The Need

Britepaths' mission is to provide our neighbors in need with short-term safety net services and empower them to work toward long-term self-sufficiency. We deliver our services with respect, compassion, and equity, always preserving the dignity and self-esteem of our clients.

Our primary programs Stabilize Families by providing short-term food and financial assistance, foster Personal Empowerment through mentoring, classes, and longer-term guidance that help individuals and families escape crises and move toward a future where they can plan for stability, and provide Support for Children, including school supplies and weekend supplemental food for students in need, youth financial education programs, holiday meals for families, and gifts for children, relieving financial burdens and offering hope during uncertain times.

Britepaths has spent 41 years providing help and hope to residents in the Northern Virginia area, particularly those living from paycheck to paycheck. Although the region is wealthy, we lack enough affordable housing, and there are pockets with a high rate of poverty throughout the area. Britepaths targets those pockets.

As reported by the Northern Virginia Health Foundation, “Often there are striking differences in living conditions among nearby neighborhoods separated by only a few miles or even a few blocks. These pockets of disadvantage often coexist a short distance away from affluent neighborhoods with large homes on expansive lots….Research identified 15 ‘islands of disadvantage’ across the region: clusters of adjacent census tracts, amid the affluence of Northern Virginia, where residents face difficult challenges, ranging from poor education and poverty to overcrowded housing and lack of health insurance. Approximately 520,000 persons lived in these 15 clusters.“ -- Getting Ahead: The Uneven Opportunity Landscape in Northern Virginia, Stephen H. Woolf, et. al, The Center on Society and Health, November 2017.

Lower-income families are less prepared to withstand a financial shock than those with higher incomes. Only 23% say they have rainy day funds set aside that would cover their expenses for three months in case of an emergency such as job loss, sickness or an economic downturn, compared with 48% of middle-income and 75% of upper-income adults -- About Half of Lower-Income Americans Report Household Job or Wage Loss Due to COVID-19, Pew Research Center, April 21, 2020.

In Fairfax County, 32% of all households are renters [National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), 2019]. Additionally, one in six county residents have incomes under 200% of poverty—$53,000 for a family of four [American Community Survey (ACS), 2019]. According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, to support a family of four with two children, one would need to earn more than $75,000 to meet the expenses of living in Fairfax County. A two-bedroom apartment, at fair market rate, costs $1,665/month [NLIHC, 2019]. Other costs of food, child care, transportation, medical care, etc., all of which are rapidly becoming more expensive, would require significant additional income. These families who are struggling to make ends meet need help with basic bills and strong budgeting skills to make every dollar they have work for them.

The ability to earn a living wage is another barrier to long-term self-sufficiency, which is why Britepaths offers Workforce Development coaching, supports and training. Our services address barriers to gainful employment by helping under- and unemployed adults explore, refresh or learn new skills, learn how to better market their talents, and gain access to networks that were previously unavailable to them so they can obtain and retain better-paying jobs.

Underpinning the skill-building and safety net supports Britepaths offers is hope. At Britepaths, we look at each person as an individual with a unique set of circumstances that brought them to our door. With a holistic approach, leveraging volunteers and partner organizations, we help guide our clients on a path that uniquely fits their needs to achieve their goals.

A study in brain science demonstrated the impact of chronic stress. Many of our clients describe experiencing chronic stress, which is defined as long-term stress; for example, worrying about making monthly rent for years. Additionally, financial concerns are not felt equally by all Americans. Those in lower-income families are at least twice as likely as those in upper-income families to say they regularly worry about making ends meet in various ways. For example, 59% of lower-income adults say they worry at least almost every day about paying their bills, compared with 15% of upper-income adults. This type of stress negatively impacts one’s executive functioning skills and biological health. [Rethinking Poverty, Elisabeth D. Babcock, Fall 2014].

Britepaths’ programs help lift people out of that rut. We help people envision a goal, make a plan and provide support toward a brighter path.

Over our 41 years, we have grown and evolved our programs to meet the needs that we have found to be greatest.

The neighbors we serve could be your child’s preschool teacher or bus driver, your local mechanic, grocer, hair stylist or someone down the street who has fallen on hard times. Your volunteer and/or financial support for Britepaths’ programs provides help and hope for someone who lives surprisingly close to you.

October 2025