How are you?

We have been keeping you in our thoughts and continue to be amazed at the community's response and willingness to join in and support this mission as well as the resilience of OAR participants during these times. I am looking forward to you learning about Nancy, one of the OAR participants you'e helped.

I wanted to update you on the changes we made and happenings at OAR since the last time you heard from us.

We have transitioned all of our Community Service intakes to virtual settings and have continued to be there with those individuals who have given back to the community through volunteering in food pantries, in shelters, by giving blood, and by delivering meals, as well as completing 5Ks to raise funds for nonprofits, and volunteering virtually. Because we know money is tight we have waived all community service insurance and program fees and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

In our pre-release work our contracted licensed clinicians are leading two small therapy groups in the Arlington County Detention Facility (ACDF) through a video system we invested in that is safe and secure. We are also facilitating other programs at ACDF virtually. We are going to start facilitating courses virtually in the William G. Truesdale Alexandria Adult Detention Center (ADC) in the coming weeks as the computer and video equipment we purchased arrives and gets set up there. We are in talks with Coffeewood Correctional Center in Culpepper, Virginia to do the same. We are thrilled about the opportunities virtual programming opens up for us.

Thanks to your support we have also been providing "Welcome Home Kits" to participants of all genders coming home after incarceration. The kits include new items such as three cotton face masks, toiletries, clothing in appropriate sizes, a smartphone, SmarTrip cards, and snacks in a new backpack.

As you can imagine there has been an increase in the numbers of people being released from incarceration and their needs. We have been able to provide everyone of them with the assistance they needed to endure these unprecedented times. One of our team members is at the office ready to welcome back and assist each person and their families. So far this fiscal year we have given out more than $130,000 from the direct services fund. We initially budgeted $80,000 so without hesitation, we made needed adjustments to utilize the funds from other areas directly to the needs of participants and their families.

Our racial justice work has also evolved due to the pandemic and community feedback. Going forward we will not host in person sessions and instead we are launching virtual training and cohorts in January and April of 2021. I look forward to sharing more about these in the coming months.

I know these changes are a lot to grasp all at once and that you may have questions or ideas, so we want to hear from you. We are starting a new interactive session called "OAR Community Chats," which will be held on the first Tuesday of each month with Katy Steinbruck, Deputy Director, and me. You can find information about these Chats and all of our virtual meetings, events, and updates below.

We are so grateful that you are on this journey with us and want you to know that we are here for you as well. Please make sure to check out the health and safety resources below so that we can all stay informed and up-to-date on the latest news. Stay safe, practice social distancing, and thank you again for all your support.

Elizabeth Jones Valderrama, MA, CVA | Pronouns: she, her, hers
Executive Director

A Participant Story: Meet "Nancy"*

After finishing a five-year sentence, Nancy was released from incarceration. She began staying with friends, started a job and a relationship. Nancy was thrilled to be working again, in love, and became pregnant. A few month later, she learned that she had an outstanding charge in a different jurisdiction, so Nancy found herself incarcerated once again, this time at the William G. Truesdale Alexandria Adult Detention Center. Nancy was released after one month of being incarcerated just in time to deliver her baby and was on the verge of homelessness. She contacted OAR for support and we were able to help Nancy find an affordable apartment and even assisted with the first few months of her rent. The OAR team also helped Nancy find employment at a local faith community doing part-time work and connected her with child day-care services. As Nancy started to settle into her new home and job, OAR continued to provide intensive coaching to help Nancy work towards achieving her goals of self-sufficiency and provided gifts for Nancy's son through OAR's Project Winter Cheer program. Nancy was so grateful when she received the gifts for her son and thanked OAR "for being a miracle in our lives." Your support makes a huge impact in the lives of OAR participants like Nancy and many more. Thank you for being on this journey with us.

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

Thank You for Supporting OAR's Annual Second Chance Fundraising Breakfast!

Thank you for supporting OAR's Virtual Second Chance Fundraising Breakfast. We are grateful you joined us through livestream or through heart and spirit. If you would like to watch and share the videos that were premiered during the event, you can visit OAR's website here or visit OAR's official Vimeo channel here.

Special thanks to our Sponsors:

Silver Level

Bronze Level

Supporters

Questions? Email Stephannie Ku, at sku@oaronline.org

Book of the Month

This month we are reading How to Be an Antiracist, by. Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. In this book Kendi's concept of antiracism reenergizes and reshapes the conversation about racial justice in America, and points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. In How to be an Antiracist, Kendi asks us to think about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it.

He weaves together an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science, bringing it all together with an engaging personal narrative of his own awakening to antiracism. This book is an essential read for anyone who wants to go beyond an awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a truly just and equitable society.

Volunteer Spotlight

David started as a paid staff member at OAR in 1998 as a Volunteer Coordinator. After moving on to another employment opportunity, David still stayed involved with OAR as a volunteer. He began facilitating a Stress Management Course and a Men's Support Group in the Arlington County Detention Facility (ACDF) and also served as a member of OAR's Board of Directors for a couple of years. In his Stress Management Course, David and ACDF residents study a series of terms and techniques to help increase self-awareness and understanding of how to deal with stress in a more effective manner. When asked what he has enjoyed about his volunteer experience, David said, "I have continued my involvement with OAR for the past 20 years for two reasons. Firstly, I think the material that I teach is helpful to my students who are dealing with the extremely stressful experience of being incarcerated. Secondly, I have learned a lot from my students over the years, and this has helped me deal with stress in my own life. I am always impressed by how insightful, motivated, and engaged they are during class. It has truly been a pleasure being involved with OAR over the past two decades. They are truly an outstanding organization with great leadership and staff and they are very effective at carrying out their incredibly important mission." Thank you David for your incredible dedication and support for OAR for the past 20+ years! It is volunteers like you that are crucial in helping us carry out our critical 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 Stephannie Ku at, sku@oaronline.org.

Upcoming Events

People of Color Caucus/White People Caucus *VIRTUAL*

If you are interested and would like more information about either of these Caucuses please contact racialequity@oaronline.org.

2020 Census

OAR has partnered with Arlington County and the City of Alexandria to ensure an accurate count in the 2020 Census. Help us get out the count! Click here to learn more about the 2020 Census and to complete the questionnaire. Be sure to tell everyone.

Free One-Hour Tour of OAR's Mission *VIRTUAL*

May 28, 2020, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
June 4, 2020, 8:00am - 9:00am
June 24, 2020, 12:00pm - 1:00pm

Want to learn more about us? Join us for a free one-hour tour of our mission via video conference! Guests will hear about OAR's programs and services from the team members who are working in the programs and hear participant stories. We promise to end on time. To register for a tour of OAR's mission. click here or contact Stephannie Ku at sku@oaronline.org. Stay tuned for more dates on our website!

OAR Community Chat *VIRTUAL*

June 2, 2020, 12:00pm – 1:00pm

Join OAR for a virtual Community Chat session, held on the first Tuesday of each month. During these one-hour Community Chats you will get the unique chance to learn more about OAR’s mission, programs, and get to hang out and chat with OAR’s Executive Director, Elizabeth Jones Valderrama, and Deputy Director, Katy Steinbruck. OAR Community Chats will take place virtually via phone or video conferencing. Registration is required in order to receive the information to join the chat. To register for this or the additional dates and times below, click here.

July 7, 2020, 6:00pm – 7:00pm
August 4, 2020, 12:00pm – 1:00pm
September 1, 2020, 6:00pm – 7:00pm

Arlington Bunny Hop 5K Fun Run/Walk *VIRTUAL*

Virtual 5K Dates: June 13, 2020 - June 30, 2020

The Arlington Bunny Hop 5K Fun Run/Walk, hosted by the Clarendon United Methodist Church, has been converted to a Virtual 5K! OAR is grateful to be one of the beneficiary organizations for the Arlington Bunny Hop this year and we thank all those who have already registered in support of OAR's programs and participants. If you have already registered, you are automatically registered for the Virtual 5K. If you haven’t registered yet and would like to register or would like more information on how a Virtual 5K works, please visit the Arlington Bunny Hop's official website here or email ArlingtonBunnyHop@gmail.com.

Interested in volunteering with OAR?

Social Media Advocates/"Voluntweeters"

Volunteer to be a social media advocate for OAR or "voluntweet" for OAR! Be an advocate for OAR's mission, for policies and laws that benefit participants, and for racial justice through social media and online by re-tweeting, sharing our posts, mentioning OAR on social media writing to law makers, and more. Visit OAR's official Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Vimeo pages to help share and spread the word of our mission or email Stephannie Ku at sku@oaronline.org if you have any questions.

Special Event/On-Call Volunteers

Volunteer to help out with special events and serve as an on-call volunteer when needed. You will be added to a special email/text list when we have a volunteer need or opportunity come up including speaking engagements, helping staff an OAR table at a fair, etc. Please contact Stephannie Ku at sku@oaronline.org if you are interested.

COVID-19 Health & Safety Resources/Updates - Stay Informed!

We want and encourage our community to stay informed and up-to-date with all of the latest health and safety guidelines and resources regarding the COVID-19 outbreak to prevent the spread of this virus and to keep everyone safe and thriving. Please feel free to share with your family and friends.

General Resources:

Center For Disease Control - https://www.cdc.gov/
Virginia Department of Health - http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/
Governor of Virginia - https://www.virginia.gov/coronavirus-updates/

Local Resources:

City of Alexandria

Alexandria Coronavirus Resources - https://www.alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus
Sign up to receive COVID-19 updates via Alexandria eNews
ACPS Updates - https://www.acps.k12.va.us/acps-at-home

Arlington County

Arlington Coronavirus Resources - https://health.arlingtonva.us/covid-19-coronavirus-updates/
APS Updates for Parents - https://www.apsva.us/coronavirus-covid-19-updates/

City of Falls Church

Falls Church Coronavirus Resources - https://www.fallschurchva.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx
Sign up to receive daily COVID-19 updates from the City of Falls Church Office of Communications
FCPS Updates - https://www.fcps.edu/blog/talking-children-about-coronavirus

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 virtual OAR Tour or an OAR Event and bring your friends: http://oaronline.org/oar-tours-upcoming-events/
Follow us @OARJustice

More About OAR

OAR of Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church is a community-based nonprofit working with adults of all genders returning to the community from incarceration to ensure a safe reentry and offering alternative sentencing options through community service to youth and adults to decrease the trauma of incarceration. Race equity is a core goal at OAR, and we seek to promote equity in the legal system and across all systems. We envision a safe and thriving community where those impacted by the legal system enjoy equal civil and human rights. In recent years, OAR has started to address the systemic racism responsible for mass incarceration and other structural inequalities in our community, state, and country. We now have a more complete story as we deal with incarceration and the criminal legal system both "upstream" (addressing the root cause of racism and seeking social justice) and "downstream" (providing services to specific individuals). OAR is the only local nonprofit that journeys with individuals who have been affected by mass incarceration and works to end the systemic injustices created by racism across all systems.

@OARJustice