Monthly Archives: October 2020

Pay It Forward – Support The Girls

Community,

 

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month?and many victims have been struggling with their abusers during the pandemic.? Things have not been easy for them as getting out and going to work was something many victims looked forward to.? Social media has really begun to shine a slight on domestic abuse for people to have an open and honest conversation about what people go through behind closed doors.

There are a number of organizations that specialize in assisting domestic violence against women.? One in particular is I Support the Girls, a Washington D.C. metro area non-profit founded by Dana Marlowe.? This organization understands that victims usually need underwear and hygiene products after fleeing a domestic relationship.? Marlowe created D.A.S.H (dignity, aid, security, and hygiene) kits for women who are in these situations.

Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group came together to highlight I Support the Girls on their Pay It Forward segment.? Maureen Umeh of Fox 5?s Good Day DC had the chance to visit Marlowe and chat with her about the organization.? Umeh played Marlowe a short video from Joel Bassam of Easterns.? Bassam announced the donation of $1,000 in underwear, bras, and menstrual products to help with the D.A.S.H kits.? If you know of any survivors or would like to learn more? about I Support the Girls get involved, please visit www.isupportthegirls.org

 

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/hpFSH3ZUfts

 

Pay It Forward – Helping Fight Food Insecurity Amid The Pandemic

Community,

 

There is so much uncertainty in the world due to the long-lasting effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.? Millions of families have been affected by job loss and are struggling to make it and put food on the table.? Local food banks and pantries have stepped up to help provide as much food as possible.? However, they have seen a decline in donations making it hard to serve all of the families in need.

St. Anne?s Episcopal Church in Damascus, Maryland stepped up to the plate when the pandemic first hit in March to assist families.? They have been able to feed numerous families with the help of their neighbors and the donations received from local organizations like Manna.? In the beginning, they were only thinking this would be a short term thing.? Nobody had a clue that the pandemic would last nearly a year and only get worse as the months went on.

Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group got wind of the amazing work that St. Anne?s Episcopal Church was doing in the community and decided to pay them a visit.? Marrisa Mitchell, the new host of Good Day DC was able to chat with Cindy Lippet, a volunteer for St. Anne?s that has been helping out with the fox boxes.? She let everyone know that they are always in need of food and donations to keep their operation going.? It was then that Joel Bassam joined their zoom call to announce that he would Pay It Forward on behalf of Easterns. Bassam donated $2,000 to help them purchase fresh meat and produce.? This money will go a long way on their journey to help feed as many families as possible.? If you would like to learn more about St. Anne?s Episcopal Church ? find donation times or volunteer information, click here.

 

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/0R-8ImGy7Ow

 

Get Up Give Back – Desks by Dads

Community,

 

COVID-19 is continuing to provide its fair share of challenges.? One of these is virtual learning also called distance learning for children in school.? Kids have had to adjust to everyday life as they know it and now learn from the comfort of their own homes.? Unfortunately, not all children have the same resources that make it easy to attend virtual schooling.

Two parents named Jess and Al Berrellez of Gaithersburg, Maryland took it upon themselves to create a nonprofit organization called Desks by Dads.? It was created to help children of low-income families.? They collect and build free desks to donate them to students in the community.??Children deserve to have dedicated, effective, and comfortable workstations to support virtual learning.? Having a proper work environment plays a huge role in a student’s overall success.

Throughout the pandemic, the Berrellez couple has been hard at work donating the desks that they have built and collected to nearby schools.? To date, over 37 desks have been given to the students that need them the most.? They have gone above and beyond to show the community that they care during this troubled time.

Reese Waters of WUSA 9’s Get Up DC was able to chat with Jess Berrellez on Zoom to discuss the Desks by Dads movement.? It was then when he informed her that she was being featured on their Get Up Give Back segment that is sponsored by Easterns Automotive Group.? He proceeded to surprise her with a donation for $1,000 on behalf of Easterns to continue carrying out their mission by building more desks.? Desks by Dads is currently accepting volunteers as well as donations.? If you want to learn more about Desks by Dads and how you can get involved, please click here.

 

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/5aCxGn6DeNQ

Helping Hands – Cheverly Emergency Response Team

Community,

 

The COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of it have continued long beyond what was originally anticipated. It is truly taken a toll on families not only in the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region but all across the nation. Many families are struggling right now due to job loss and unemployment leaving many in need of basic necessities like food. Maverly Nettles of Cheverly, Maryland is the head of the Cheverly Emergency Response Team (CERT) is set out to change this and help those in need.

The mission of CERT is to provide critical support to the town of Cheverly and assist residents during an emergency. They specialize in providing members with on-going training in disaster response, emergency preparedness, leadership, and organizational skills. They also educate residents in Cheverly about emergency preparedness and support the Cheverly Police Department in the event of a disaster.

Nettles has been responsible for coordinating bi-weekly food drives at Cheverly United Methodist Church to provide meals for those affected by the pandemic. ABC 7 WJLA-TV along with their partner at Easterns Automotive Group heard of the amazing food drives and all that Nettles was doing throughout her Prince Georges County community. They sent a camera crew along with Kidd O?Shea of ABC 7 to surprise Nettles for their Helping Hands segment. It was then that Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group appeared via video to announce that he would be doing $2,000 on behalf of Easterns to support CERT and help Nettles continue spreading the generosity and love to those that need it the most.

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/AomLyfPhQhA

Pay It Forward – Upcounty Consolidation Hub

Community,

 

September was a busy month!? Schools across the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area were officially back in session.? However, this wasn?t the typical exciting back to school time.? Things have changed greatly since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.? Many if not all students are learning virtually but one thing that hasn?t changed is the need for school supplies.

Grace Rivera-Oven created the Upcounty Consolidation Hub, a nonprofit food bank that provides school supplies, food boxes, and COVID-19 kits for those in need throughout Montgomery County.? The need began during the start of the pandemic as she began serving 800 families each week.? However, that number grew due to the number of people that needed help.? The trailer park that Rivera-Oven began serving families out of started to become too small to accommodate all her supplies and the families that we coming to her.? It was then that she asked her friend Lynn Arndt, CEO of the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Gaithersburg, Maryland is she could use some of their space.? The two have come together to create a magical hub for people to bring donations and volunteers to help pack the boxes and care packages.

The Pay It Forward team along with Easterns Automotive Group saw the hard work that they were putting in and decided to step in to help.? The team set it up and the camera crew went to visit the Upcounty Consolidation Hub at BlackRock Center for the Arts.? Holly Morris of Good Day DC on Fox 5 joined the two women via satellite to provide a platform for the women to discuss their incredible work in the community.? It was then that Joel Bassam of Easterns appeared on the screen to surprise them with a $1,500 donation to continue their work in Montgomery County.? There are plenty of ways to get involved and support this incredible nonprofit food bank.? Please click here to learn more about Upcounty Consolidation Hub ? there are options to donate, volunteer, and be a partner of the organization.

 

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/SDbJt7W-Vms

 

The American Dream – Easterns Automotive Group

Easterns Automotive

Easterns Automotive Group founder and CEO Mr. Robert Bassam was recently featured on Bloomberg Television for the season premiere of The American Dream. This national television show features entrepreneurs across various industries and their struggles to become successful. The American Dream premiered in 2018 and is currently in its third season. The lovely folks from the network asked Bassam to be a part of their new season because the longevity of Easterns was truly fascinating to them. Most people don’t know that Easterns has been in business for over 30 years and was created solely by Bassam who came from humble beginnings. He started with a dream and built his company over time as he grew his wealth and resources.

On the show, Bassam gets super candid about the early stages of his journey as a car dealer and goes into detail about the obstacles and challenges that have occurred along the way.  A major hurdle that Bassam touches on is the recession that happened in 2008 and how that caused him to not only close numerous Easterns locations but also restructure his business.  What makes Bassam so special is that he never let the hard times get him down or take him away from his goals.  Bassam also touches on the world-renowned Easterns jingle and how it was created. “At Eastern Motors, your job is your credit!”  Never in his wildest dreams did he think it would still live on today and be known by people that have never even been to the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area.  This is all thanks to the commercials that feature players from the Washington Football Team, Washington Wizards, and a plethora of actors, comedians, and musicians.  His son, Joel Bassam is the Director of Marketing for Easterns.  You will see him take some time to break down the brand from a marketing perspective.  

Our hope is that this episode of The American Dream will be an inspiration piece for many entrepreneurs out there to show them that success has many routes.  To be a successful entrepreneur, one must have determination, motivation, and self-confidence.  These characteristics will take you a long way especially on the days where things don’t seem to be working out.  This is the first time that Bassam has been so transparent about his automotive journey as a businessman.  There are currently 8 Easterns sales locations across the DMV metro area.  Easterns even has an online express store for customers to shop and buy a car online.  This option has become a success as customers are able to sit down in the comfort of their own homes and fill out all of the needed financial paperwork for their purchase.  After everything is complete, a sales representative personally delivers the vehicle to the customer at their home.  This is a perfect way to eliminate the nervous or jittery feeling that customers get when walking into a car dealership.  The peace of mind of knowing that every vehicle has passed a rigorous multi-point inspection, comes Carfax certified, and has a 7-day return policy is priceless.

The various awards that Easterns has gotten over the years for their customer satisfaction truly separates them from their competitors.  Easterns has been named a Dealer of the Year by Dealer Rater for the past 4 years.  The Washington Post has recognized the work culture of Easterns and named them a Top Workplace for two consecutive years.  The entire staff operates as one big family which puts customers at ease and makes them feel comfortable during their visit.  Easterns has numerous partnerships with DC television networks where they give back to people doing great things in the community as well as those in need.  Bassam has big plans to continue growing Easterns to be one of the top used car dealers in the country.  We hope that you enjoy this episode of The American Dream on Bloomberg TV and learn more about how Easterns grew to what it is today.    

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