June 10, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Elizabeth Jones Valderrama, OAR
703-228-7441
ejonesvalderrama@oaronline.org
OAR NAMED “ONE OF THE BEST NONPROFITS” IN THE WASHINGTON AREA
By the Catalogue for Philanthropy
OAR of Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church has been selected as one of the best nonprofits in the DC metropolitan area by the Catalogue for Philanthropy – an independent organization that spotlights the work of small nonprofits in the community.
“We’re proud to be chosen for this honor, especially since this will be our third time receiving it,” said OAR Executive Director Elizabeth Jones Valderrama. “We expanded our mission several years ago to include social justice work to confront racism and mass incarceration as well as social services for those impacted by the criminal legal system. Selection for the Catalogue will help us expand our outreach to the community and connect with those who share our commitment to racial justice.”
As a member of the Catalogue’s 2020/2021 “class” of community-based nonprofits, OAR will be featured in the print edition of The Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington for 2020/2021, which will be published later this year, as well as on the Catalogue’s website.
The Catalogue, which spotlights a network of vetted nonprofits, is the region’s only locally-focused guide to giving and volunteering. Every organization selected for listing is evaluated for excellence by a team of local experts who assess each nonprofit for impact, community need, and financial transparency.
Founded in 1974, OAR journeys with those returning to the community after incarceration, manages an alternative sentencing program for the Arlington County and City of Falls Church courts that allows others to avoid that life-altering experience, and works to achieve race equity in the criminal legal system and society at large. The organization addresses incarceration, the legal system, and all systems “upstream” (calling out the racism that permeates these systems and seeking social justice) and “downstream” (providing services to specific individuals).
Last year, OAR worked with 708 individuals who were experiencing incarceration or who had recently come home to the community as well as 1,334 adults and youth who performed community service under its supervision. Since last fall, OAR has hosted four intensive two-day anti-racism workshops for some 180 members of the community, including law enforcement partners, and has presented its racial justice work to over 700 people.
OAR is the only nonprofit in the DC metropolitan area that works with specific individuals of all genders impacted by the criminal legal system and also challenges the systemic racism responsible for mass incarceration and other structural inequities in our society.
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OAR of Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church is a community-based nonprofit that journeys with individuals of all genders who seek a safe reentry as they return to the community from incarceration. We also offer alternative sentencing options through community service to youth and adults, reducing incarceration and helping individuals avoid the life-altering trauma of that experience. We promote justice in the legal system and across all systems by addressing the systemic racism responsible for mass incarceration and other structural inequities in our society. We envision a safe and thriving community where all people – including those impacted by the criminal legal system – enjoy equal civil and human rights.
To learn more about our work, please visit our website at www.OARonline.org or contact OAR Executive Director Elizabeth Jones Valderrama at 703-228-7441 or ejonesvalderrama@oaronline.org.
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