Arlington County has many non-profit organizations who work to improve the community through volunteer work, events and other services. Here are just a few, for a more complete list, visit www.connectionnewspapers.com.
ACE
2700 S. Taylor St. Arlington VA, 22206
703-228-6427
www.arlingtonenviroment.org
Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment is a community non-profit that was founded in 1978. Since its founding the organization has chosen different environmental issues to focus on, most recently putting its attention on air quality and Global Warming. ACE works to improve the local environment by organizing volunteer groups to participate in cleaning up the area and offering educational programs to people in schools and at various exhibits and festivals about the importance of a clean environment.
One annual event the organization holds is their Fall Clean Up which will be on Sept. 15 beginning from 10 a.m. until noon at Barcroft Park. This is ACE’s biggest event of the year according to Elenor Hodges, Executive Director for ACE. In addition to picking up trash, what is collected is also tallied and results are sent to a bigger organization that keeps track of what kind of liter is found on the streets.
ACE will also hold an organic cooking demonstration on July 30 at the Arlington Career Center to teach attendees how to cook with local and organic produce.
A-SPAN
2708 South Nelson street, Arlington VA
703-820-HELP (4357)
www.a-span.org
The Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network or A-SPAN is a non-profit group that has been providing services for homeless adults since 1991. The organization has three different programs which offer assistance to homeless adults. The Emergency Winter Shelter is open from November until April and has 40 beds.
A-SPAN also has a homeless bag meal program through which food, hygiene items and phone services are offered to the homeless at the organization’s two locations; Rosslyn and Oakland mini park. A-SPAN also has a third location at one of their shelters. This program runs 365 days a year.
The last program that A-SPAN does is called Opportunity Place Street Outreach. Volunteers with this program go on the streets and offer job training, and other assistance to the homeless in Arlington.
"Last year A-SPAN served over 800 people," said Rachel Akins, Director of Resource Development.
AWLA
2650 S. Arlington Mill Drive, Arlington VA, 22206'
703-931-9241
www.awla.org
The Animal Welfare League of Arlington is an organization specializing in helping stray, abused or neglected animals in Northern Virginia. The organization was formed in 1944 by a group of residents in Arlington who were concerned about the treatment of animals in the area. Since, the organization has expanded to include animal control, and also opened a building that offers an enclosed shelter for the animals.
AWLA offers resources for licensing animals, finding veterinary care, pet adoption and reporting lost pets.
AWLA also holds events like the Walk for Animals in May to raise money and awareness about abused and neglected animals.
Nonprofit Resource Center
More information is available at the Arlington Economic Web site at www.arlingtonvirginiausa.com. The center is located in the Central Library.
The Nonprofit Resource Center is a space in the Arlington Central Library where nonprofit staff and board members can learn, review, and research various ways to better run their organizations. Organization members are able to review books, articles, videos, databases, Web site addresses, and guides relevant to nonprofits.
The center officially opened in March at the Central library located at 1015 N. Quincy Street on the second floor. It was created by Arlington Economic Development and was spearheaded by County Board Vice-chair Walter Tejada.
A business librarian manages the center and provides assistance with individualized research. The center also provides to the Virginia Tech Connect Northern Virginia Web site, has a CyberCenter for specialized training and meeting space for nonprofits that have made arrangements.
ACF
2525 Wilson Boulevard
703-243-4776
www.aelcf.or
The Arlington Community Foundation connects individuals, businesses and organizations with resources to various charities, individuals and institutions throughout the community. Grants are designated by donors or are awarded competitively to schools and other community nonprofit programs and organizations.
The ACF has a permanent endowment of more than 120 individual funds that complete charitable goals in the neighborhood. A volunteer Board of Trustees oversees funds. The organization provides an average of $500,000 in grants every year and it is the largest private provider of scholarships to Arlington County students said ACF’s executive director, Tricia Rodgers.
The foundation, which was created in 1991 by a group of local citizens, serves as a vehicle for community activism by building permanent endowments in areas of concern to community residents.
"Everyone can be a philanthropist, you don’t need a million dollars. Small donations go a long way," said Rodgers.