To support other businesses around Vienna, locally-owned French Press Printing created a fundraiser that has collected more than $7,000 so far.

By selling specially designed t-shirts, owner Sarah Bohn said that she not only managed to raise funds for her neighboring buisnesses challenged by COVID-19, but also drawn attention to the compassion shared by Vienna residents.

Part of the reason the fundraiser has been so successful is that “people want to be involved in their community,” she said. “People didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to participate.”

For $20 people can purchase a dark blue t-shirt, which comes in two styles and has white lettering listing the 35 participating buisnesses on the back and the word “community” on the front.

Though all of the local buisnesses featured benefit from the extra advertising, some of them chose to forgo the money and either request it be given to other local buisnesses who need it more or take it to donate to a charity of their choice, Bohn said.

Frame Factory, for example, took its share and purchased fresh groceries from Caboose Tavern to share with locals facing food insecurity, according to Bohn.

Originally, Bohn ran a trial fundraiser in April and brought back a second edition out of popular demand. New orders will be accepted through June 5, according to the website.

More than 100 shirts have been ordered so far in the second fundraising round, Bohn said.

Currently, Bohn said she is in the process of sending out the original orders, adding that people who ordered recently will receive their shirts after the June 5 order deadline. 

Despite the hardship many buisnesses are facing, Bohn commented on the “wonderful energy” around town. She said she noticed that more and more buisnesses are reaching out to one another and forming partnerships, finding ways they can coordinate packages and deals for customers. 

Around town, Bohn said she looks forward to watching people walk down the streets in their #supportingvienna shirts as a reminder of the small-town feel that Vienna shares with residents.

Besides just t-shirts, French Press Printing also sells pillows, custom made fabric items, glassware, bags and jewelry, according to its website.

Photo via French Press Printing/Facebook

A list started by a woman to “help local businesses in McLean get the word out” quickly became a resource naming roughly 300 businesses and charities in the D.C. area.

The project, created by Lori Boerner, consists of a Google Doc and map, so people either seeking assistance or wanting to help during the pandemic can efficiently find an organization that suits their needs.

Perusing the information provided, people will see a places collecting donations, restaurants offering takeout and delivery, fitness centers offing online classes, retail stores with curbside drop off and even corporate companies that are offering free services.

Part of Boerner’s inspiration for the project came from chatter from local forums and social media. She noticed that people wanted to help those in need but lacked a direct, coordinated list of resources.

“It was initially time-consuming,” she said, adding formatting the information and researching places took a substantial amount of time.

Now that the list is somewhat complete, she told Tysons Reporter that she still spends a few early mornings a week before work to update it with tips sent to her.

For example, the mother of a McLean teenager that works at Sweet Bites Café & Bakery told Boerner to help get the word out that the bakery is still open since its business has slowed substantially.

“A lot of it feeds upon itself — once people see it, they send things in,” Boerner said, especially since the list’s popularity continues to grow.

Since its creation, the list has been promoted by regional organizations such as the McLean Citizens Association, which Boerner is a member of.

Boerner had practice coordinating a similar list after she made one to assist people during the government shutdown in 2019.

“Things are different now and people are helping in any way they can,” Boerner said, adding that not everyone may be able to donate financially, but they can promote resources through social media channels and networks.

Image via Google Maps

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Tysons Corner Center is working with community members to help those in need by providing an &pizza meal to healthcare workers. Anyone who wants to sponsor a healthcare worker by providing a meal can text #FEEDTHEM to 200-03, the page said.

Those seeking live entertainment can choose to check out 1st Stage Theatre’s Facebook page, where the arts organization posts videos of its talented cast members posting videos of them performing various songs and acts.

Tuesday (May 19)

• Stuff the Bus — People can drop off non-perishable goods to help community members in need at both the  James Lee Community Center (2855 Annandale Road) Falls Church and the Patrick Henry Library (101 Maple Ave E.) in Vienna from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
• Virtual Mystery Fiction Book Group — At 7 p.m. people can join a virtual conversation about “My Sister, the Serial Killer: A Novel.” People must pre-register online to receive the link. This event is hosted by One More Page Books.

Thursday (May 21)

• Virtual Coffee Networking with Professionals — From 7:30-9 a.m. people can join a networking call on the topic of commercial real estate. People may preregister before the event to receive the link.
• Bourbon, Beer and BBQ takeout event — Caboose Brewing is hosting an event featuring beer and barbeque. People can preorder online and then pick up the food from 4-7 p.m. Lost Whiskey will also be offering bottles for sale at the event.
• Remote Working Webinar — From noon to 1 p.m. the Tysons Chamber of Commerce is hosting a remote event to help people think about the future of working from home. This event is free and open to the public. People should register to receive a link.

Saturday (May 23)

• Performers in Quarantine — Starting at 2 p.m. 1st Stage Theatre will hold one of its community conversations via Zoom with performances by actors in the upcoming show “The Nance share.” The actors will share what their creative experiences have been like during the pandemic.

Photo courtesy Caboose Commons

Two lifelong friends who work at Hoar Construction in Tysons and Clyde’s in Maryland recently teamed up to feed health care workers around the D.C. area. 

By leveraging their connections at their companies, Bryce Yetso, the general manager of Clyde’s, and Mike Dramby, Hoar Construction’s senior project manager, said that they have handed out over $3,000-worth of food at two regional hospitals within the last few weeks.

Though Hoar Construction works on a variety of projects, Dramby specializes in hospital construction and expansion for the D.C. area office, so he said he was already somewhat familiar with the needs of hospital workers during this hectic time.

Meanwhile, Clyde’s was forced to furlough workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was able to bring people back to work recently with the new request for meals, according to Yetso.

“Bryce was looking to get his people back to work and we were looking for a way to help front line folks,” Dramby said, adding that it made sense to join the two efforts together.

Hoar Construction managed fundraising efforts and coordination with the hospitals while Clyde’s was responsible for meal preparation and delivery, the men said.

Though Hoar Construction originally offered to front the meal order cost, Dramby said that almost all of his coworkers contributed to the effort.

Dramby told Tysons Reporter that his company has been especially busy during this time, because hospitals are investing money in wing expansions to boost capacity for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Going forward, the two men hope to cater meals to medical staff at two other hospitals in the near future.

Photo courtesy Clyde’s Catering

Caffe Amouri and the Vienna Business Association are hosting a social distance 5K benefiting community members facing food insecurity.

Beginning Friday (May 15), people can take part in the Feeding Families 5K by preregistering and then tracking their distance and time as they follow the arranged route.

To maintain social distancing, participants can run anytime through the end of the month, according to the event page. When complete, people can turn in their results through email.

Registration is $25 for individuals or $50 for a family, according to the event page, which added that all proceeds go to charity.

Winners in several categories including “best time running” and “best time walking” will receive prizes from Caffe Amouri and local sponsors.

People interesting in just donating to the cause can do so online.

Image via Caffe Amouri/Facebook

Fairfax County recently created a map pinpointing local groups looking for donations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The map allows users to find nonprofits and organizations within a specific region of Fairfax County so they can help people within their own communities.

Users can search for charities by the proximity to an address or by clicking on one from the general geographic overview.

The charities listed on the website are accepting items including personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, baby products and paper items, the page said. Throughout the county, 22,620 households are at or below the poverty level, according to the website.

Charities collecting monetary donations can be found on the webpage as well.

People can learn more about a charity by reading an overview from Volunteer Fairfax.

County-wide:

• The Shepherd’s Center of McLean-Arlington-Falls Church
• American Red Cross in the National Capital Region
• Blood Donor Services, Inova Health System
• Britepaths

Vienna:

• McLean Bible Church
• Family Preservation and Strengthening Services (PASS)
• MK9s Service Dogs
• Second Story
• The Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna

McLean:

• Lewinsville Retirement Residence
• Share Inc.

Falls Church:

• Falls Church-McLean Childrens Center
• Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Administration
• Falls Church Community Service Council (FCS)
• New Hope Housing (NHH)
• Northern Virginia Dental Clinic, Inc.
• NOVA ScriptsCentral, Inc.
• Shelter House, Inc.
• The Arc of Northern Virginia
• Computer C.O.R.E.

Image via Fairfax County

In the coming weeks, a local nonprofit assisting community members facing food insecurity or homelessness will receive assistance from the McLean Citizens Association.

SHARE of McLean was chosen by the MCA at last night’s meeting (May 6) to be the recipient of incoming monetary donations to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is one of the most efficient charities we could possibly find,” MCA President Dale Stein said, adding that requests for food from SHARE have doubled since the COVID-19 outbreak began. 

MCA members voted to donate a minimum of $1,000, which has already been crowdsourced, to the nonprofit.

“I really do think this is good for our community and MCA,” Stein said.

Several members at the meeting asked that MCA raise the match amount.

“Let’s get the $1,000 to SHARE and then set up a working committee to get more funds donated and send in a second donation later,” Sowjanya O’Neill, an MCA at-large member, said. “I know there are a lot of people out there who are in need right now.”

Ultimately, they came to a compromise to re-examine donation amounts in the future.

“We can always decide to increase that at future meetings,” Stein said, adding that the board will review the project and possibly add onto it.

Photo by Alexander Schimmeck/Unsplash

A Tysons teenager decided to use his newly found free time to assist with COVID-19 relief efforts by creating his own campaign to help health care workers and local eateries.

Arul Nigam, who is 17, founded Heroes of COVID to arrange food deliveries to hospitals in pandemic hotspots around the country and support local eateries in the process by paying them for their services.

Thanks to donors, Nigam uses funds from a GoFundMe page to purchases meals from struggling eateries to give to hospital workers.

So far, Nigam said the project has raised around $9,000 and has helped people not only around the Tysons area but in nine different states as well.

Just last Wednesday, Heroes of COVID delivered a meal to Inova in Falls Church, according to its Facebook Page.

Each meal that is delivered to a medical worker also features a personal note, Nigam said.

Along with meal deliveries, the organization also features medical professionals who work in challenging conditions and gives them a platform to voice their experiences.

“We are creating a platform for health care workers to share their message and share what it’s like working on the front lines, he said. “A lot of health care workers want to use it as a platform to educate people on the types of precautions they should take during this time to protect themselves and everyone around them.”

Anyone who works in the medical field and wants to share their experience can message the Facebook page or drop a comment on one of its recent posts.

“We hope that showcasing their stories and broadcasting their messages will help spread awareness, build confidence, and foster safety, while encouraging us all to be more cautious and cognizant,” the Facebook page said.

People can also follow the Heroes of COVID’s Instagram account if they’d like to hear about the personal narratives from healthcare workers.

This experience helped Nigam to hone his networking, logistic and coordination skills, he said. But, this isn’t his first experience with campaigning.

He previously started an organization that works with companies to host community service events that allow staff members to bond with their co-workers while helping their community. A popular project, Nigam said, is gathering members of a company during a lunch break to assemble meals to give to homeless shelters.

As a junior in high school, he added that his peers are really interested in his work.

“A lot of them have shared information about it with friends and family, which has helped elevate us on social media,” he said. “That has been really helpful.”

As of last week, Heroes of COVID has managed to help feed workers at roughly 17 different hospitals around the country.

Photo courtesy Shirali Nigam

A boy in Falls Church can now hang out with his friends online because of the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Mid-Atlantic chapter.

Kevin, the 12-year-old boy, received his wish for a computer in early April, according to a press release from Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic.

“The leukemia fighter can now connect with his friends, play games and catch up on schoolwork next year,” the press release said.

While Make-A-Wish was able to grant Kevin’s wish, the mid-Atlantic chapter is struggling to grant the “record number” of wishes by children with critical illnesses.

“As a vast majority of local wishes involve travel or large group settings, approximately 30 wish children each month will… wait indefinitely for special wish moments they’d been looking forward to,” the press release said. “Disruptions to these wishes, along with major fundraising event cancellations and an ever-changing economic landscape, means our work is quickly changing and multiplying.”

Make-A-Wish launched on Wednesday (April 29) — Make-A-Wish’s 40th anniversary — the “Wishes Need Stars Like You” campaign to encourage people and corporate sponsors to financially support the organization’s efforts.

“The campaign serves as the first effort under the multi-year When Stars Align strategy, intended to highlight the past, present and future stars who align their time, talents and resources to make the Make-A-Wish mission possible,” the press release said.

Photo courtesy Make-A-Wish

A local animal rescue group has turned to online resources and bringing in animals from outside Northern Virginia to keep up with the rising adoption demand.

The Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation in Falls Church almost closed when the pandemic hit the Northern Virginia area but decided to stay open under the guidance of its co-founder Pam McAlwee, according to Kim Williams, one of the foundation’s volunteers.

Over the last few weeks, the organization saw a large increase in cat and dog adoptions, Williams said, adding that compared to April 2019, adoptions are up about 60%.

“It’s unlike anything anyone could have ever predicted,” she said.

When the pandemic first hit, Williams said she was concerned because “everything came to a screeching halt.”

The local pet supply stores, which usually would co-host adoption events with Lost Dog, halted their events, and people could no longer meet potential fosters in-person due to health concerns.

But that didn’t stop the foundation from continuing to help furry friends find homes.

Through Zoom appointments and phone consultation, three main volunteers ended up “working around the clock” to process roughly 300 pet inquires and match animals with homes in the first few weeks when people started staying home, Williams said.

“All of a sudden they became Match.com overnight,” she said.

In April alone, the organization took in roughly 370 dogs, according to Williams.

When finding homes for the animals, the volunteers consider a variety of factors, including the age of an animal, preexisting medical conditions, the size of the pet and household factors like children or the presence of a yard, Williams said.

Despite the time-consuming process of matching an animal to an owner, Williams said the team created spreadsheets and even worked to find adopters and fosters for animals that require special care and attention — like Grey, a pup who spent more than 500 days in Lost Dog’s shelter and loves to eat everything in his site — including furniture.

One upside to the pandemic is that people are spending extra time with their foster animals and discovering triggers and solutions for misbehavior that would otherwise cause incompatibility issues, Williams said.

Because many of the animals from the Northern Virginia area have either been adopted or placed in a foster home, the shelter is bringing in roughly 70 animals per week from places such as Puerto Rico, Mississippi and Southern Virginia — all areas with a large number of stray animals. Williams said that a local vet in Mississippi told her that the area was a “dumping ground” for animals.

Though adoptions and fosters have increased over the last few weeks, Williams said it isn’t cheap to rescue animals from across state lines.

Before an animal can be sent to foster homes or be adopted, the shelter has to pay somewhere between $125-$170 in fees depending on the size of animals to take them over state lines. That’s on top of all of the medical expenses to ensure they are healthy.

Thanks to thousands of dollars in donations from an anonymous donor and a partnership with a nearby animal hospital, the shelter has managed to keep up with demand, Williams said.

The Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation prides itself on its ethics, according to Williams. “We never discriminate based on age, breed or health conditions,” she said, adding that they will take in any dog or cat in need of care. 

Anyone interested in fostering an animal or adopting can check out the foundation’s website.

Photos courtesy Kim Williams Photography