington: Outrage Avoided

Arlington School Board prohibits gender identity discrimination.

Two months ago, the Fairfax County School Board added “gender identity” to its nondiscrimination policy amid a hail storm of outrage from its community.

A Homeless Mother Finds a Home in Arlington

“Your past is not your future.”

Nellie Jane Downing welcomes her guest into a neat, light filled apartment in South Arlington. Behind her on the wall is a photograph of New York City’s George Washington Bridge. “That bridge,” she said, “is my story. Walking from one side to the other, making that journey. And those lights on the bridge are the people who inspired me to get across.”

Arlington: Family Homelessness: Still a Major Problem

Decrease in numbers of homeless on the streets does not mean families are all housed.

Caroline Jones, of Doorways, an organization which is part of Continuum of Care and specializes in family homelessness, notes the Point in Time Count can be misleading. It’s a snapshot of what is happening on the street on a cold night in January.

Muslims at the Fairfax Islamic Center Break Fasts Together

One voice carries a melody in Arabic through the two-story hall of the Islamic Center Northern Virginia Trust, as over a hundred men bow their heads to the carpeted ground.

Clifton Film Festival Returns to Workhouse Arts Center

Fairfax resident Dani Weinberg thought she wanted to be a journalist. That was until she joined the crew of her high school’s television program “Good Morning Robinson.” Combined with her photography for the Robinson Secondary School newspaper, Weinberg started getting “really into film.”

Mount Vernon: Care and Share Initiative Grows

This year Fort Hunt Elementary School started a Backpack Friday program as part of its new Care and Share initiative.

Mount Vernon: Chamber Awards Scholarships to Local Students

The Mount Vernon Lee Chamber of Commerce honored the recipients of its 2015 Education Partnership Scholarships on June 2 at a reception hosted by The Hilton in Springfield.

Alexandria: Community Lodgings Opens Doors for Those Facing Homelessness

Tours offered at Fifer Family Learning Center.

Community Lodgings seeks to promote self-sufficiency and break the cycle of poverty in the city. In operation since 1987, the nonprofit founded by a collective of Episcopal churches works with families to create stability.

Service and Brotherhood

Mentor of The Month

“The most rewarding thing about Space of His Own was the interaction with the kids and seeing them transform from the beginning of the program where everyone’s nervous and there’s a sense of formality, and seeing it evolve to where there’s a level of comfort between the mentor and the mentee.”

Alexandria: Walking Aboard History

Lycee Rochambeau students, French expatriates, and many Americans visit L'Hermione

Students from the Lycee Rochambeau looked up at L'Hermione and called it “a ship with feelings.”

Alexandria: Murder in Braddock Sparks Tension

Death of Shakkan Elliot-Tibbs sparks community outrage.

Shakkan Elliot-Tibbs had spent July 2 in Alexandria visiting his cousin. Elliot-Tibbs was on his way to the metro to meet his mother in Springfield when he was struck by gunfire. Police arrived at 11:30 p.m. responding to one of the many “shots fired” calls from the neighborhood, but that night found Elliot-Tibbs suffering from a gunshot wound.

Alexandria: ‘Open Heart and Open Home’

KidSave hosts Summer Miracles program.

KidSave, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding forever-homes for foster children and orphans in foreign countries, is bringing Tatiana from Colombia to Alexandria for the summer.

Alexandria: Wine Cellar Needs a Little Help from Friends

Elizabeth and Rick Myllenbeck have a vision for 207 King St. They want to turn the historic 1810 Bartleman house in the heart of Old Town into the Sonoma Cellar, a wine-tasting room, bistro, and gift shop.

The Connection