Monthly Archives: January 2021

Pay It Forward – Helping Neighbors in Need

Community, Uncategorized,

 

COVID-19 has turned everyone’s lives upside down, and, amazingly, there are so many people doing extraordinary things to help others during these trying times. A new mom in Maryland named Caroline Dennin wanted to find a way to impact those less fortunate and thought an app connecting neighbors was the perfect way to reach out.?

Caroline decided the Next Door app was the best platform to let others in the community know that she was there to help if needed. It was never her intention to receive so much support. However, by creating so many connections through the app, twenty-five people made donations. With help from others in the community, she provided families with things like groceries and toiletries. Receiving so many contributions, she was able to deliver to 12 local families.?

Inspired by Caroline’s effort to help her neighbors in need, Joel Bassam joined virtually to share some good news! Easterns Automotive wanted help by donating twenty-one $100 gift cards.

The holiday giving didn’t stop there as Mike Thomas from the Fox 5 team continued to give back! As people passed by, Mike asked, “What are you thankful for?” With the past year we have had, it is no surprise that most replied that they are grateful for life and health. He next surprised them with a $100 gift card from Easterns Automotive.?

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.

Helping Hands – “Feast of Sharing: Reimagined”

Community, Uncategorized,

During the pandemic, the holiday season was unbearable for some. Individuals were separated from their families, and others still without employment. Helping Hands, partnering Easterns Automotive Group with ABC 7, worked tirelessly during the holiday season to support those making tremendous efforts in the community.

Right before Thanksgiving at the Walter E Washington Convention Center, the annual “Feast of Sharing” feeds almost 5,000 people. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the organizers had to rethink how they would continue this holiday tradition of 20 years.?

Kidd O’Shea from the ABC 7 team met with the organizers to hear how they planned to continue to provide for the community despite having to cancel this annual event. Beth Goldburg, Senior Manager of Community & Public Affairs at Safeway, shared that with the new name “Feast of Sharing: Reimagined,” they decided to assemble 5,000 meal boxes and gift bags to be delivered throughout the community. The gift bags were created to help keep people warm during the winter and included hats, scarves, gloves, face masks, and hand sanitizer.

Kidd O’Shea surprised organizer Lara Akinsanya with 600 scarves from Easterns Automotive Group. Lara expressed her excitement and how they were struggling to receive scarves. Inspired by their ability to pivot to continue to help people in need, Joel Bassam, director of marketing for Easterns Automotive Group, shared a special message with their team.?

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

Helping Hands – Tummy Yumyum

Community,

COVID-19 has left some individuals in unfortunate circumstances. Some are still without jobs and the support they had before. However, it is incredible to see people in our community pull together to help one another during this time, like Sharita Rouse, the owner of gourmet candy apple store Tummy Yumyum in Manassas, VA.?

Sharita says, in 2008, God directed her to open a candy apple store, even though she had never made candy apples before. One day, someone stopped by her store looking for food, and again she says God directed her to start feeding anyone in need without asking, and since then, she has been feeding individuals for over ten years through her business. Due to the influx of people in need during the pandemic, Sharita began to provide hot meals for about 500-600 people a week from her candy apple storefront.?

It is always a pleasure to partner with ABC 7’s Helping Hands initiative and give back to those doing incredible work in the community. Presented by Kidd Oshea, we were excited to surprise Tummy YumYum with $1500 to go towards her actions in the Manassas community.?

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

Pay It Forward – Ana Romero

Community,

Ana Romero doesn’t want anyone to experience what she went through during the pandemic and uses what she learned from her experience to help others. She now uses what she learned to help her community. Ana’s actions inspired us on our Pay It Forward with Fox 5 DC that we had to surprise her with something special.?

Ana contracted COVID-19 resulting in her spending a week in the hospital. Even though Ana was finally able to return home, the virus’s lasting effects have caused her to still be in pain, and she has also lost vision in one of her eyes. In the process of her husband and son caring for her, they lost their jobs. However, she did not let this stop her.

After Ana’s encounter with the virus, it motivated her to help her community. Daily, Ana gathers food from a local non-profit called Tenants and Workers United and delivers it to high-risk individuals and those in need. She was terrified to go to the hospital when she contracted COVID-19, so it is also essential to share facts and not fear while encouraging others to get tested. People often ask if she is getting paid for her act of kindness, but it is 100% from her heart.?

Ana’s actions are such an inspiration to us at Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC, so we surprised her with a deluxe spa basket, a warm shoulder throw, and a $200 gift card to Safeway.

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.

Helping Hands – Surprise Food Pantry

Community,

Once the pandemic brought the world to a complete stop, it ended jobs for many across the globe. Tri Trinh?s photo booth business took a big hit once there was a halt to events. He lost his source of income and gained lots of free time during the pandemic. With more time on his hands, he wanted to find ways to give back to the community with very little money.?

It began with a coat drive. On the first three Saturdays of October, Tri gave away hundreds of coats to anyone in need. The idea for a food pantry sparked when he noticed others began to put canned goods in community libraries instead of books. Tri opened DC?s first 24/7 food pantry outside of Bluebird Sky Yoga. Understanding that, like himself, there are many newly unemployed people and don?t know where to go, he wanted to be that helping hand for those in this time of need without judgment. The food pantry has a take what you need set up, and he visits the pantry throughout the day to make sure the shelves are stocked.?

He has since launched a non-profit called Kindness DC and hopes to open more 24/7 food pantries across the district. Partnered with ABC 7?s Helping Hands, Easterns Automotive?s Joel Bassam was able to share our surprise donation of $1500 to continue his mission.?

“This is awesome! This will help us fill the pantry for three full weeks,” Trinh said.?

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.

Get Up Give Back – DC Safe

Community,

With everyone confined to their homes since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a surge in domestic violence cases across the U.S. This is where nonprofits, like DC Safe, step up to create a safe space and help survivors during a crisis.?

DC Safe stands for Survivors and Advocates for Empowerment and is the only 24/7 crisis intervention agency for domestic violence in Washington, DC. They are made up of several teams and programs dedicated to helping survivors in various ways including emergency lock changes, food for the weekend, safe housing for survivors, emergency transportation to the shelter, rental assistance, and more.

Reese Waters was able to chat with Natalie Oterio, the co-founder and executive director, and learned that their biggest need currently, is food cards to give to survivors and their families staying at their shelter. Natalie expressed that the Safe Space Crisis Shelter sees about 300 to 400 families a year and with an influx staying due to the holidays they simply need food cards to provide to their families. Easterns Automotive Group wanted to ensure that DC Safe was able to get the food cards they needed to keep doing great work in the community. In partnership with WUSA 9?s Get Up and Give Back DC, Reese was able to present DC Safe with $1000 to help them get the food cards for the families at there shelter.?

There is no donation to small. DC Safe has a breakdown on their website sharing exactly how your donation can help. To learn more about ways you can donate or volunteer with the DC Safe please visit – www.dcsafe.org

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

Get Up Give Back – United Soldiers and Sailors of America

Community,

 

The sacrifice that veterans make everyday for our country deserves more than a thank you, and a nonprofit whose mission is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for veterans in need is United Soldiers and Sailors of America.

Reese Waters was able to sit down with United Soldiers and Sailors of America?s president, John Yori, to hear more about the organization and their efforts in the metro area. Seeing the needs of veterans first hand, their programs, services, and events were created to have a direct impact on the wellbeing of veteran lives. It is an all volunteer organization that services food insecure and homeless veterans in the Washington, DC area, supplying them with toiletries, hosting food drives, and providing winter survival kits.?

Veterans have served to protect us and it is important that we protect them in return. That?s why, in partnership with Get Up DC and @WUSA9, we were excited to donate $1000 to United Soldiers and Sailors of America with Reese Waters, so that they can continue to enhance the quality of life for our veterans?

To learn more about ways you can donate or volunteer with the United Soldiers and Sailors of America please visit – www.usasoa.org

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