Every week in Montgomery County, the non-profit So What Else feeds thousands of meals to feed others, but now they are forced to move as Lake Forest Mall closes. Since starting this initiative at the beginning of the pandemic, they have given 30 million meals to those in need.
Now that they have to shut down and relocate, they are worried about still being able to help those in need because they have not solidified a new location. Their current rent is $1,000, and the new places they have discovered are priced around $12,000 a month, an increase they cannot afford.
Joel Bassam joined with a virtual message to surprise them with a helping hand. So What Else is doing amazing things helping those who need it most, and Easterns Automotive Group was honored to donate $2,200 towards their initiative. Allie and Megan were so excited and shared that this would help with rent and moving costs for their new space.
A small act of kindness can make a big difference in someone’s day. On Random Acts of Kindness Day Easterns Automotive Group teamed up with ABC 7 during this Helping hands to surprise random people with gift cards.
Many were caught off-guard by the random gift and responded with great appreciation.
“You made a very stressful week that much better,” one person said. One person laughed and said, “You guys just made my day.” Another said, “Thank you so much, this is my lunch money!”
More than $2,000 worth of gift cards were handed out by the 7 News team in Virginia. Joel Bassam from Easterns Automotive Group loved the gesture of kindness, saying, “There’s no wrong way to give back.
Operation Understanding has been giving back to the community for the past 30 years now. The nonprofit brings students together to fight racism, antisemitism and all forms of discrimination.
“A very important part of the program is the emotional component, difficult discussions addressing tough issues and being honest with each other,” says Daniel Nathan, President of OUDC. “The students create a sense of community, and these are 24 students with a very diverse background.”
Youth from Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) are brought together by the nonprofit to empower a generation of social justice leaders by promoting respect, understanding, and cooperation.
“Still focused on anti-racism and anti-Semitism, which is still very important, we are looking at other oppressed minorities,” Nathan said. “We are looking at Asian-Pacific Islanders and anti-Muslim and LGBTQ+.”
Karim Marshall, an active board member, is an alum of the program from the ’90s.
“We have expanded the program to explicitly include all communities because we know that in order for us to make meaningful social changes and build coalitions, we need to make sure that everybody is at the table,” Marshall said.
Amazed by the awesome work that Operation Understanding is doing Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group wanted to surprise Operation Understanding DC with a 7 News Helping Hand.
“Operation Understanding DC has been doing amazing work for almost 30 years. Leading change, strengthening identity, and exploring history is such a beautiful mission. The way that you have been able to promote respect and cooperation by fighting discrimination of all forms is a beautiful mission that we want to support. We are donating $2,200 to your cause so you can keep helping those who need it most.”
Nathan expressed that the donation would benefit the nonprofit in a variety of ways such as paying staff and meals for students.
Coach Spyke Henry has been pouring into the kids of the Washington D.C. community for the past 30 years through his non-profit S.A.F.E. DC. In 1993, he founded the nonprofit to provide affordable tennis and education programs to the youth in his community.
His eyes light up when he talks about his students’ success. Recently, a student of his had the opportunity to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain.
“Going to Spain, that was phenomenal, and last year we had a kid that won a full-ride scholarship to Brown University,” Henry shared.
“I want to congratulate S.A.F.E. for over 30 years of helping individuals and kids throughout the inner cities with amazing tennis programs to enrich their lives,” Bassam said. “We want to help you continue that tradition by donating $2,200 to your cause so you can keep supporting those who need it the most. Keep doing the amazing work you are doing.”
Henry greatly appreciated the surprise donation and said it would be helpful for tennis gear.
“This means we can have more tennis rackets and tennis parties. We can have more kids involved, and what we have been trying to do is get uniforms,” Henry expressed.
Inclusive Pathways to Success (IPS), founded by a Fairfax County mother, provides new skills and opportunities for differently abled students.
Naina Chernoff has a 16-year-old son that is autistic, and during the pandemic, she was concerned about his career prospectsNaina started the nonprofit to help teach young adults trade skills such as carpentry and woodworking, eventually transitioning to a career. The nonprofit offers students customized training that is paced for people with autism spectrum disorder, severe ADHD, learning disabilities, and mild intellectual impairment.
“I think I represent a population of parents who live at the mercy of other people’s kindness and empathy,” Chernoff explained. “I want to model the fact that our population of students are capable if we give them the right training and the right tools.”
Easterns Automotive Group’s Joel Bassam saw the great work IPS was doing and surprised them with a 7News Helping Hand.
“Inclusive Pathways to Success seems like an amazing organization, helping those young adults with varying disabilities to build their skill sets and hopefully find employment. We want to help you support those young adults by donating $2,200 to your cause to continue to help them out,” Bassam said.
Chernoff says more funds are still needed for a successful launch of their full-time program they hope to start in September 2023. They are still searching for a space to have by then, so the donation from Easterns Automotive Group couldn’t have come at a better time.
Mario and Sharday Richardson lost their four-year-old daughter, Moriah, to brain cancer. The Richardsons’ wanted to give back to others experiencing the same thing, so they created the Forever Moriah Foundation.
They called it the forever Moriah foundation to give back and as a way for her name to live on forever. “I always want to have her memories to live on,” Sharday said, holding a picture of Moriah. “She’s not able to celebrate Christmas, but to have me, my husband, and family continue to give back in her honor – her name will literally live on forever. That’s why it’s the Forever Moriah Foundation.”
They work tirelessly to support children undergoing treatment for cancer. Every year they have a toy drive where they collect toys and donate them to the Ronald McDonald houses and the children’s hospitals in the area. It’s not just toys; they go above and beyond year-round, helping families make memories and give back financially.
Amazed by their work to help other families, we wanted to surprise Forever Moriah Foundation with a helping hand. Joel Bassam joined with a special message for Sharday and Mario.
“Unfortunately, it feels like cancer has touched everyone’s lives in one way or another, and the way that your family has turned loss into helping others [who are] fighting this incredibly difficult battle is amazing. We want to help you continue to help those who are going through such a difficult time by donating $2,200 to your cause so you can continue to bring joy to those families who are fighting cancer in such a difficult way. Thank you!”
The Richardsons were overwhelmed with gratitude by this surprise donation. Holding back tears, Sharday expressed how much it means to her and their foundation to continue to give back to others.
Jude Adler is a student from Fairfax County that is helping to feed those in need in his community. The 16-year-old launched a nonprofit called “Mummies for Mouths” that uses repurposed glass jars and turns them into mummy decorations using tape and eyes.
Adler, his classmates, and the community helped to create the mummy decorations and raise money to feed those in need since 2021.
“When we first broke $1,000, that was mind-blowing, and now here we are at $16,000 over two years,” Adler shared. His organization became an official local nonprofit after all their hard work, allowing them to help in many other ways. “We’re donating to multiple service organizations, and we can play a much larger role by applying for discounts at local stores,” Adler said.
On this 7 News Helping Hands, Joel Bassam with Easterns Automotive Group wanted to meet Adler in person because he had a surprise for “Mummies for Mouths.”
“We heard about your story and wanted to support you by donating $2,200 to your cause so you can keep feeding those in need,” Bassam said.
After receiving their surprise donation, Adler allowed Bassam to pick his mummy decoration from his collection.
About a month ago, a terrifying explosion occurred at an apartment complex in Gaithersburg, MD, leaving one person dead and dozens of families having to start their lives over. Across the street is Brown Station Elementary School, where students and staff jumped into action to help during this horrific tragedy.
The school has been receiving donations and giving them to those who lost everything in the explosion. They are now collecting gift cards so families can purchase what they need. We wanted to show our appreciation to the staff and students at Brown Station Elementary, so we took the time to Pay It Forward with Fox 5 DC. Easterns donated gift bags full of goodies as a token of gratitude for the work they have done in the community.
As the winter months are approaching, the need for food is increasing for families. Eric and his wife, Bridgette, have been feeding 1000s of people every day for the last six years through their nonprofit, Operation Earnie’s Plate.
They feed 2,000 to 3,000 people in just one month. Due to the rising prices of groceries, Hawkins shared that the need is growing throughout the community.
“We have received 50 to 60 calls for Thanksgiving,” Hawkins said. “This is the busiest time of the year because when the winter gets here, you’re talking [about] the homeless community – socks, blankets, and tents.”
We were inspired by what Operation Earnie’s Plate is doing to improve our community and wanted to lend a hand. Joel Bassam surprised them with a special message on the 7News Helping Hand.
“Operation Earnie’s Plate is such an amazing organization,” Bassam said. “Feeding those that are hungry is such a noble cause and something that I really have a personal attachment to, both myself and my family, and doing so right in Prince George’s County. It’s simply amazing and we are so happy to support you. We want to donate $2,200 to your cause so you can continue to feed those who are hungry. Keep doing the amazing work you are doing.”
Holding back tears Eric was shared that we have no idea how much this donation is needed. To learn more about Operation Earnie’s Plate and how you can help visit earniesplate.org.
An honorable non-profit focused on mental health is being founded by a couple in memory of their son. Reggie and Dedeen Vaughn’s son, Chris, was diagnosed with PTSD and suffered from mental health issues before taking his own life a year ago. Before his passing, his last words were “Listen to your strong friends.” People often appear to be strong and okay but really may be battling other struggles.
During this tragedy, they sought to create a foundation in honor of Chris, called the Mind and Wellness Foundation. It was created to help others with mental health issues but especially young people.
Joel Bassam joined virtually with a special message as 7 News and Easterns Automotive Group surprised the family with a Helping Hand.
“The Mind and Wellness Foundation is an incredible organization. Committing yourselves to eradicate the stigma around mental health and changing the narrative to help others after the loss your family has experienced is an amazing way to help others,” said Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group. “We want to support your cause by donating $2,000 to continue helping those in need.”
To learn more about the Mind & Wellness Foundation, click here.