Monthly Archives: August 2025

Pay It Forward: Beautiful As I Am

Community

At Easterns Automotive Group, giving back to our community is at the heart of who we are. Through our partnership with Fox 5 DC’s Pay It Forward series, we were honored to highlight the incredible work of Beautiful As I Am, a nonprofit founded by Tamika Williams.

Tamika’s story is one of resilience and transformation. As a child, she was unfairly labeled and told she would never amount to anything. Instead of letting those words define her, she found strength in the support of a village of women who encouraged her to rise above. She went from struggling in school to excelling with a 3.6 GPA in high school and eventually continuing her education in college.

Inspired by her own journey, Tamika created Beautiful As I Am to empower local women and girls to see their worth and reach their full potential. The organization uplifts its community through three impactful programs: a book club, a teen mentoring program, and an adult mentoring program. All of their services are provided free of charge, and they are always looking for more volunteers to help expand their mission.

The future of Beautiful As I Am is bright, as they continue to grow and seek a new building to expand their programs. To support their vision and honor their dedication, Easterns Automotive Group surprised them with a $2,200 donation.

We are inspired by Tamika’s journey and proud to stand alongside organizations like Beautiful As I Am that are changing lives from the inside out.

Pay It Forward: Goodie Girl Bags

Community,

At Easterns Automotive Group, giving back to the community is at the heart of who we are. That’s why we’re proud to partner with FOX5 in their Pay It Forward initiative—spotlighting local heroes making a real difference.

This time, we had the honor of surprising Felicia Biles, Founder and President of Goodie Girl Bags, with a $2,200 donation to help her continue her life-changing work.

Founded in 2016, Goodie Girl Bags is dedicated to serving women facing homelessness by providing personal care items—with dignity. Each bag contains essentials like bras, feminine hygiene products, wipes, and liners, along with handwritten notes of encouragement from volunteers. The organization also supports breast cancer awareness, spreading kindness and compassion through every delivery.

Their outreach stretches from shelters to direct street outreach, meeting women where they are and making sure they feel seen and supported. Many recipients are moved to tears when they receive a bag—proof that the smallest acts of care can have the biggest impact.

Felicia was shocked and grateful when we presented her with our donation, which will help her purchase more inventory and secure a utility vehicle to distribute even more bags throughout the community.

Easterns Automotive Group is honored to support Goodie Girl Bags and their mission to restore dignity, hope, and confidence to women in need. Together, we can make a difference—one bag at a time.

Learn more about Goodie Girl Bags and how you can get involved. Your support can help change lives.

Helping Hands: Sweet Julia Grace

Community,

At Easterns Automotive Group, our mission has always gone beyond cars. We believe in driving hope, lifting our community, and standing by those who need it most. That is why we are honored to support the incredible work of the Sweet Julia Grace Foundation.

Recently, 7News Helping Hands introduced us to Sara Knight, a mother who turned unimaginable loss into a lifeline for others. In 2014, after losing her 12 year-old daughter Julia Grace to a rare genetic condition, Sara launched a foundation in her honor.

Through her grief, Sara saw a clear purpose. She wanted to walk alongside families of medically fragile children and ask one powerful question: how can we help?

The answers are never the same. Sometimes it means granting a wish. More often, it means meeting basic needs that other systems cannot always support. And it is not just about one-time help. These families need consistent support and connection with others who understand their journey.

When we learned about Julia’s story, we knew we wanted to be part of it. As a small gesture, we presented Sara with a donation of 1,100 dollars to help keep their mission going strong.

Her response said it all.
“Wow, thank you so much, you surprised me.”

To learn more about the Sweet Julia Grace Foundation and how you can support their work, visit sweetjuliagrace.org