Community Service Projects Summary 2002 - present
Program Year 2002-2003
Brain Injury Services, Inc.
Fairfax, VA
Children with brain injury recreational activity group
ELI '03
ELI and in coordination with the Fairfax County Therapeutic Rec. Department and Brain Injury Services worked together to host group meetings for children and adolescent survivors of Acquired Brain Injury and their siblings. During the recreation portion of the meeting, the BIS staff met with the parents separately to provide training on issues related to their child's brain injury. This project planned, organized and conducted recreational activities interacting with and supporting children with brain injuries.
Reston Association
Reston, VA
Low Income Property Maintenance & Renewal
ELI '03
ELI worked with the Reston Association to repair and renew a maintenance program to assist property owners. The project included planning, organizing and involving the community in implementing renewal projects.
Shelter House, Inc.
Falls Church, VA
Facilities Improvement and Food bank
ELI '03
ELI had the opportunity to better the living conditions for those who live at Shelter House through cleaning, donation sorting, painting and food pantry reorganization and inventory.
United Community Ministries, Inc.
Alexandria, VA
Food Collection
ELI '03
The ELI team worked with United Community Ministries to set up food drives at local grocery stores. The ELI team also worked with the UCM staff to provide neighborhood and store distribution flyers.
Northern Virginia Family Service
Oakton, VA
Clock Tower Thrift Shop
ELI '03
The ELI team helped Northern Virginia Family Services with a marketing and awareness program for NVFS.
Program Year 2003-2004
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services
Falls Church, VA
Build a Garden
ELI '04
Assist the residents of Willow Lane to develop the skills they need to live independently. This project included providing the residents with an opportunity to acquire gardening skills and grow some of their own produce.
Inova
Fairfax, VA
Kid Power
ELI '04
The ELI team worked with participants of KID POWER, a group of school age children dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children through community service. The ELI team helped KID POWER with a fun event "Beanie Baby Bingo".
NVTC
Computer Clubhouses
ELI '04
The ELI team worked with NVTC staff and volunteers to implement a history project using computers and video equipment. Teams of children, adults and seniors worked together with the ELI team to record the history of the community in a digital format.
Shelter House, Inc.
Falls Church, VA
Build and Organize a Food Pantry
ELI '04
The ELI team worked with Shelter House to solicit donation to build the food pantry. The food pantry also needed doors and security, the ELI team installed doors and a lock. They also assisted in inventory and organization of the food pantry.
Good Shepherd Housing
Alexandria, VA
Homeownership Training
ELI '04
Plan and implement a homeownership training course for low-income households trying to embody the American dream. The agency typically coordinates this type of workshop 1-2 times per year.
Langley Residential Support Services
McLean, VA
Math Club
ELI '04
The ELI team created a math club for Langley Residential Support Services. The curriculum focused on teachingLangley clients practical math skills. The goal of the project was to increase independence of Langley clients, increase social skills and create an ongoing activity that would benefit Langley clients.
Program Year 2004-2005
MainStreetChildDevelopmentCenter
Fairfax, VA
Family Literacy Project
ELI '05
There are many opportunities for the ELI team to contribute to the literacy program from assistance with ESL activities, help with literacy activities for the children, exploring options that could help provide the dinner meals, initiating a book drive, or help in planning the graduation.
School Aged Child Care (SACC)
Fairfax, VA
Community Service Project
ELI '05
The ELI team helped SACC managers research opportunities for new projects and then worked with one SACC center on a selected community service project. This project included working with children to develop leadership skills.
Hispanic Committee of Virginia
Falls Church, VA
Citizenship and Civic Participation Class
ELI '05
The ELI team built upon an existing curriculum to help to expand the resources available to trainers to help immigrants navigate the political system and learn about civic resources. The ELI team delivered presentations, interacted with participants, and spoke with elected officials to help them effectively reach the immigrant community.
Northern Virginia Family Service
Oakton, VA
Training Futures
ELI '05
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services
Falls Church, VA
Porch/Facility Improvement Project
ELI '05
As a complement to last year’s ELI contribution of a TranquilityGarden, the residents are requesting an all-season awning or other covering over the cement patio. The covering would create a protected space for enjoying the yard. Enhancement to the back yard at Willow Lane will make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for the residents who spend most of their recreational time at home.
Program Year 2005-2006
Alzheimer's Association
Young Professionals Leading Alzheimer's Network
ELI '06
The ELI team helped create an awareness and marketing campaign that helped educate staff on how to best communication mechanisms forreaching the ELI peer group. The ELI team hosted an awareness "happy hour" in Arlington and well over 60+ people attended.
Hartwood Foundation, Inc.
Community Outreach
ELI '06
The ELI team helped the Hartwood Foundation identify business, civic, religious and other organizations near a Hartwood group home, assessed the interests of the group home residents and developed protocols for introducing Hartwood and their clients to identified community groups and linked the program participants to activities of selected community groups. These methods will be implemented in other group homes.
Literacy Council of Northern Virginia
Inter-Session Computer Class
ELI '06
The ELI team worked with the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia to design and teach a basic computer class to adult ESL learners.
Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program
Clifton, VA
Friend Raising Event
ELI '06
ELI worked with the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program to help raise awareness of the program by holding a "friend raiser". The team planned and organized a riding demonstration at Oatlands Plantation and also held a silent auction.
Woodrow Wilson Branch of FairfaxCounty Public Library
Falls Church, VA
Career Services Day
ELI '06
The Career Services day provided county residents in the Bailey's Crossroads/Lake Barcroft area an opportunity to learn about career opportunities. The ELI team created workshops which included resume writing, interviewing, dressing for success and information on library resources for job search activities.
Program Year 2006-2007
Reston Interfaith
Reston, VA
Embry Rucker Community Shelter Life Skills Program
ELI '07
The ELI team created and implemented a comprehensive series of Life Skills Workshops to build residents' knowledge and understanding of basic topics. The group setting and engaging format boosted residents' self-esteem and encouraged continued growth.
New Hope Housing
Alexandria, VA
Elementary School Education Pilot Project
ELI '07
The ELI team worked with New Hope Housing to create a curriculum for children in 5th grade to learn and understand affordable housing.
Brain Injury Services
Fairfax, VA
Marketing & Awareness Campaign
ELI '07
The ELI team worked with Brain Injury Services on a marketing and awareness campaign. The team organized and planned an event at Top Golf in Alexandria, VA.
Alternative House
Vienna, VA
Thrift Store Feasibility Study Project
ELI '07
The ELI team offered the Alternative House an educated opinion about whether to seriously study the revenue stream from a thrift store. The team researched possible locations for the store, analyzed real estate markets and interviewed other area nonprofits that run thrift stores.
CrisisLink
Alexandria, VA
Community Outreach & Awareness Building
ELI '07
The ELI team devised a strategy to find new information outlets to better reach at-risk populations that would benefit from CrisisLink's services. The team then developed and implemented a plan for distribution.
Program Year 2007-2008
Langley Residential Support Services
McLean, VA
Marketing and Awareness Campaign for LRSS
ELI ‘08
ELI team members worked closely with LRSS staff to enable the Fairfax County community to better understand the needs, desires, and capabilities of adults with mental retardation and maximize its support of Langley Residential Support Services in providing services to this population. Project goals and objectives were to understand mental retardation, residential services, and non-profit organizational operation. Also to understand the elements of successful marketing and community outreach programs. Finally the ELI team learned about the challenges facing non-profit organizations in FairfaxCounty (and Northern Virginia)
Fairfax Extension Leadership Council (ELC)
Fairfax, VA
Comprehensive Marketing plan for the Fairfax County ELC
ELI ‘08
The ELI team worked with the Fairfax ELC to develop a comprehensive marketing package, to include resources such as brochures about the ELC, newsletters, and business cards for ELC members, and development of a logo to use on letterhead and other materials. Other creative methods of marketing and promoting the ELC, such as effective web design are needed, in order to increase visibility of the ELC in FairfaxCounty. The goals were to increase Fairfax ELC membership, increase awareness and visibility of the ELC in FairfaxCounty, increase community networks and to involve more young professionals, such as ELI, with the ELC
Literacy Council of NOVA
Annandale, VA
Community Ambassadors for Literacy
ELI ‘08
The ELI team’s assignment was to help the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia to eliminate student waiting lists through targeted volunteer recruitment efforts in the Northern Virginia community. As a team, ELI served as Community Ambassadors for Literacy, providing volunteer education and orientations to community groups, libraries, and other organizations whose membership includes potential Council volunteers. The ELI Team served as the first generation of Community Ambassadors in the spring of 2008, and they will recruit and train volunteers to sustain the Ambassadors for Literacy after May 2008.
PRS, Inc.
Falls Church,VA
Landscape and beautify - “Tranquility Project”
ELI ‘08
The ELI team along with many volunteers worked with PRS staff to build on two years of ELI efforts to beautify PRS Willow Lane, PRS’ 24/7 residential facility in Falls Church. Willow Lane is an intensive supported housing program that makes permanent housing, residential support services, psychiatric rehabilitation, and employment services available to adults with psychiatric disabilities being discharged from hospitals into the community. Two past ELI projects have established the SerenityGarden at Willow Lane, and designed and built a roof over the back patio. The Tranquility Project built on these past activities by transforming the landscaping to provide a calming, peaceful area for residents to enjoy. The team created a calm and soothing landscaping for residents of PRS Willow Lane. They also removed over 60 bags of leaves and dumped two dump truck loads of mulch on the property to help with the maintenance of the property. The team integrated PRS clients in the work effort to assist in their recovery and community involvement. Donations of landscaping materials were used to help keep down costs.
Reston Interfaith
Reston, VA
Partnership for Permanent Housing (PPH)
ELI ‘08
The ELI team worked with the Partnershipfor Permanent Housing (PPH) staff at Reston Interfaith to develop a Mentor’sManual and accompanying Mentor’s Training Manual to introduce and teachinterested mentors how to work effectively with client families.
The ELI team gained an understanding of the challenges that families residing in transitional housing confront. Members of the PPH were also interviewed to become familiar withFairfax County’s ten year plan to end homelessness through permanenthousing; and researched and designed a manual that outlines the role of mentors in the lives of the client families. The ELI team also developed a mentor training workshop and training manual for trainers to usein educating volunteer mentors on their role;conducted 2 training workshops including 15 – 20 interested mentors in eachsession; adjusted training format based on lessons learned from initial workshops; andorganized manuals, background materials, and any other relevant informationand provided to PPH staff for ongoing use.
Program Year 2008-2009
CrisisLink
Arlington, VA
Marketing Strategy
ELI ‘09
CrisisLink is a community-based nonprofit serving the entire Northern Virginia/Maryland/DC region and dedicated to crisis prevention, intervention and response. ELI group members developed the messaging, benefits and outreach strategy to potential partners. ELI group members assisted the 2-1-1 VIRGINIA team in reaching out to non-profits and for-profits to encourage them to partner with the program.
Our Daily Bread
Fairfax County, VA
Assessment – Supply Chain
ELI ‘09
Our Daily Bread is a volunteer-based organization that is focused on easing the plight of low income residents in Fairfax County, Virginia. As part of its mission, ODB receives donations of non-perishable food and toiletries and delivers these supplies to FairfaxCounty families in need of emergency food assistance. This ELI Team evaluated different approaches or best practices for measuring the quantity and value of materials donated and subsequently distributed.
New Hope Housing
Alexandria, VA
Web Development
ELI ‘09
New Hope Housing operates six shelter programs, four transitional housing programs, five permanent supportive housing programs, and support services that include individual case management, mental health and substance abuse counseling, education and employment services, life skills training, a children’s services program, and recreational, social and cultural programming. One or more social networking site(s) were identified on which New Hope Housing may establish an agency page to help in increasing recruitment of friends and supporters for the agency.
Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding
Clifton, VA
Develop Training
ELI ‘09
NVTRP provides equine assisted activities to children and adults with disabilities, youth-at-risk, veterans and their families in an inclusive, community setting. The ELI team is created and implemented the Working with Abilities Volunteer Training for NVTRP volunteers. The training teaches the volunteers about disabilities and the characteristics they will see in the riders.
Reston Interfaith
Reston, VA
Design and Implement Workshop Series
ELI ‘09
Reston Interfaith is a nonprofit organization serving Northern Virginia that promotes self-sufficiency through support and advocacy for those in need of food, shelter, affordable housing, quality childcare, and other services. The ELI team researched, designed and directly lead a weekly, month-long series of workshops that fostered the leadership capacity of at least 10 youth, ages 12 – 17 from each of the Southgate Community Initiative neighborhoods.
Program Year 2009-2010
Children’s Science Center
Northern Virginia
Research & Data Analysis/Survey
ELI ‘10
The Children’s Science Center, a not for profit organization, is developing a new interactive children’s museum in Northern Virginia, focused on science and technology. The museum will ultimately hold 20,000 square feet of exhibit space and is currently in the development phase.
The ELI team helped the Children’s Science Center determine the best use of the museum’s exhibits and overall content by conducting research and focus groups in the Northern Virginia community, focusing on the following questions: 1) what learning topics will be most beneficial, 2) what age-range of children have the most significant need for learning and development that can be provided by a museum of this type, and 3) what opportunities exist to collaborate with existing community and cultural organizations through collective resources? The team’s feedback and recommendations were added to the Children’s ScienceCenter exhibit plan to more successfully engage children in science.
FACETS
FairfaxCounty
Research, Analysis & Implementation
ELI ‘10
Facets provides comprehensive programs and services, including supportive housing, basic needs and emergency assistance, educational programs, eviction prevention services, medical outreach and counseling to men, women and children who are homeless or are otherwise precariously housed in Fairfax County.The ELI Team helped FACETS determine methods to further develop and grow their mentoring program. The team conducted research on other mentoring programs and best practices used by programs across the country. The team used the data they obtained through their research to create a mentor training manual.
Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services, Inc.
Alexandria, VA
Marketing/Survey
ELI ‘10
Good Shepherd Housing is a human service agency that reduces homelessness, increases community support and promotes the potential for self-sufficiency to low income families in Fairfax County. The ELI team developeda marketing video that demonstrated the impact of Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services’ programs on its clients’ lives. This moving and inspirational video was presented at Good Shepherd’s annual gala. The team also used the interviews collected for the video to provide Good Shepherd with meaningful client feedback and suggestions for improving its programs.
Shelter House, Inc.
FairfaxCounty
Training & Education
ELI ‘10
Shelter House provides temporary emergency housing and supportive services to homeless families in order to enable them to transition into permanent housing and a stable family life.