Oakton,
Va., Jan. 9, 2006-Thousands
of local families enjoyed a joyous holiday
season in 2005 through Northern Virginia Family
Service's (NVFS) Holiday Initiatives Drives.
The drives were a huge success because of
generous donations from the community that
amounted to approximately $100,000 in gifts,
groceries, gift cards and monetary contributions.
"Through
our multitude of services to the community,
NVFS provides assistance to more than 24,000
families and individuals throughout the year.
Many times, they turn to us for help with
critical needs. But we also are pleased to
be able to give families something extra to
help make their holidays a little happier,"
said NVFS President and CEO Mary Agee.
"We
are grateful to all of our donors who made
the 2005 Holiday Initiatives possible. The
agency is especially thankful to Equity Office
for use of office space for toys, and to Green
Hedges Elementary School, Walter L. Phillips,
Inc., SRA International and Booz Allen Hamilton
for their tremendous generosity," Agee
added.
The
Holiday Initiatives consist of:
·
Thanksgiving basket and December Grocery drives:
Hundreds of grocery gift cards and baskets
filled with non-perishable goods were donated
and distributed to families who did not have
the resources to have holiday meals.
·
Adopt-a-Family: More than 800 people (about
250 families) were adopted by local companies
and people in the community who provided the
children and parents with clothing, shoes
and other holiday gifts.
·
Toy Drive: About 4,000 toys were donated,
helping to put a smile on the faces of children
whose parents often can't afford that little
extra something. The drive serves children
from birth through age 18.
Established
in 1924, Northern Virginia Family Service
is a private, non-profit community service
resource dedicated to helping individuals
and families find new paths to self-reliance
and brighter futures. Each year, NVFS helps
more than 24,000 people find affordable housing,
counseling and child care; access to low-cost
medical and dental services; foster and respite
care, job training; trauma recovery; and much
more. For more information, visit www.nvfs.org.
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