Monthly Archives: September 2020

Get Up Give Back – Gearin’ Up Bicycles

Community,

 

COVID-19 has impacted every business known to man.? Most in negative ways but some in positive ways.? According to Keith Jackson of Gearin? Up Bicycles, the bicycle industry has been doing extremely well.? Gearin? Up Bicycles is Washington D.C.?s only nonprofit community bike shop but they also serve the community as well.? Their purpose is to create career development opportunities and teach essential workplace skills to teenagers from underserved communities while encouraging cycling as a practical, healthy means of transportation.? Gearin? Up provides access to quality affordable used bicycles for those in need and hosts various community outreach programs throughout the year.

For the recent Get Up Give Back segment sponsored by Easterns Automotive Group, Reese Waters of Get Up DC (WUSA 9) decided to highlight their importance to the Washington D.C. youth.? Gearin? Up Bicycles has played a major role in getting teens active while teaching them essential business skills.? They have an Earn-A-Bike program where youth ages 12-18 can volunteer and have the opportunity to build and keep their bike.? Jackson sat down with Waters to discuss just how profitable a career in bicycles can be.? Prior to COVID-19, Gearin? Up Bikes was selling 12 bicycles per month since then they?ve been selling between 55 to 60. bikes per month.? This is a true testament to the hard work that the children have been putting in.

During the conversation, Waters told Jackson just how impressed he was by their hard work.? It was then that he made Jackson aware of the $1,000 donation that he was giving to Gearin’ Up Bicycles on behalf of WUSA 9, Get Up DC, and in conjunction with Easterns Automotive Group.? This money will help them get more children involved in the program to keep things going.? Please visit http://gearinupbicycles.org to learn more about their youth programs and bike shop.

 

Easterns Automotive Group and WUSA 9 are always here to help. If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that is worthy of being helped or recognized, please contact at?@ReeseWaters?on social media. #GetUpDC #GetUpGiveBack

YouTube Link ? https://youtu.be/J0EFPTNd8OM

Road to a Better Community – Britepaths

Uncategorized

 

Summer is officially over and school is back in session.? However, the effects of COVID-19 have been endless.? Students across Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia have started virtual learning but not everyone has internet access.? A Fairfax, Virginia non-profit organization called Britepaths is dedicated to stabilizing low-income working families and providing support for children.? In Fairfax County alone, there are 13,000 households without internet access.? There are many factors that contribute to this in addition to the fact that the United States is in a global pandemic.? Millions of people are without jobs and the economy as we know it before coronavirus has completely changed.? Families have also had to shift their finances to accommodate teleworking and feeding their children throughout the day when they normally are at school.? Support from the community would be a huge help to help this number go down.

There is a huge digital divide that affects students in this area greatly.? Without the internet and proper resources, students are unable to learn remotely or complete their homework assignments.? Organizations like Britepaths are needed as the understand the problem and how it drastically affects this generation.? WUSA 9 and Easterns Automotive Group made the choice to highlight them for their Road to a Better Community segment.? They were able to chat with Lisa Whetzel, Executive Director of Britepaths to find out about their current initiatives and ways in which the community can help and get involved.

Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group joined both Ellen Bryan of WUSA 9?s Great Day Washington and Liza Whetzel of Britepaths to discuss the digital divide and the impact that it is having on students.? Bassam committed to donating $2,000 on behalf of Easterns to four local families with children to have 6 months of free internet access.? The fact that these families will not have to worry about paying for internet access for these upcoming months is truly remarkable. If you would like to donate to the Britepaths Back to School program or learn more about the services that they provide, please visit: www.britepaths.org

 

To learn more about Easterns Automotive Group?s partnership with WUSA 9 and how they come together to empower the DMV community, please visit www.wusa9.com/BetterCommunity

YouTube Link – https://youtu.be/RopceUDgswQ

 

Helping Hands – Fighting Pediatric Cancer with The Little Dig

Community,

 

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and the American Cancer Society spreading knowledge about pediatric cancer in a major way.? They created a virtual competition called The Little Dig where children will get down and dirty to raise money for pediatric cancer.? Parents will upload photos and videos of their children playing in the dirt to social media using the hashtag #TheLittleDig2020.? To support this initiative, Easterns Automotive Group and ABC7 WJLA-TV have made the choice to highlight this on the new edition of their Helping Hands segment. Easterns has vowed to donate $200 for every child that signs up for the The Little Dig.

ABC 7 caught up with Shaelyn Mullaney and her daughter Riley who is participating in the virtual competition.? Mullaney lost her father earlier this year from cancer so this cause means a lot to her and her family.? Riley is in second place already by raising $1,500.? The Executive Director of the American Cancer Society, Tswana Sewell let ABC7 know that it has been fun raising money thus far.? 12 kids have already signed up and raised a combined total of $6,000 which keeps growing.? Even Sewell?s niece London is participating in the challenge to honor her mother who is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

While chatting with Sewell, ABC7 surprised her with a video from Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group.? Bassam announced that he is committing $200 to every of one of their fundraisers throughout the rest of this.? All of the people that have already joined and those that will join will receive a $200 head start.? The competition ends September 30th so please click here to find out the official rules and how to enter.? A total of 5 winners will be selected on October 1st ? Most Money Raised, Most Individual Donations, Most Actively Involved on Social Media, Most Creative Dig, and Most Dirty.? All winners will receive prizes and tickets to next year?s event called The Big Dig which will take place on September 21, 2021. If you have any questions, please contact Shiri Rozenberg – shiri.rozenberg@cancer.org

 

Watch the video to see how everything unfolded.

 

Helping Hands, powered by ABC 7 is always looking to help out people or organizations in need that are worthy of assistance.? If you know someone that fits this description, please click here to nominate them.

 

YouTube Link ? https://youtu.be/XtatX0idFPo

 

Helping Hands – Surprising Prince George’s County families with new laptops for the school year

Community,

 

Back to school!? Many children across the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region are either already in school or preparing to go back.? COVID-19 has caused quite the challenge with most schools beginning the year using virtual learning.? This means that students will still have the ability to be taught by their teacher but it will be in the comfort of their home via computer.? Most school districts like Prince George?s County in Maryland have taken this route to flatten the curve and prevent the spread of the virus amongst students, teachers, and faculty.? However, the announcement of this new initiative came at the wrong time for many as they are experiencing financial hardships during this global pandemic.

Easterns Automotive Group and ABC 7 WJLA-TV joined forces to do something special for their Helping Hands segment.? Kidd O’Shea of ABC 7 greeted a few selected families that have been heavily impacted by COVID-19 at Magnolia Elementary School in Lanham, MD.? Joel Bassam of Easterns surprised them by having new laptops delivered to these families so their children will be able to attend school and complete their virtual learning programs.? No child should be left behind or excluded from learning due to a lack of resources.? The Prince George?s County Public Schools team is doing a wonderful job to ensure that children will be fed with knowledge even during this uncertain time.

Easterns Automotive Group continues to prove why they are the top car dealer in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.? For over 30 years, they have given back to their community, and partnerships like this with ABC 7 WJLA-TV allow them to continue making a difference in the lives of many.

Watch the video to see how everything unfolded.

 

Helping Hands, powered by ABC 7 is always looking to help out people or organizations in need that are worthy of assistance.? If you know someone that fits this description, please click here to nominate them.

YouTube Link ? https://youtu.be/ODCZxzA7GSA

Pay It Forward – DC Teacher Creates a Nonprofit to Give Back

Community,

A Washington D.C. teacher by the name of Carmen Garner turned his childhood pain and trauma into his purpose. Garner grew up in the District where it wasn’t safe to go outside because of gun violence. His cousin’s boyfriend used to take him finishing to escape the madness. It was during that time when he got inspired to create a better life for himself.

Fast-forward to now being an adult, Garner sees his students residing in the same areas of Washington where he grew up. He even discovered a memorial for a homicide victim during the visit to one of his students. This pain of being stuck in the apartment and not being able to simply go outside was devastating and he didn’t want another child to have to suffer through it. During the pandemic, Garner received a stimulus check like many other Americans but its what he did with it that separates him from most.

Garner created the Inner City Anglers nonprofit organization that allows him to take struggling children from the city and take them on fishing trips to provide a sense of escape. Many of these children do not know what it’s like to go on a vacation. These small outings show them that there is so much more in life than what they see every day. Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC caught wind of Garner’s work and decided to feature him on their Pay It Forward segment. During the Zoom video call with Fox 5’s Holly Morris, Joel Bassam of Easterns surprised Garner with the news that he was donating $1,500 on behalf of Easterns. These funds will be used to help pay for fishing gear and lunch for future trips. Please visit www.innercityanglers.com to learn more about ICA and donate to this incredible cause.

If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, Click here to nominate them.

Watch the video to see the way everything unfolded.

YouTube Link – https://youtu.be/EenfDlbbCBk