Assistance League of Northern Virginia

Assistance League of Northern Virginia is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that strives to transform the lives of children through community programs. We strive to provide young students with the tools they need to succeed in school and, more importantly, to become productive adults. We focus on providing food and clothing and other necessities to children and improving their reading skills through one-on-one tutoring and donating new books. We know that providing children with these basic essentials not only increases their chance for success in school but positively impacts their physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development. Children with a solid educational foundation are better able to move up the economic ladder as adults.

Even before the pandemic, the needs of our community were much greater than our small chapter could satisfy, and those needs have intensified as costs have risen. We ask for your support so that we can continue to assist students and their families who are in need.

Our signature program is WEEKEND FOOD FOR KIDS, by which we provide nonperishable food to children who receive meals at school during the week but have insufficient food on weekends. We suspended the program during the pandemic and instead provided grocery gift cards to help struggling families. From April 2020 to January 2022, we delivered more than 9000 grocery gift cards, valued at more than $170,000. We resumed food-deliveries in February 2022, and now provide 1680 bags each month to 6 schools & grocery gift cards to a seventh school.  All 7 schools receive grocery gift cards in the summer.  

Through NEW CLOTHING FOR KIDS we deliver essential items, including sweatpants, sweatshirts, leggings, shirts, sneakers, underwear, socks, winter jackets and toiletries items.  We provided 1122 new clothes and shoes in 2019-20 & about 1100 clothing items and 690 toiletry kits in 2020-21. When schools reopened in 2021-22, we provided 1720 clothing items, 192 sneakers, 500 face masks, 2300 toiletry items, winter jackets, & hundreds of socks & underwear.  This school year, we've donated 1600 clothes & coat. New clothes give kids a sense of normalcy and fitting in that can improve self-esteem, school attendance and educational success. Students are more likely to participate in school activities, including playing outdoors at recess, if they have shoes that fit and winter coats to keep them warm.

Teachers and counselors provide feedback on our donations. One teacher reported that a child feared his new clothes would be taken back, because he'd never had clothes with tags on them; while other teachers note that children sometimes leave the tags on their clothes to show they are brand new. One teacher reminded us that a simple gesture can make a huge difference in a child's life. A student whose family had recently immigrated here and was struggling financially, had only 2 school outfits. But when she received unforms we donated, she could not stop smiling; although she has very little English skills, she said "thank you" over and over. Whenever I see her, she is wearing her uniform with pride.

Our LITERACY FOR KIDS program has two tracks to promote literacy because we recognize the importance of good reading skills for a child’s success. One track involves individualized tutoring and reading practice for young students. At one school, we provide weekly one-on-one tutoring to students at risk of falling behind. At a second school, we provide more general read-aloud tutoring to first, second, and third graders selected by their teachers.

Our second literacy track involves donating new books. We have expanded our book donations and hold book fairs at selected schools at which EVERY student chooses a new book to keep. Between 2018 and 2022, we have provided nearly 10,000 new books to students through book fair & summer reading program, and for schools' Little Libraries.  We've held 2 book fairs this year already, where every student at the school picks a book to keep.  For many students, the new book is their very first; and for a few it is the only book in the home.

With OPERTIONS HUGS, we help comfort young students & provide new mothers essential items. Hugs Pillows are handmade heart-shaped pillows in vibrant colors, stuffed with a Beanie Baby, activity book, & crayons. We provide these adorable pillows to young students to help them learn coping skills. With our Baby Bundles, we provide new mothers at a clinic serving low-income families hand-made baby blankets, hats, clothes, and a book for mom to read to her infant.

We have a platinum rating from Candid and are highly rated by GreatNonprofits.

We could not carry out our mission without the generous support of donors like you.  We are thankful for your support and hope we can again rely on your generosity so we can continue to make a different in our community.