,

We are officially in fiscal year 2020 at OAR and I am happy to share with you all of the successes OAR participants have achieved on their journey with us in fiscal year 2019! Thanks to your support, we were able to work with 1,990 participants in this last fiscal year, including individuals like Mitch, whose story you can read about below, along with additional figures from the programs.

I also want to take this time to send a warm farewell to OAR's Director of Development and Outreach, Heather Pritchett. OAR is so grateful to have had Heather on our team for nearly nine years. She has done so much great work in the community on behalf of OAR and has been an integral part of our team. Heather is moving on with a new career but will stay connected to OAR for life. Additionally, we are celebrating long-time OAR volunteer, Ms. Elizabeth "Betty" Ahern as she retires from her role. Ms. Ahern has been volunteering with OAR and facilitating classes in the Arlington County Detention Facility for more than 20 years and she was recently given the "Lifetime of Service Award" at this year's "Arlington Cares" event by Volunteer Arlington, for her dedication and commitment to volunteerism. Ms. Ahern's dedication to OAR's mission over the years has impacted the lives of so many OAR participants and she is dearly cherished by the participants in her classes. OAR thanks both Heather and Ms. Ahern for all the work they have done for OAR and we hope you will join us to celebrate them on August 21st at the Project Backpack Packing Party. Additional details and information can be found below.

We also want to invite you to join us in learning and reading as well as to a few events coming soon where we explore the intersection of race and incarceration with our new Community Engagement Department. 

Thank you, our friends, volunteers, community members, and partners for your continued support of OAR's mission and for continuing on this journey with us as we welcome a new fiscal year. Because of individuals like you, we are able to be there with individuals returning to the community from incarceration and completing community service. 

Elizabeth Jones Valderrama, MA, CVA
Executive Director

FY19 Accomplishments and Services

We are thrilled to share with you all of the many successes and accomplishments that OAR participants have achieved through our programs from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019. With your help and support: 

  • OAR worked with 1,990 total individuals and many of their families.
  • 1,334 individuals were enrolled in the Community Service Program, including 136 boys and girls under the age of 18.
  • 88% of Community Service participants successfully completed all of their hours.
  • Over $2 million dollars worth of community service work was given back to the community.
  • Community Service participants volunteered at 147 community-based events 
  • 708 individuals received Reentry service (both pre and post-release).
  • 451 individuals going through the Reentry program were provided with items and services including housing assistance, furniture, moving costs, work tools, food, transportation, clothing, and IDs. 
  • Over 25 classes are offered year-round to 507 individuals in the Arlington County Detention Facility, the William G. Truesdale Alexandria Detention Center, and the Coffeewood Correctional Facility.
  • 40 books were purchased to create a racial equity library in the OAR office.
  • 6 OAR supporters attended an Allyship training.
  • 8 fourth and fifth-grade students from the Arlington Public Schools learned about mistakes, second chances, and race equity.

OAR's Board of Directors

We have some exciting new changes to our Board of Directors. The OAR team welcomes Rev. Dr. Kathy Dwyer as our new Board Chair, Ann Springer as the new Vice-Chair, Wendy Webb as the Treasurer, and Alejandra Santaolalla as the Board Secretary. Special thanks to Susan Olson for her service and dedication as the previous Chair of the Board of Directors for the last three years. To see an updated list of OAR's Board of Directors and learn more about them, visit our website.

A Participant Story: Meet "Mitch"*

For the last 25 years, Mitch was incarcerated in the Coffeewood Correctional Facility in Culpeper, VA. Mitch got connected to OAR through the facility and began working with an OAR Reentry team member eight months prior to his release date. Because Mitch spent the majority of his adult life in incarceration, he was nervous about getting released and making the transition back into the community. His OAR Reentry team member met with him every week during those eight months to ensure his transition was as smooth and easy as possible. The day Mitch was released, his OAR Reentry team member picked him up from Coffeewood and provided Mitch with new clothing and shoes. One of Mitch’s biggest concerns about his release was where he would sleep. Luckily, OAR was able to connect Mitch to a local shelter in the community for intake on the day of his release. The shelter said that they were able to provide him with a place to stay for the weekend, and soon after that, OAR connected Mitch with another local shelter where he could stay indefinitely until he could get back on his feet and find a place of his own. Upon his release, OAR also provided Mitch with food and transportation assistance. OAR also helped Mitch retrieve his birth certificate and bought him a cell phone that he could use to stay in contact with his OAR Reentry team member and his Probation Officer. Mitch continues to reside at the shelter that OAR helped connect him to and meets with his OAR Reentry team member to figure out the next steps in his journey. Mitch expressed his gratitude towards the OAR team for being there with him every step of the way. Thanks to your support, Mitch is thriving in the community again. 

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

OAR's Book of the Month!

This month brings about, Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. This electrifying novel that takes place in sixty potent seconds—the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he’s going to murder the guy who killed his brother. “A cannon. A strap. A piece. A biscuit. A burner. A heater. A chopper. A gat. A hammer. A tool for RULE. Or, you can call it a gun.” That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he’s after. Or does he? And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END…if Will gets off that elevator. Told in short, fierce staccato narrative verse, Long Way Down is a fast and furious, dazzlingly brilliant look at teenage gun violence, as could only be told by Jason Reynolds. If you are interested in checking out the book from our Race Equity Library, stop by the OAR office and check it out!

-Written by Bryan Jackson, OAR Director of Community Engagement

Project Backpack

Project Backpack will be held Wednesday, August 21st! This program is truly special because along with a new backpack and school supplies for children who have a parent incarcerated locally, they will each receive a handwritten letter from their incarcerated parent, wishing them luck on the new school year.

Some ways you can support the program: 1) Donate items through our Project Backpack Amazon Wishlist which you can send straight to our office (1400 N. Uhle Street, Suite 704, Arlington, VA), or drop off donations at one of our collection sites around the community. You can find the full list of sites on our website here. 2) We have also partnered with a Stella & Dot representative to bring you a unique online fundraiser! Until August 15th, every time you use this link (www.stelladot.com/ts/v4fl6) to shop at Stella & Dot, 10% of your purchase price will be donated toward's OAR's Project Backpack program. Special thanks to Michèle Ledgerwood for setting up this fundraiser for us! 3) 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. 4) Register to volunteer on August 21st at our Project Backpack Packing Party event where we will be packing up all the backpacks and school supplies to be delivered. We will also be celebrating Heather and Ms. Ahern at this event and we hope you can join us. Register online on our website here. 

Volunteer Spotlight

For this month's Volunteer Spotlight we are featuring all of our volunteers who were recognized at Volunteer Arlington's "Arlington Cares" event for their service and commitment to volunteerism and for completing over 100 hours of service over the past year! Thank you to all of these individuals for their service and support of OAR's mission:

  • Toutou Abraha
  • Elizabeth "Betty" Ahern
  • Mike Bates
  • Hamid Berenjkar
  • Katie Brown
  • Sandy Cleva
  • Brett Covington
  • Mara D'Amico
  • Kathleen Deal
  • Kathy Dwyer
  • Tamir Enkhbold
  • Marilyn Falksen
  • Stephen Gell
  • Don Hayes
  • Sharon Kotok
  • Barbara Lowrey
  • Terri McPalmer
  • Jena Morrison
  • Susan Olson
  • Nora Palmatier
  • Karin Price
  • Robert Roudik
  • Alejandra Santaolalla
  • Christine Searle
  • Ann Springer
  • Katherine Sylvester
  • Ramsay Teviotdale
  • Marie-France Vareilles
  • Wendy Webb
  • Doug White

OAR would not be the same if it wasn't for the work and support of our dedicated volunteers! Thank you to each and every one of these individuals and the many others who support the work for giving their time and effort to OAR and for believing in our mission.

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 sku@oaronline.org. 

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

Data Entry for Project Backpack

Wednesday, August 7, 2019, anytime between 5:00pm - 8:00pm

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. 

Typing Writing Contest Stories 

This volunteer opportunity is available after Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Volunteers are needed to help type up entries from the writing contest held for participants in the Arlington County Detention Facility. Must be familiar with Microsoft Word for this task. Volunteers are needed after August 7th. If you are interested, please contact Stephannie Ku at sku@oaronline.org. 

Donation Box Pick-Ups for Project Backpack 

Monday, August 12, 2019, anytime between 9:00am - 5:00pm

Tuesday, August 13, 2019, anytime between 9:00am - 5:00pm

Wednesday, August 14, 2019, anytime between 9:00am - 5:00pm

Tuesday, August 20, 2019, anytime between 10:00am - 5:00pm

OAR seeks volunteers to assist with picking up Project Backpack donation boxes/donations in the community and dropping them back off at the OAR office. You will need to have your own vehicle (large vans/cars are most needed) for this opportunity. If you are interested, please contact Stephannie Ku at sku@oaronline.org. 

Staff OAR's Booth at the Arlington County Fair

Friday, August 16, 2019, 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Saturday, August 17, 2019, 10:00am - 12:30pm (1st shift) | 12:30pm - 3:30pm (2nd shift) | 6:30pm - 9:00pm (3rd shift)

Sunday, August 18, 2019, 11:00am - 2:00pm (1st shift) | 5:00pm - 8:00pm (2nd shift)

OAR seeks volunteers to help staff our indoor booth at the Arlington County Fair. Volunteers are needed for each day of the fair (Friday, August 16th - Sunday, August 18th). All materials will be provided for volunteers. If you are interested, please contact Stephannie Ku at sku@oaronline.org.   

Help Transport Supplies and Donations for Project Backpack

Tuesday, August 20, 2019, 10:00am - 12:00pm

OAR seeks volunteers to assist with transporting supplies and donations for OAR's Project Backpack program from our storage unit to the location in Alexandria where we will be having the event. You will need to have your own vehicle (large vans/cars are most needed) for this opportunity.  If you are interested, please contact Stephannie Ku at sku@oaronline.org. 

Represent OAR at a Business Network International (BNI) Meeting

Tuesday August 20, 2019, 12:00pm - 1:30pm

Tuesday August 27, 2019, 12:00pm - 1:30pm

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

Tuesday, October 8, 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 contact Elizabeth Jones Valderrama at ejones@oaronline.org if interested.

Upcoming Events

Project Backpack Packing Party

August 21, 2019, 6:30pm - 9:00pm

OAR's Project Backpack Packing Party event will be held on August 21, 2019 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at the Westminster Presbyterian Church (2701 Cameron Mills Rd, Alexandria, VA 22302). Come say farewell to Heather and Ms. Ahern and celebrate their contributions to the mission. For more details about the event and to register, click here. For all other Project Backpack inquiries, contact sku@oaronline.org. 

Undoing Racism Training

September 16-17, 2019, 9:00am - 4:00pm (both days required)

October 14-15, 2019, 9:00am - 4:00pm (both days required) 

November 18-19, 2019, 9:00am - 4:00pm (both days required)

Join OAR for an "Undoing Racism" training session, the signature workshop of the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond (PISAB). Through dialogue, reflection, role-playing, and presentations, this training challenges participants to analyze the structures of power and privilege that hinder social equity and prepares them to be effective organizers for justice. The workshop will address areas such as analyzing power, understanding the manifestations of racism, defining racism, and much more! Click here to register for a training session on our website. Please note that you will be required to be present for both days of the training. 

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 Stephannie Ku at sku@oaronline.org.

Upcoming Tour Dates:  

Thursday, August 8, 8:00am

Thursday, August 22, 12:00pm

Tuesday, September 10, 6:30pm

Wednesday, September 25, 12:00pm

Tuesday, October 8, 8:00am

Wednesday, October 23, 12:00pm

Support OAR

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

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