Category Archives: Uncategorized

Pay It Forward – SMYAL

Community, Uncategorized,

It can be challenging for queer and transgender youth to face discrimination, violence, lack of acceptance, and local organization, SMYAL, is working to combat that.

SMYAL (Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders), an organization established in 1984, empowers LGBTQ youth by keeping them focused and prepared. SMYAL offers counseling, housing programs and provides leadership opportunities for children ranging from ages 6 – 24. SMYAL also works with the community to give the general public information to increase LGBTQ competency.

Fox 5’s Mauren Umeh got the chance to speak with several remarkable people at Smyal, including Tessa. Tessa is a part of the housing program, and she shared that she feels it takes a load off just having a safe place to live. 

Joel Bassam joined in surprising SMYAL with a message, ” We wanted to honor SMYAL’s incredible dedication to the LGBTQ community by donating $2000 to your mission. You all do such amazing work changing the lives of young people.” Excited and thankful for their donation, SMYAL shared that it would go directly towards helping residents in DC 

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.

Get Up Give Back – KindWorks

Community, Uncategorized,

We’re always looking for ways to Give Back to our community, and we’ve partnered with WUSA9 to recognize KindWorks, a nonprofit that gives back and encourages others to give back in various ways.

Kindworks started about 13 years ago, and its mission is to inspire action for a kinder world. Salma Hasan Ali is its “Chief Inspiration Officer,” She joined Allison Seymour to discuss the group and various services opportunities that give back to our communities.

One of their projects includes KindSoup for the Soul, where volunteers connect via Zoom to create large portions of soup for their families as well as shelters, food banks, neighbors, or anyone just in need of a pick-me-up. KindSoup For The Soul has shared more than 1600 quarts of soup with people in need.

Kindworks also runs a Digital Empowerment initiative. They collect old laptops and computers, and with a volunteer team of refurbishers, they bring them back to life for students and families. They have donated 60 computers so far!

Salma Hasan Ali was ecstatic when Allison shared that we were donating $1,000 to their fantastic initiative! 

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

Get Up Give Back – My Girlfriend’s House

Uncategorized,

The lack of resources available to young girls sometimes causes teenage girls to end up in trouble. At My Girlfriend’s House, these girls surround themselves with like-minded individuals on a quest to better their lives, making it less likely for them to end up in unfortunate situations.

My Girlfriend’s House started as a way for young adult women to network but changed directions after meeting some homeless teenagers in a shelter. They now empower young laddies to be better, stronger, and smarter. My Girlfriend’s House has a 50-week mentoring program called Girl Talk that teenage girls attend on the weekend to focus on leadership development, improve interpersonal skills, and develop college and career readiness. 

We were able to surprise My Girlfriends House with $1,000, so they can continue to be an incredible resource for our youth in the community!

Pay It Forward – Frontline Workers at White Oak Medical Center

Community, Uncategorized,

So many men and women have put themselves in harm’s way to work the frontline. They have spent the past year dedicated to helping those who have contracted COVID-19 while trying to remain safe themselves.?

From the Fox 5 team, Erin Como visited the White Oak Medical Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, to speak with those saving lives on the frontline. Continue reading Pay It Forward – Frontline Workers at White Oak Medical Center →

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 – 29 Diner

Uncategorized,

 

There has been a huge shift in the way people are choosing to run their businesses and organizations since the COVID-19 hit.? John Wood owns a restaurant called 29 Diner in Fairfax, Virginia that had to close temporarily at the beginning of the pandemic.? Having a restaurant that is struggling to survive is certainly stressful, but Wood put his space to use.? Wood was able to convert 29 Diner into a free community pantry to help feed those in need during this unprecedented time.? Although he wasn?t happy with the status of his restaurant, he also knew and respected the fact that so many more people need more help than him.? Those people include front line workers, first responders, and at-risk youth.

What started as a small project several months ago ended up turning into a long-lasting event.? 29 Diner began to get filled with groceries and household items for those in need.? Wood also took the initiative to get a food truck and deliver free meals with the help of his loyal team.? He has seen a great amount of support from the community in terms of donations to keep this going.? However, Wood is no stranger to giving back and supporting his people.? He has a program called Feed a Vet and Save a Vet for veterans that raises awareness about suicide prevention and has fed over 8,000 people this year alone.

ABC 7 and Easterns Automotive Group made the decision to feature Wood and his 21 Diner on their latest Helping Hands segment.? Wood was surprised and excited to chat with the ABC 7 team and even received a special surprise from Joel Bassam of Easterns.? They played Wood a message from Bassam saying that he would be receiving a $1,500 donation from Easterns to continue his incredible work in the community.? If you would like to learn more about 29 Diner?s Mobile Free Food Pantry & Free Kitchen or make a donation, please visit: www.29diner.com

 

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/aW30xVFChmU

Get Up Give Back – Cornerstone Church

Uncategorized,

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately allowed us to see how quickly things can change.? A large number of people who help others became in need of help themselves. According to the stats, the unemployment rate in Maryland was 7.8% higher than the national rate of 6.9% as of October 2020.? WUSA 9 and Easterns Automotive Group have teamed up to highlight individuals and organizations working hard in the community to support the people that need it the most.

The amazing folks at the Cornerstone Church in Bowie, Maryland have been serving the Prince George?s County community for the past 25 years.? Lead Pastor Mark Lehmann and Care Pastor Arnold Bracy in particular are known for their ministry and going above and beyond to serve others.? During the pandemic, the two teamed up to create a grocery giveaway that has been able to serve as many as 450 families at one time and 100 families on average.? It was important to them that they be a part of the solution rather than the problem.? They set up packages of food that are available for pickup but they also deliver bags to people personally.? Their love of people shines through their church which is a diverse group of people of all ethnicities.

All of this has been possible through the incredible donations that they?ve received from their community.? However, WUSA 9 and Easterns Automotive Group had a special treat for them on their latest Get Up Give Back segment.? Reese Waters of Get Up DC was able to present both pastors with a $1,000 check donation from Easterns to go towards their Helping Hands ministry.? If you would like to learn more about Cornerstone Church and their various ministries, missions, and services ? please visit: www.cag.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

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YouTube Link ? https://youtu.be/la6QDyBLx7Q

 

Pay It Forward – Here For A Reason

Uncategorized,

 

There is no doubt that Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group have been doing everything in their power to assist those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.? They are always looking for people and organizations who are going above and beyond to help those in need.? A nonprofit that is doing an incredible job of this is called Here for A Reason.? This organization focuses on providing educational and financial assistance to individuals living with a disability or a rare condition.? Their vision is to completely eliminate the financial impact that is tied to one?s medical condition due to limited resources and guidelines associated with health insurance.? Melanie Oates is both the founder and Executive Director of Here for A Reason.? Oates developed a passion for helping families of special needs children because she has a special needs child herself.

As a single mother of twins, Oates is committed to doing everything she can to assist them.? She even had to quit her job due to her twins needing 24-hour supervision.? This decision caused a huge financial strain on the family but as a mother, Oates had to do what was in the best interest of her children.? At one point, she had almost lost her home, but she ended up getting the help that she needed.? It was at that moment that she realized other families were facing the same struggles. This inspired her to create Here for A Reason.

Oates was surprised by the Pay It Forward crew ? Maureen Umeh Fox 5 DC and Joel Bassam of Easterns during her latest GasGiving 2020 initiative.? The goal of the campaign is to raise enough money to gift gas cards to 100 families undergoing treatment at Children?s National in Washington D.C.? The price of gas is quite expensive especially when traveling back and forth from the hospital.? Bassam was able to speak with Oates virtually about his admiration for her and her nonprofit and wanted to celebrate by donating $2,000 to the organization.? This money will help reach the goal of the campaign and more.? If you would like to learn more, get involved, or apply for assistance ? please visit: www.hereforareason.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/XmE4HGNNFYQ