Easterns and Fox 5 DC are still on their mission to Pay It Forward to deserving people who are committed to working selflessly to help others and better the community. ?This week, Prince George?s County resident, Charlene McCall is being highlighted for her efforts.? McCall has been volunteering for the Fuller Center for Housing in Brentwood, Maryland for 23 years.? She spends 8 hours a day volunteering and working to serve others in the community.? The Fuller Center for Housing is a faith driven non-profit organization that works to end poverty housing by promoting partnerships with individuals and community groups to build and rehabilitate homes for people in need.?? They are able to help seniors and veterans especially because many are on a fixed income and have limited funds for any possible repairs needed.? McCall?s role has been sorting donations, answering calls, and assisting the thrift store.? For all her time there, she has managed to go above and beyond for nothing in return.? Even when she was offered a salary, she turned it down.? McCall is someone who truly loves and enjoys sharing her time and services with others.? The joy that she is able to bring people is the reason that she?s been able to keep going.

Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group recently went to the Fuller Center of Housing Thrift Store in Brentwood, MD to personally Pay It Forward to McCall for her amazing work.? Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group surprised her with a check for $1,500 along with a spa day a Cosmedica Natural Day Spa.? What a well deserved treat for her incredible work!? This day was also special because it was Fox 5 DC?s own, Allison Seymour?s birthday.? Bassam gifted her with flowers and cupcakes to show her some birthday love on behalf of the Easterns family.? If you would like to learn more about The Fuller Center for Housing and find ways that you too can get involved to help others, please click here.

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.

When it comes to Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group, giving back to the community is a year-round activity.? Through their Pay It Forward campaign, they are able to highlight individuals who show selfless acts of kindness and those working to bring the community closer together.? The government shutdown affected hundreds of thousands of people back in January.? Many families suffered during this time because federal workers were not getting paid.? Without pay it makes it very hard to provide basic necessities such as food.? Prince William County teen resident, Eric McKay stepped up to the plate and donated his lifetime supply of peanut butter to furloughed government workers.? McKay suffers from Autism but everyday he chooses to fight through his obstacles like a champ and find ways to impact the lives of others.

Lidl, a local grocery store with several locations in Virginia saw McKay?s generosity along with his good deeds and wanted to get involved.? They decided to partner with McKay in honor of National Autism Awareness Month by adding his picture to the front of their brand peanut butter.? His nickname is Bean so the jar will say ?Lidl Beanut Butter?.? For the entire month of April, you will be able to purchase his limited addition peanut butter at Lidl.? 10 cents of every jar purchased will go towards the Autism Awareness Society of America.? Fox 5 DC went to Lidl?s in Dumfries, VA to support Mckay and be a platform to help spread the word.? While there, Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group surprised him with a check for $2,000 which is equivalent to about 20,000 jars of Lidl?s Beanut Butter.? This money will be donated to the Autism Society of America as well.? Good deeds like Bean?s never go unnoticed.? It is truly great to see that so many others will benefit from his spirit of giving.? Please click here to learn more about Autism as a whole and find ways that you too can get involved.

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.

It is very hard to find kind people in this world who don?t turn a blind eye to situations that do not directly affect them.? A good Samaritan in Washington D.C. by the name of Donnita Scott was with Jacqueline Elliott in late February.? The two witnessed a man steal a car with a child inside.? The car belonged to Tamara Richardson who stopped to fix a seatbelt hanging from her back door.? A man hopped in the driver?s seat while her back was turned and carjacked her. ?The man involved in the theft has been identified as Matthew Walker.? Both Scott and Elliott wasted no time telling Richardson to get into their car so that they could follow the carjacker.? Shortly after they dialed 911, Walker pulled over and escaped the vehicle leaving Richardson?s son untouched.? DC Police charged walker with kidnapping and unarmed carjacking.

Thanks to the help of Scott and Elliott, Richardson was able to get both her son and car back in one piece.? Unfortunately, Scott recently experienced some hard times that left her homeless for a short period of time.? All of her furniture was lost due to bug and mold infestation where she was staying.? It was time for someone to go out of their way for her just like she did for Richardson.? Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC teamed up with Value City Furniture to surprise Scott during their Pay It Forward segment with Allison Seymour.? Scott received $5,700 worth of furniture courtesy of Easterns and Value City Furniture.? Value City Furniture discounted the total and applied their $1,000 to the cost while Easterns covered the difference.? Joel Bassam of Easterns also presented Scott with a $1,000 Target gift card on site so she can do some shopping for her family.? The moral of the story is, when you do good things for others it truly does come back to you.? We need more people in this world like the lovely Donnita Scott!

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.

The winter months are definitely upon us here in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area.? We have experienced bitter cold temperatures accompanied by freezing rain and snow just within the last couple of weeks.? Many people have the luxury of traveling to work in a warm car only to arrive to a home filled with heat, blankets, and warm clothes to be comfortable.? However, everyone is not always this fortunate.? Often times, we forget about those that have no home and are forced to endure such cold temperatures and precipitation.? A man by the name of Rich Garon is helping those who are homeless in his Woodbridge, Virginia community by helping them stay warm during the winter.? He takes his own funds and provides propane tanks for the homeless so they can have heat to survive.? Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC decided to step up to the plate and Pay It Forward as soon as they heard about the selfless service that he is doing in the community.

Garon and members of his community church established their homeless ministry seven years ago.? They took notice of the amount of homeless people in their community especially during the winter months.? Throughout the journey, they have been touched by many homeless people who shared their story.? Garon became so touched that he was inspired to write a book called, ?Lee Fitts?.? The book sales allow him to generate funds that he donates to the Bill Mehr Drop-in Center in Woodbridge.? His partnership with the Bill The center?s mission is to provide ?chronically homeless? a place where they can receive medical assistance, employment referrals, and basic physical needs.? It?s a great environment to help homeless people put the pieces together and get their life back on track.? The only issue is that this incredible organization is in need of some funding to continue their work.? Joel Bassam and Easterns Automotive Group donated $2,000 to help their amazing cause.? Please click here to learn more about the Bill Mehr Drop-in Center and find ways that you too can help out.

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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.

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With 2019 in full effect, Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC continue to push the envelope and find new ways to make an impact in the community.? As soon as the Pay It Forward partners got wind of a Prince George?s County woman by the name of Rhonda Stewart, they wanted to help.? Stewart was diagnosed with cancer and has just finished her final round of chemotherapy at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington DC.? She was there for over a month and during that time she was able to process her thoughts and put many things into prospective.? We hear about people having cancer all the time but it is impossible to understand the severity until It affects you or someone close.? Luckily for Stewart, she was surrounded by family, friends, and loved ones who gave her the support and encouragement she needed to overcome this tough time in her life.? ?My message would be to be thankful for everything and be thankful for the love and support,? Stewart said.? Hearing her words reminds us all to be grateful for any and everything because what happened to her can happen to anyone.

Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC decided to Pay It Forward to Stewart on the last day of her chemo treatment.? Allison Seymour of Fox 5 DC and Joel Bassam of Easterns met Stewart at Sibley Memorial Hospital where they surprised her with a girl?s trip to the National Harbor with a spa day, dinner, and a Ferris wheel ride.? Hopefully this fun time out will be the extra boost she needs after fighting so hard for her life.? We wish Stewart and her family all the best and encourage anyone facing obstacles or going through a hard time to never give up.? Tough times don?t last forever!

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.

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Watch the video to see the way everything unfolded.

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For Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC, the act of giving back is year round.? The Pay It Forward partners teamed up for the second time in 2019 to do some good in the community.? They came across Kelly Rogan who is a reading specialist at Arcola Elementary School in Aldie, Virginia.? Rogan created the Law and Literacy Program at Arcola Elementary where Loudoun County deputy sheriffs come out to read and do other literacy activities with the students.? She was inspired to create this program after seeing the deputy sheriffs that were shot in Dallas back in 2017.? It touched her because she sees how police in general put their lives on the line for the safety of civilians.? Her Law and Literacy program idea sparked conversation and led to change because the Loudoun County Sheriff?s Office was very receptive and willing to be a part of the program when she reached out.? The Law and Literacy program is for students in Kindergarten to second grade at Arcola Elementary School.? It?s great for children to have a relationship with law enforcement to bridge the gap within the community.

It was such a smart idea for Rogan to come up with this concept.? The children are able to be comfortable around the deputies and understand that they are only there to help them.? Doing small activities like this with young children go a long way especially in the real world.? This group of children won?t grow up fearing the police in their community because they already have a relationship with them.? Easterns and Fox 5 DC decided to gift Rogan with a $1,000 Amazon gift card to purchase more books for the students as well as bean bag chairs.? The kids will definitely feel cozy during reading time now!

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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.

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Late post! A few days before 2018 came to a close; Easterns Automotive Group (Eastern Motors) joined Fox 5 DC for their Diaper Drive Donation.? Fox 5 DC asked businesses in the area to contribute or donate what they could so they could provide diapers to families in need with babies.? Many times as people we think about adults living in poverty but not always the affects it has on small children.? Due to the lack of diaper supply, babies are often left in dirty diapers causing various infections, skin aliments, and rashes.? Diapers also unfortunately cost more in low-income neighborhoods where they should in fact be cheaper.? The issue is that those areas don?t always have wholesale department stores where diapers can be purchased in bulk.

Fox 5 DC partnered with Horton?s Kids and the Greater DC Diaper Bank to make sure all donations and diapers goes directly to the babies affected by the lack of supplies.? When Fox 5 DC reached out to Easterns, they didn?t hesitate to get involved.? Joel Bassam of Easterns met Allison Seymour in Washington D.C. at the diaper drive to present Horton?s Kids with a $1,500 check.? That wasn?t all, Joel then walked Allison to an SUV full of diapers!

Please take some time to learn more about Horton?s Kids and the Greater DC Diaper Bank to find out more and learn how you too can get involved.

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.

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There is nothing worse than seeing worse than seeing an innocent child left hungry.? Unfortunately in the District, this became a problem saw more and more frequently.? Stoddert Elementary School decided to step in and do something about it.? The students of their 5-grade class created the idea of a Share Table.? Every day at the end of lunch, students can put any remaining food that is unopened around in baskets that are conveniently placed around the lunchroom.? This makes food readily available for any students that are still hungry or want a snack.

Three parents got wind of the Share Table from their very own DC Public School students.? Lucie Leblois, Alysa MacClellan, and Krista Weymouth came together to create the DC Food Project.? They plan to implement both their Share Table and Backpack Program into several schools with hopes to expand it throughout the entire school system.? Stoddert Elementary of course inspired the Share Table while the Backpack Program was an original idea that these three ladies sat down and created together.? The Backpack Program sends food home with students in need on Fridays so that they will have food to eat over the weekend.

There is no way that Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group could not step in and help their amazing program.? Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group presented a check for $2,700 to the DC Food Project to allow these three moms to continue doing their great work.

If you would like to learn more about the DC Food Project and find out how you too can get involved, please click here.

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.

Pay It Forward partners Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC give to deserving people and organizations all year round.? However, this particular nonprofit organization is very special because it enriches the lives of individuals with physical, cognitive, and psychological challenges.? Loudoun Therapeutic Riding (LTR) at Morven Park continues to help both veterans and people with disabilities free of charge to fulfill their mission.? For many people, it is their very first time riding a horse when working with LTR.? They have been able to make tremendous progress in the lives of many.? Loudoun Therapeutic Riding helps more than 100 people each week through their herd of 14 horses.

Easterns and Fox 5 DC decided to help step in because they want Loudoun Therapeutic Riding to be able to continue their amazing work.? Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group presented Loudoun Therapeutic Riding with a check for $2,000 to help with their upcoming 2018 Ride-A-Thon.

Please click here to learn more about Loudoun Therapeutic Riding.

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.

Pay It Forward partners Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group (Eastern Motors) are back with a brand new episode and this one is a tearjerker. Cynthia Cogdell is a retired teacher from the Prince Georges County School district. Many times when teachers retire, they cannot wait to relax and get away from children. This is not the case for Ms. Cogdell who still dedicates her life to helping children without a paycheck being attached. Every morning before school, she meets and greets the children in her neighborhood at the bus stop. Her main goal is to help keep them safe and provide snacks to the kids so they can start their day right. Ms. Cogdell?s daughter uploaded a video to social media of her mother tending to the children at the bus stop and it went viral on social media.
Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC got wind of what Ms. Cogdell was doing and knew they wanted to do something nice for her. It takes a selfless individual to sacrifice their time, energy, and money to help others. Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group presented Ms. Cogdell with tickets up an upcoming Washington Redskins games, a signed Ryan Kerrigan jersey, a certificate for a spa day, and more snacks for the students at the bus stop. She was overjoyed by the surprise. It?s clear that Ms. Cogdell has a lot to look forward to. With all the time and effort that she puts into the children, she too deserves to enjoy herself!

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.

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Watch the video to see the way everything unfolded.