OAR Project Connection | Year-Round Children & Families Program

Run time: year-round (monthly basis)

OAR’s Project Connection supports children and families with a parent experiencing incarceration or has been recently released from incarceration on a monthly basis throughout the entire year. OAR launched this program at the beginning of 2021 with the residents in the Community Readiness Unit (CRU) in the Arlington County Detention Facility (ACDF) and those recently released. In May 2022, OAR was able to add the residents of the women’s unit at the Alexandria Detention Center (ADC) to the program.

This program was created to help strengthen and mend the bond that is often strained and broken as a family member experiences incarceration. This program allows us to support family members in connecting with their children on a monthly basis, which is critical to help strengthen and maintain the bond that is often strained and broken as a family is impacted by the criminal legal system.

Through Project Connection, each child receives $50 in the form of a gift card/e-gift card, cash, or check from their parent every month. This way, the families can choose to use these gift cards or funds for whatever they need. Along with the funds, each child will also receive a letter from their parent experiencing incarceration, letting them know that the gift is coming from them and sending them love.

Please see more below on how to support OAR’s Project Connection and where you can donate. Your gifts towards this program will help us purchase gift cards/e-gift cards for each child, help with the mailing of all of the gift cards and letters, and purchasing any supplies and resources needed for this program.

HOW TO SUPPORT OAR’S PROJECT CONNECTION

  • Donate online on the OAR website on our Children and Families programs donation form here. We will be collecting donations for Project Connection all year round.
  • Mail a check to the OAR Post Office Box (P.O. Box 41030, Arlington, VA 22204) for Project Connection. Please include a note that the check donation is specifically for OAR’s Project Connection program.
  • Mail gift card donations to places like Visa, Target, Amazon, and Walmart, preferably in denominations of $25 and $50, to the OAR Post Office Box (P.O. Box 41030, Arlington, VA 22204) for Project Connection. Please include a note that the gift cards are specifically for OAR’s Project Connection program.
  • Host a gift card drive on OAR’s behalf! Mailed Visa gift cards have been a very popular option chosen by the families in this program (with Target and Amazon gift cards coming in second and third place for most wanted). If you are interested in hosting a gift card drive on OAR’s behalf, please contact us at reentry@oaronline.org.
  • Volunteer for Project Connection! We are currently looking for volunteers to help us with data entry and guardian outreach phone calls, as well as local volunteers in the DMV/Arlington area to help us go out and purchase gift cards/mail gift cards. All volunteers will be reimbursed. If you are interested in volunteering for Project Backpack in any capacity, please contact us at reentry@oaronline.org.

For all questions, volunteer inquiries, and more please contact us at reentry@oaronline.org