Help and Hope for the Holidays

We are so grateful to everyone who supported our 2021 Holiday Program, helping local families in need enjoy festive Thanksgiving and December holiday meals and gifts for their children. Thank you to all who donated funds and gift cards so we could provide gift cards to 500 families with identified need whose children attend our Fairfax County Public Schools partner schools in the Fairfax HS and Justice HS pyramids.

Our families are so grateful for this help, and we are too! One grateful mom said, “Please say thank you to the nice people who are helping our families, we really needed this.” See below for more thank yous, photos and stories from the Holiday Program.

In the News! Thank you to the Fairfax Connection and Supervisor James Walkinshaw’s Braddock Beacon for spreading the word about our Holiday Program.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!
American Legion Post 177 in Fairfax
Peterson Family Foundation
Walmart Store #2015 in Fair Lakes
Walmart Store #5880 in Fairfax

Thank Yous from Our Families

We received numerous emails and notes from families who received assistance. Some families sent us photos of their food and purchases, and another family sent a Thank You card (below). Here are some of the notes of thanks:

  • “Thank you for your assistance. It was very helpful to my family. Thank you for your kind hearts.”
  • “I am very thankful for the gift card you gave me thourgh my child’s school. With it, I was able to buy lots of essential items for my family.”
  • “Please say thank you to the nice people who are helping our families, we really needed this. ”
  • “Thank you so much for supporting our family. Things have been very difficult especially during Covid, as my husband was laid off.”
  • “For me, I know this will help a single parent, single income house buy food and gifts for the holidays. I know this will give me the ability to get some items that I may have skipped over, due to limited funds. If I budget correctly and watch for sales, this will go a long way and bring lots of smiles to my little ones’ faces. I appreciate the ability to buy the exact needs for my family.”
Family receiving holiday assistance
Family with their Thanksgiving meal
A mom shared her gift card and food purchases
Holiday thank you note

Stories From Our Supporters

CrossFit Reston angel tree
CrossFit Reston has been helping families in our Holiday Program for many years now. This year, they had an angel tree and members donated gift cards. They delivered the gift cards to us on Dec. 21.
Church of the Good Shepherd holiday donation
Church of the Good Shepherd has been assisting families in our Holiday Program for many years. On Dec. 20, Lisa Libby delivered 50 $50 gift cards to help our families enjoy a festive holiday, and we’re so grateful.
Falls Church Meridian Park neighborhood donation
Our friends in the Meridian Park neighborhood of Falls Church have been supporting our Holiday Program for several years. McLean HS Junior Brooke Thomas asked her neighbors to donate gift cards or donate funds, and the neighbors raised nearly $2,000 in gift cards and funds to support our families. Brooke Thomas and Britepaths’ Cecilia LeGrand are in the photo.
Vienna Baptist Church Women's Fellowship Holiday donation
Vienna Baptist Church is a long-time supporter of our Food Bridge Program. Their Women’s Fellowship group donated nearly $300 in checks and cash to help our families for the holidays, and Susan Hall delivered them on Dec. 7.
St. Mark Catholic Church Holiday donation
On Dec. 7, Bill Grossman from St. Mark’s Catholic Church delivered $2,055 in gift cards that church members donated to Britepaths through their Giving Tree.
FCPS Transportation Holiday donation
The employees of Fairfax County Public Schools Department of Transportation have been supporting our Holiday Program for many years. This year, they donated $650 in gift cards, delivered by April Meador (center, with Britepaths’ Mila Cobos and Dorothy Altmiller) on Dec. 3.
Justice High School social worker receives Holiday gift cards
We enjoyed meeting the school staff who came to the office before Thanksgiving to pick up gift cards to distribute to families they referred to our Holiday Program. In the photo, Justice High School social worker Rachel Meyer is at right with Britepaths’ Mila Cobos.
American Legion Fairfax Holiday donation
American Legion Post 177 in Fairfax has supported our families in numerous ways over the past few years. On Oct. 20, Mike Kimlick delivered a donation of $2,050 to assist families for the holidays. We appreciate their sponsorship of our Holiday Program.
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