AVA MADE

AVA MADE stands for Alexandria, VA Making A Difference through Empowerment.
We support Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) resident and
community activities.  

Our mission at AVA MADE is to foster an inclusive
environment by empowering adults, families, and youth and strengthening communities with
essential resources and support. We are dedicated to creating opportunities for
growth and self-sufficiency, while helping Alexandrians unlock their full
potential and inspire positive change! 

AVA MADE supports activities and
programs for ARHA’s 6,000 residents that enhance their daily life and expose
them to unique opportunities that they otherwise may not have access to. 

Why Give to AVA MADE? 

Your donation will help us run several crucial programs for our public housing residents and families. These families deserve just as many opportunities as their peers living in other parts of Alexandria, but they may
not have the means to enjoy these experiences on their own. Help us provide our communities with meaningful resources and experiences! 

Funds raised through Spring2ACTion will directly support
these programs:

Winter Wonderland: one of the largest annual toy
drives in the City of Alexandria. It provides ARHA residents and their families
with holiday gifts for every child in their household under the age of 18. We
serve close to 400 families and provide 1,000 children with gifts each holiday
season. 

Linking Instruction Nurturing Knowledge or LINK Club: We
partner with Alexandria City Public Schools on Out-of-School Time (OST)
programming. The LINK Club program at ARHA serves 100 students at Jefferson
Houston PreK-8 IB School in grades K - 8th. Every day, students get
academic support and hands-on learning opportunities at no cost to their
families. Students also receive a free meal while participating in academic
tutoring, enrichments, project-based learning, and socio-emotional support. Our
middle school LINK members have started their own National Society of Black
Engineers (NSBE) Jr. chapter which highlights STEM-focused projects and career
opportunities for 6th-8th grade students.

Annual Camping & College Visit Trip: We take our teen students on
a camping trip every summer to teach them life skills, give them
an opportunity to connect with nature, bond with their peers, and expose them to colleges and universities. Last
summer, 15 teens got to explore the Richmond, VA and area and four college campuses to include Virginia Union University, Virginia State University, Virginia Commonwealth University and University of Richmond!

Field Trips: Our fun and educational field trips
benefit approximately 150 young people each year and span the course of the
year. Past field trips have been to Cox Farms, Washington Wizards games, George
Washington's Mt. Vernon home, Natural History Museum, National Museum of
African American History and Culture, The Children's Museum, Spy Museum,
National Zoo, Luray Caverns, and more.  

Ruby Tucker Readers: Volunteers at our Ruby Tucker Family Center host our Ruby Tucker Readers program every Wednesday, where students participate in a read-aloud, practice literacy, and receive a free book to take home!

ARHA Senior Center at Charles Houston: Our Senior Center at Charles Houston hosts daily programming for Alexandria seniors, ensuring that participants stay active, engaged, and surrounded by community. 

What’s the impact? Hear directly from those who
benefit:

“I enjoyed the camping trip a lot and thought that it was a
really fun experience with people close to me. My favorite part about the trip
was going to see different universities to explore and learn about them to see
if were to be interested in them for the future. The trip also helped me
disconnect from my cell phone and spend less time on social media.” - Armarni, 8th
grader 

“Being in LINK Club brings me joy and happiness, it helps me
to learn better, especially in math, and the teachers are always there for me
and talk with me if I’m having a bad day.” - Bre’Asia, 4th grader 

"I love LINK Club because it gives kids an opportunity to
have a safe place to be after school, to get the support they need to complete
their homework assignments and major projects such as science fair projects, to feel empowered to develop leadership skills, and be exposed to a lot of
different experiences that they would not have if they were not in LINK.”- Ms.
Robinson, Jefferson Houston AVID Teacher 

"Winter Wonderland helps my six children by providing the
necessities for the things that I can’t get. It puts a huge smile on my
children’s faces, and they look forward to it every year.” - JH Parent
& ARHA Resident