NVFS Honored with Two Awards on Banner Day for Agency

NVFS receives Nonprofit Leadership Award from Leadership Fairfax, Nonprofit Care Provider Project of the Year from HomeAid Northern Virginia

Oakton, VA – November 14, 2011 – Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) was honored by two of our community partners on November 5 with special recognition. At the Leadership Fairfax (LFI) Gala, NVFS accepted the 2011 Nonprofit Leadership Award. Watch the video feature of the award presentation to NVFS at the LFI Gala.

The Nonprofit Leadership Award recognizes an organization or person in or with the nonprofit community that has been transformative and will have mobilized and unified people, institutions, or causes that improve people’s lives. Leadership Fairfax seeks to recognize those individuals and groups who have made a difference in the Northern Virginia community through their vision, innovation, courage, commitment and inspiration. NVFS is now part of a fine fraternity dating back more than a decade!

“We are so proud to receive this special recognition from Leadership Fairfax,” said Mary Agee, President and CEO of NVFS. “We have received tremendous benefit from their leadership development programs–some of our staff are alumni, and many more alumni have provided services and thought-leadership on key issues that our clients face.”

NVFS was also presented the Nonprofit Care Provider Project of the Year award as part of the Presidents’ Circle Awards at the HomeAid Northern Virginia 10th Anniversary Gala and Auction. The Presidents’ Award is presented to an individual and an organization that has shown exceptional dedication to HomeAid’s goals.

This award, presented by the Freddie Mac Foundation, was given in recognition of the partnership between HomeAid, its partners, and NVFS to build an Early Head Start classroom and library at our SERVE campus in Manassas. With the addition of this classroom, our staff is now able to provide critical early childhood development programming for families residing temporarily in our emergency shelter. “This program and classroom reaches the youngest victims of our region’s housing crisis with foundational education, health screening, and developmental assessments that are left out of more traditional shelters,” said Karen Allen, Vice President of Early Childhood Division at NVFS. “We know that we are helping children not just to survive—but to excel—despite their housing insecurity.”

Established in 1997, Leadership Fairfax Gala and Auction, through the Northern Virginia Leadership Awards, recognizes individuals and groups who have made a difference in the Northern Virginia community through their vision, innovation, courage, commitment and inspiration. Leadership Fairfax (LFI) is a nonprofit community leadership organization that identifies current and emerging leaders and brings them together to study community issues and effect positive change in the region. LFI’s mission is to educate, inspire and connect leaders to serve and strengthen our community. For more information about Leadership Fairfax Gala and Auction, visit www.leadershipfairfax.org or call (703) 752-7551.

HomeAid Northern Virginia builds and renovates homeless shelters, transitional houses, food banks, medical clinics, counseling centers, and other facilities that help homeless people gain stability and a roof over their heads. HomeAid leverages the resources of the homebuilding community and its corporate partners to conduct major renovations to shelters and homes to provide safe, stable and new living arrangements for previously homeless persons.