Welcome
The Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless, Inc. does more than offer shelter to homeless people, it provides them with a foundation to rebuild their lives. Created in 1985 by concerned citizens of Arlington and Alexandria, AACH works in coordination with public agencies, businesses and community groups to give homeless people the support, shelter, counseling and employment training they need to regain self-sufficiency.
COMING UP…
The SAFE AT HOME! Kickball Tournament, AACH’s annual benefit event, takes place Saturday, August 1, 2009 at Arlington’s Barcroft Park. Bring family, friends, and co-workers for fun in the park and all-day kickball! The parking is free, the music is loud, and the food is “DEELICIOUS! A moon bounce, face painter, and more will entertain kids of all ages. AACH volunteers get to play at a reduced fee. For details contact lizloden@irainmakers.com
Leverage even more support for AACH through the PLAY FOR GOOD, held in conjunction with the Tournament. For details, contact Aimee Harrison at (703) 525-7177 or aharrison@aachhomeless.org).
Announcing the AACH Micro Business Enterprise Program
We all know that times are tough, but the situation is especially difficult for some of the families we serve – the working poor who struggle from pay check to paycheck trying to make ends meet. Earning less than $15.00 an hour, a single mom with 2 children can’t come close to earning a living wage in northern Virginia. In order to help our families achieve greater levels of self-sufficiency and enter mainstream society, AACH, with generous support from the Boeing Corporation, has launched a new initiative designed to assist participants launch micro-businesses to supplement their household incomes.
Modeled on successful international efforts, the Micro Business Enterprise Initiative currently involves a group of 15-20 families. For starters, the group is going through a rigorous business training program designed to cultivate personal, financial, and entrepreneurial capacities as well as helping them develop sound business plan. Each participant is matched with volunteers, mentors, and advisors who have experience in their particular business areas and AACH provides further training and support along the way. A financial lending club is also being organized, where participating families will share responsibility for approving, managing, and distributing small microloans that will be used to startup micro-businesses by other club members.
If you are an organization or individual interested in partnering with AACH on this initiative, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator Stephanie Turner at STurner@AACHhomeless.org.
Volunteers Needed
As the economy regresses, the demand for volunteer support increases drastically at AACH. Volunteers are a vital part of the inner workings that make AACH such a success in the fight to against homelessness. There are many different volunteer opportunities; from services projects to donations, mentoring and training sessions. For more information on how you can get involved, please see our Volunteer Page.
The education [training] helped me earn more money and be in a career that I enjoy. The budget showed me what I was, at the beginning, wasting my money on and helps me stay focused toward my future goals.