The COVID-19 pandemic has truly taken a toll on everyone. Families across the DC, Maryland, Virginia have been hit extremely hard due to the increasing unemployment. This has resulted in many needing the bare necessities such as food. The Marshall family created Families4Families as a way to cater to those in need by addressing the critical food emergency that the coronavirus pandemic has caused. James Marshall and his siblings began collecting groceries in their driveway to deliver them to families across the DC metro area. After a few weeks, Families4Families made it to over 12 cities as people were inspired by their model.

The way Families4Families works is that a middle and/or high school students create an F4F Student Club at their school. Every F4F Student Club is paired with a nonprofit partner organization that has been carefully vetted. The duty of the partner organization is to identify the families that have been most impacted by the pandemic. The F4F Student Club collects groceries and essential items that are in demand. Once the items are collected, they are then delivered once a month to the partner organization that distributes the food to the families in need.

To date, F4F has delivered over 125,000 meals across the United States and over 1,000 people have volunteered to help out the cause. An idea that started so small turned out to be major as it received such an incredible response. According to Marshall, they are in the process of setting up a 501c3 so people can donate to their cause.

Easterns Automotive Group and WUSA 9 got wind of Families4FamiliesDMV and wanted to help out their incredible cause. Reese Waters of Get Up DC was able to chat with Marshall via video call during his Get Up Give Back segment. During their conversation, Waters announced that Marshall would be receiving a $1,000 donation from Easterns for the hard work of him and his family. Please visit www.families4familiesdmv.org to learn more and support their efforts.

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/8hoQ2gO83oE

The past few months have been heavy for the United States as a country.? From COVID-19 to the killings of unarmed African Americans by police brutality, this has been a very scary time, to say the least.? At the end of May following the death of George Floyd, ?Black Lives Matter? protests broke out in just about every city.? Many feel as though African Americans haven?t been treated fairly since the beginning of time.

The Black Lives Matter foundation is a global organization that was founded in 2013 after Trayvon Martin?s murderer (George Zimmerman) was found not guilty.? People all over the world have taken a stand with the movement and decided that they will no longer tolerate injustice of any kind in America.? Easterns Automotive Group made their stance very clear when the protests began to reemerge.? They have always been a supporter of anyone in the community doing their part to make a change.

Easterns Automotive Group has a partnership with WUSA 9?s Get Up DC program with Reese Waters.? The pair created a segment called Get Up Give Back where they help people on the front lines putting in the work.? Reese Waters and Joel Bassam of Easterns thought it would be great to make a donation to Black Lives Matter DC.? The first step was to get Ms. April Goggans on a zoom call as she is the core group organizer for Black Lives Matter DC.? She was able to discuss the ways that they?ve been helping people with their essential needs such as food, diapers, and hygiene products goods throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.? Black Lives Matter DC has made about 5,000 deliveries which is incredible as they rely on donations to function.

The Washington D.C. Chapter of Black Lives Matter has always been great in terms of going above and beyond and serving those in need.? For this reason, Joel Bassam of Easterns decided to surprise Goggans with a check for $2,500 on camera to continue supporting the beautiful people of DC.? Easterns Automotive Group has been around for over 30 years and the hard-working men and women of the DMV have supported in every way.? It?s only right that those in need know that Easterns too is on their side.? There are many ways that one can get involved with the Black Lives Matter movement and it goes beyond just donating.? No action is too big or too small.? Please visit www.blacklivesmatterdmv.org to find out all the various ways that you can be a part of the movement. Tell a friend!

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 ? https://youtu.be/c28pauyEzdE

Link to the original link ? https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/outreach/get-up-give-back/draft-do-not-publish-easterns-automotive-gives-2500-to-black-lives-matter-dc/65-0b5dedb8-8b01-4981-9a27-83649b77170c

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Easterns Sponsors Get Up DC Segment

Coronavirus has affected not only the lives of Americans but millions across the nation. However, the ones directly affected each and every day are those on the front lines. Hospital workers put their lives in the line every day to care for these sick patients who are still highly contagious. This inspired Easterns Automotive Group and WUSA 9 ? Get Up DC to join forces for a very special edition of Get Up Give Back.

Five women from the Spring Valley neighborhood in Washington D.C. came together to form the Kindness Community. They are raising money to buy food from local restaurants to feed hospital employees during this pandemic. According to them, all of the doctors and nurses that they have fed thus far have been extremely appreciative. They have fed about 1500 people to date. A small gesture like a free meal can mean the world to someone working hard around the clock.

Both the teams at Easterns Automotive Group and Get Up DC were so impressed that they decided to help their mission. Typically, all Get Up Give Back segments are filmed in person but all parties are practicing social distancing to flatten the curve of COVID-19. Reese Waters joined Kathleen Norris of Kindness Community on a video call to discuss their work and also a surprise gift.

Kindness Community Donation

On camera, the announced that the Kindness Community would be receiving a $1,000 donation on behalf of Easterns Automotive Group and WUSA 9 Get Up DC. The money will help them continue their amazing work of feeding doctors and nurses around the district. Today, May 6th is #NationalNursesDay so please send them some love and remind them that they are appreciated and irreplaceable.

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/MYwcWm6_M9Q

Link to original article ? https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/outreach/get-up-give-back/getupgivebackkindesscommunity/65-39aec7ac-2287-4bdd-85c1-65abda48efc8

Easterns Sponsors Get Up DC Segment

Howard University Donation

The winter months are tough for the homeless of the DC metro area. With low temperatures and lack of shelter, it can be quite difficult for homeless people to enjoy the holiday season. WUSA 9 and Easterns Automotive Group teamed up to recognize a wonderful nonprofit that is going above and beyond to help the homeless of the community. The 25th Project was created by Jay Herriott of northern Virginia back in 2002 during Thanksgiving. Both he and his family helped give holiday meals during Thanksgiving and Christmas to homeless people living under bridges in Washington D.C. It was then that he realized that most homeless people aren?t helped during the rest of the year.
They started very small in the beginning by giving away 14 meals. However, The 25th Project has grown so much since then that they give away free meals during the 25th day of each month. This is equivalent to 1,000 meals each year thanks to the help of family, friends, and other organizations that come together to pitch in. If anything, Herroitt?s passion should inspire others to see what they can really accomplish with one small idea. The topic of homelessness truly hits home for him because he was very close to losing his own home at one point.
Reese Waters of WUSA 9?s Get Up DC met with Herroitt at Cookology?s Ballston Quarter location for a wonderful surprise. Waters presented Herroitt with a $1,000 check for The 25th Project courtesy of Easterns Automotive Group. This money will be used to help their tremendous Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday meal efforts. Please visit www.the25thproject.org to learn more about their upcoming events and how you too can donate or get involved.

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

Easterns and Get Up DC Donate to Leveling the Playing Field Program

Who doesn?t want to help the kids!? Our friend, Reese Waters at WUSA 9 found a wonderful nonprofit organization based in the Washington D.C. area to help out.? Waters is the head of the Get Up Give Back segment on WUSA 9?s Get Up DC morning program.? The organization that he selected is called Leveling the Playing Field (LPF).? They specialize in providing underprivileged children with the opportunity to pursue youth sports.? Founder of LPF, Mike Levitt, came up with the idea during his time of working as an equipment manager with Syracuse University?s football team and with the Washington Redskins/Montgomery County Recreation during the summers.? He saw so much sports equipment go to waste and he knew that it would have much better use.? It is important to him that the youth of less fortunate communities receive the equipment to further athletic participation.? Finances play a huge part in childhood sports.? Many children are unable to play due to expensive equipment and lack of sources.

Learn More or Donate to LPF

The monetary donations that LPF receives go towards lowering registration fees which allows more children to participate.? LPF has donated sports equipment to over 300 schools and programs in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area and the list keeps growing.? Waters called on his good friends at Easterns Automotive Group to help them out.? Easterns donated $1,000 to LPF which will certainly go a long way.? For every $25 that they receive, LPF is able to gift one child the sports equipment that they need to participate in a sport.? If you would like to learn more about LPF, donate, or volunteer ? please visit www.levelingtheplayingfield.org

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An incredible non-profit organization by the name of Critical Exposure is teaching Washington D.C. students the power of photography. They have set out to create a new generation of civic leaders that have the necessary tools to prosper. Through their various campaigns, students are able to start young and learn about the various issues that affect their community. The youth are our future so it?s imperative that they find their voice and know how to fight for educational equality and social justice. Change takes effort and the art of photography truly brings people together. The images taken by the students of Critical Exposure are shown in galleries, libraries, and directly to many public officials.

Reese Waters of WUSA 9 became aware of this incredible cause and called Easterns Automotive to be a part of this segment.? Critical Exposure plays such an instrumental role in fighting for change in the DC community that they wanted to make a donation.? Easterns Automotive Group donated $1,000 to the non-profit for them to continue blessing the youth. If you would like to learn more about Critical Exposure and how you can donate to their mission, please visit http://www.criticalexposure.org?

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

Easterns Automotive Supports DC Urban Greens

WUSA 9?s Reese Waters of Get Up DC became aware of an incredible DC-based nonprofit called DC Urban Greens and just had to get involved.? He called his friends at Easterns Automotive Group and they were delighted and honored to sponsor this segment.? Easterns donated $1,000 to DC Urban Greens to help their incredible mission.

What is DC Urban Greens?

The food that we put in our bodies is imperative to both our physical and mental health.? DC Urban Greens works to provide healthy yet affordable foods to residents in Washington D.C.? They are a nonprofit organization that runs farms in DC?s food desert regions.? The food is grown in DC?s Ward 7 and 8 because they are the neighborhoods that need it the most.? Low income areas with limited access to grocery stores provide a cheap alternative for members of the community.? DC Urban Greens provides training and job opportunities for DC residents to learn and get a job farming.? They are truly incredible nonprofit that is about empowering people and making the information accessible for members of the community to learn about the importance of health.? Students are able to learn as well because DC Urban Greens provides field trips for students to visit the farms.? Children are able to make amazing nutritional decisions when they learn about these topics early on that stick with them throughout their lives.

How you can get involved

This will be able to help improve and grow the work they are doing.? If you are interested in learning more about DC Urban Greens and how you can get involved, please visit www.dcurbangreens.org

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