The power of community action was on full display last week
as individuals from throughout Virginia took part in a special Community
Development Bus Tour in Arlington. The Arlington Housing Division Community
Action Agency hosted the tour which allowed local leaders and government
partners to visit a variety of sites in the region who offer services ranging
from tutoring students to assisting seniors with technology.
More than 40 individuals toured the area stopping at three service sites and learning about four local organizations. At the group’s first stop, attendees had the opportunity to meet with tutors/mentors and students participating in the Project Discovery – Pathways Out of Poverty Through Tutoring and College Access program. At risk high school students are provided tutoring and mentoring services at a local community center with the goal of helping them go on to college or other professional fields. One of the mentors who has been involved in the program for many years praised the program’s effectiveness saying, “We’ve had so many success . . . one of our students was told she should only look at community colleges because she couldn’t handle more. We worked together and she just graduated from George Mason. She’s now serving as a mentor because she saw how the program works!”
The group then moved onto visit a subsidized affordable senior community, to learn more about the Arlington Neighborhood Village (ANV) and Arlington Retirement Housing Corporation’s Culpepper Gardens. ANV is a volunteer-driven, nonprofit dedicated to helping older residents in the area so that they may continue living in their own homes — safely, independently, and with an enhanced quality of life. For a small fee, seniors can receive a multitude of service including grocery store shopping, banking, transportation to medical appointments, household chores, and technology assistance.
The group toured the Culpepper Gardens site and learned how the apartments provide much-needed affordable housing for seniors at risk of homelessness. The facility not only provides a safe and warm environment for seniors, but also aids with enrolling in benefit and entitlement programs, helps resident make doctor appointments, arranges for medical equipment, offers money management assistance, provides scheduled transportation, and much more.
The final stop for the group was a visit to the Wesley Housing Development Corporation of Northern Virginia’s Cadence Apartments and Program. The new multi-million-dollar apartment complex offers a number of affordable housing options and wraparound services for low-income residents. To learn more about community action in Arlington, visit https://www.arlingtonva.us/ or call 703-228-3834.
More than 40 individuals toured the area stopping at three service sites and learning about four local organizations. At the group’s first stop, attendees had the opportunity to meet with tutors/mentors and students participating in the Project Discovery – Pathways Out of Poverty Through Tutoring and College Access program. At risk high school students are provided tutoring and mentoring services at a local community center with the goal of helping them go on to college or other professional fields. One of the mentors who has been involved in the program for many years praised the program’s effectiveness saying, “We’ve had so many success . . . one of our students was told she should only look at community colleges because she couldn’t handle more. We worked together and she just graduated from George Mason. She’s now serving as a mentor because she saw how the program works!”
The group then moved onto visit a subsidized affordable senior community, to learn more about the Arlington Neighborhood Village (ANV) and Arlington Retirement Housing Corporation’s Culpepper Gardens. ANV is a volunteer-driven, nonprofit dedicated to helping older residents in the area so that they may continue living in their own homes — safely, independently, and with an enhanced quality of life. For a small fee, seniors can receive a multitude of service including grocery store shopping, banking, transportation to medical appointments, household chores, and technology assistance.
The group toured the Culpepper Gardens site and learned how the apartments provide much-needed affordable housing for seniors at risk of homelessness. The facility not only provides a safe and warm environment for seniors, but also aids with enrolling in benefit and entitlement programs, helps resident make doctor appointments, arranges for medical equipment, offers money management assistance, provides scheduled transportation, and much more.
The final stop for the group was a visit to the Wesley Housing Development Corporation of Northern Virginia’s Cadence Apartments and Program. The new multi-million-dollar apartment complex offers a number of affordable housing options and wraparound services for low-income residents. To learn more about community action in Arlington, visit https://www.arlingtonva.us/ or call 703-228-3834.