Summer has officially arrived and we have just started up our back-to-school drive for OAR's Project Backpack program! We introduced "Project Backpack" to you for the very first time last year and we are excited to continue this program to provide new backpacks and school supplies for children who have a parent incarcerated locally. You can read more below to find out more about Project Backpack and how you can support this effort.

With Project Backpack coming up, we have some new volunteer opportunities available this month. We are always so grateful for the help and support we receive from volunteers like Kate, whose experience you can read about shortly, so stay connected with us on our website and social media for more opportunities to come!

I also want to introduce you to Lance, an OAR participant who experienced our Community Service Program. Lance's story shows how your support directly impacts the lives of OAR participants and, in his case, helps keep individuals out of incarceration, and instead allows them to perform meaningful work for others in the community. You can read more about Lance's story below.

As a new season begins and we get ready to close out the fiscal year, we cannot be more grateful for all the support we have received and continue to receive from you- our friends, community members, and family. Thank you for all you do for OAR!

Elizabeth Jones Valderrama, MA, CVA
Executive Director

A Participant Story: Meet "Lance"*

Lance came to OAR for his first appointment with his Community Service Case Manager in October 2018. He had 100 hours of court-ordered community service to complete and he was having a hard time starting his community service because he was trying to balance his health conditions, which limited his ability to do certain work, as well as dealing with some ongoing family emergencies. During his appointment, Lance's Case Manager helped him create a list of some sites that were nearby Lance's home that he could easily access and worked with Lance to create a schedule for completing his hours. Lance left OAR feeling more prepared and ready to start his community service. Shortly after, he began volunteering with an Arlington Nonprofit to complete his hours. Lance was volunteering there for five to six hours almost every day and with hard work, dedication, and incredible time management, Lance completed all of his 100 hours in just a few months! Lance's OAR Case Manager was so impressed to close out his case so quickly and his site supervisor at the Nonprofit had nothing but good things to say about Lance during the time he volunteered with them. Although Lance is happy to have completed all 100 hours of his community service, he told his OAR Case Manager that he wants to continue doing volunteer work for the community since he had such a great experience.

Your support allows individuals like Lance to keep their jobs, provide for their families, and most importantly, stay out of incarceration and instead make a positive impact in the community through community service.

*Name changed to protect the privacy of the participant. The photo is a stock photo and not necessarily representative of the participant.

OAR's Back-To-School Drive for Project Backpack Has Begun!

For the second year, OAR is hosting a back-to-school drive for our "Project Backpack" program to provide new backpacks and school supplies to children who have a parent incarcerated locally. Project Backpack was created in an effort to support OAR participants and their families and to provide another way for parents who are incarcerated to connect with their children and remind them that they are always thinking about them. Each child will receive a new backpack packed with age-appropriate school supplies along with a handwritten letter from their incarcerated parent, wishing them luck on the new school year.

Last year, with the help of the community, we were able to provide new backpacks and school supplies for over 170 children who had a parent incarcerated in the Arlington County Detention Facility. This year, we are excited to announce that we have expanded our services for this program to parents in the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center in Alexandria, VA as well. In order to provide a brand new backpack filled with new school supplies for each child participating in this program, we need your help! From now until mid-August, we will be collecting items through our Project Backpack Amazon Wishlist which you can send straight to our office and we will also have collection sites around the community where you can drop off donations. You can also make a financial contribution towards Project Backpack here on our website, which will help with the cost of mailing items to children who live outside of the local delivery area. Make sure to indicate that you want your gift to go towards "Project Backpack" in the "Comments" section of the donation page. Visit our website for more information on Project Backpack and stay tuned on our social media pages for more updates!

Introducing OAR's new Race Equity Library!

OAR's Community Engagement department is very excited to share with you that OAR now has a Race Equity Library! Thanks to the generous support of our community, OAR was able to secure over 35 high-quality books that address everything from mass incarceration, systemic racism, and “fair chances”. Within our library, you will find poems, novels, memoirs, and more. We even have a great children’s book about finding the courage to connect, even when you feel scared and alone. The library will continue to grow and if you know of any titles that should be added to our library, please let us know. We would love for this library to grow with diverse perspectives. We look forward to seeing you within our office and feel free to check out a book while you're here!

Thank You for Doing More With OAR

Do More 24, a day dedicated to giving back to nonprofits and charities serving the DMV powered by the United Way of the National Capital Area, took place on Wednesday, May 22nd through Thursday, May 23rd. OAR was among the 800 nonprofits that participated in Do More 24 this year, and with the help of the community, we were able to raise funds for our back-to-school program, Project Backpack! We want to thank all those who supported OAR's Do More 24 campaign this year to do more for those impacted by the criminal justice system. Your gifts are truly making a difference in the lives of OAR participants and their families.

Volunteer Spotlight

Kate has been volunteering with OAR since 2003. She teaches Anger Management classes inside the Arlington County Detention Facility. Kate’s classes are held weekly, typically for six weeks per course, and she offers the course several times per year. Kate initially got involved with OAR while working on a Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution. She had a friend teaching Conflict Resolution classes in the jail and there was a need for an Anger Management instructor. When asked what keeps her motivated to volunteer, Kate replied, “I keep coming back because the participants are always grateful for volunteers’ time, because conversations with inmates about anger – and how to manage anger when incarcerated – are sometimes hard but always interesting, and because OAR does such good things for the community that I feel any support I can give OAR is worthwhile.” Thank you for all you do for OAR and for the individuals in your classes, Kate! We are so lucky to have you on our team.

Would you like to share your OAR volunteer story for a chance to be featured in future e-newsletters and on our social media? Contact hpritchett@oaronline.org.

Interested in volunteering with OAR? Here are some upcoming volunteer opportunities!

Data Entry for Project Backpack

Monday, July 17, 2019, anytime between 5pm - 8pm

Thursday, August 1, 2019 anytime between 5pm - 8pm

Wednesday, August 7, 2019, anytime between 5pm - 8pm

OAR seeks volunteers to assist with data entry for OAR's Project Backpack Program. If you are interested, please contact Stephannie Ku at sku@oaronline.org.

Represent OAR at a Business Network International (BNI) Meeting

Tuesday, September 17, 2019, 12:00pm - 1:30pm

Tuesday, October 15, 2019, 12:00pm - 1:30pm

Tuesday, November 19, 2019, 12:00pm - 1:30pm

Be OAR's representative at a Business Network International (BNI) meeting and get a chance to network with professionals in a variety of industries! We will provide you with all the information you need to know. Please email hpritchett@oaronline.org if interested.

For all of the opportunities listed above, please contact Heather Pritchett at hpritchett@oaronline.org to sign up! Thank you!

Upcoming Events

Project Backpack

June 2019 - August 2019

For the second year, OAR will be having a back-to-school drive, collecting new backpacks and school supplies for children who have a parent incarcerated locally. You can support OAR's Project Backpack program by donating supplies through our Project Backpack Amazon Wishlist or by donating funds that will help cover the mailing costs to send backpacks and supplies to children who live outside of the local delivery area! We will also be having donation boxes set up in the community during this drive. Stay tuned on our social media for our most urgent donation needs and click here to visit our website for more information on Project Backpack. Interested in hosting a donation box? Contact Stephannie Ku at sku@oaronline.org.

Learn more about OAR at a free tour of our mission

Want to learn more about us? Join us for a free one-hour tour of our mission at the OAR office! Guests will hear about OAR's programs and services from the team members who are working in the programs and hear participant success stories. We promise to end on time. Below is a list of upcoming dates and times. For more dates and to sign up click here or contact Heather Pritchett at hpritchett@oaronline.org.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

Tuesday, July 9, 6:30pm

Wednesday, July 24, 12:00pm

Thursday, August 8, 8:00am

Thursday, August 22, 12:00pm

Support OAR

Make a monetary donation to OAR by clicking here
Donate Target and/or Amazon gift cards in increments of $10 each for OAR participants
Shop on our Amazing Wish List: OAR's Amazon Wish List
Donate through United Way designation #8078 (additional fees by UW are applied)
Donate through CFC designation #26226 (additional fees by CFC are applied)
Attend a free 1-hour OAR Tour or an OAR Event and bring your friends: http://oaronline.org/oar-tours-upcoming-events/

@OARJustice