Help The Homeless Walkathon on the National Mall

Held on Saturday November 21, dozens of Shelter House supporters and staff came out to walk to prevent and end homelessness in our community.   We were overwhelmed by the number of supporters that walked with us and we're sure it's our best showing yet for this event.  We were also fortunate to have mild weather this year - a big change from last year.

Second Annual Falls Church Mini-Walk Hosted by Falls Church Presbyterian and The Falls Church (Episcopal) 

This year's event was held on Sunday, November 1.  We walked around the city of Falls Church waving Shelter House signs and bringing awareness to the problem of homelessness in our community.  We are grateful to all our walkers who braved the wet weather to show their support for Shelter House.  A special thanks to the Girl Scout 1251 who made sure we stayed on the course and didn't get lost!

Thanks also to all the groups and individuals who made this event so successful:

Falls Church Presbyterian Church
The Falls Church (Episcopal)
Applebee's Falls Church
First Citizen's Bank
Natalia's Elegant Creations
Girl Scout Troop 1251
Laura Poindexter

Third Annual Katherine Hanley Family Shelter Mini-Walk

This year's event was held on Saturday, September 12th.  We combined the mini-walk with an open house and community fair.  We had 117 registered walkers and earned over $2,600.  Plus, we were honored by the presence of Kate Hanley herself.  

Thanks to all the groups and individuals who made this event so successful!

FAIRFAX County for all their support in everything we do!
TD Bank
New Life Church
Chiropractic Family Health Centre
Cakes by Happy Eatery... Read More
Caribou Coffee
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity
Glory Days
Emily Rivera Photgraphy
SYA Storm Soccer Team
Keller Williams Gateway of Fairfax Realty
Junior League of Northern Virginia
Cyndy Gilbert
Ron Koch
Imane Maazouz
Girl Scout Troop #538
Shelter House volunteers! 

Click here for pictures of the event!

Volunteer Appreciation Dinner/Annual Meeting

This event was held at the Burke Fire Hall and celebrated Shelter House's accomplishments in 2009.  Most importantly, we told the Shelter House story through highlighting many of our volunteers.  Click here to see the award winners.  We were honored by the presence of Supervisors Cook and Herrity from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors as well as Mike Finkle of Fairfax County's Department of Family Services.  Mike O'Reilly, the Chair of the newly created Governing Board of Fairfax County's Office to Prevent and End Homelessness was our guest speaker, who described the plans and challenges that lay ahead in ending homelessness in our county. 

A special thank you to the office of Congressman Gerry Connolly, who ensured that all of our award recipients were entered into the Congressional Record for June 9th, 2009. 

Thanks to Maggie Szymanek of Uncommon Photography for providing the photography for the event.  Click Here for Pictures!

As our major fundraising event, Casino Night raises funds to assist us in continuing our services to homeless families in Fairfax County. Casino Night includes casino games, a silent auction, raffles, food, an open bar, and music. Part of our silent auction includes the opportunity to purchase needed items for our families, such as a new winter coat for a child and a deposit for a family’s first apartment.

This year's event brought in over $59,000 for programs for our families.  In addition, we set an attendence record for this event of 174 people.  Feedback from attendees has been uniformly positive.  In all, it was a fun night for a great cause.

Please visit our Casino Night Wrap Up Page to learn more about our donors and sponsors!

Shelter House and Little Theatre of Alexandria Join Forces to Help Homeless Families

Shelter House sold tickets to the December 9th production of Scrooge, which was otherwise sold-out at the Little Theatre of Alexandria. We had an almost full house and several community members purchased tickets so that our families could attend as well. Jennifer Kern with Ameriprise Financial Services supplied us with baked goodies for the intermission.  Many thanks to the Little Theatre of Alexandria for this wonderful opportunity.

Toy-Raiser for Community Rooms at Two Shelters

Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter Mini-Walk

As part of the Help The Homeless Walkathon, the second annual Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter mini-walk, held on October 11, 2008, was a true community event. Not only did 67 walkers participate in support of homeless families, but a wide array of community organizations contributed to make the day fun for children and adults alike. Immense thanks to all our walkers and the following community partners:

• Moon bounces, carnival games and an ice cream truck were donated by New Life Church

• Commerce Bank contributed Mr. C, a balloon artist, and an information table
• Drs. Tammy and Paul gave free chiropractic services
• Ron Koch, a volunteer at the Hanley Shelter, performed magic tricks for the kids
• Margaret Witherspoon brought her Girl Scout Cadets from Centreville to help us mark the trail and put out water bottles. 
• Starbucks donated the coffee.
  
  

Gesher Jewish Day School Mini-Walk

Also part of the Help The Homeless Walkathon, Shelter House partnered with the Gesher Jewish Day School in Fairfax to hold a mini-walk. The event boasted 45 walkers, who walked around the school’s soccer field and learned about family homelessness in Fairfax County along the way. Thank you so much to the administration of the Gesher Jewish Day School for making this walk possible. Thanks also to the Target in Falls Church for donating the water for the event.

The First Annual 10 Pins to Hope" Bowl-a-Thon
Held on July 19, 2008 

This was a very special event because it was entirely planned by two smart, committed young women who contacted us about organizing the event: Jennifer Bennett and Brittany Ramsey. The event was held at the BowlAmerica in Burke and raised over $4,000 for Shelter House programs. We are planning for Jenn and Brittany to return next year and plan the Second Annual 10 Pins to Hope Bowl-a-Thon, which will be even bigger and better. Stay tuned for more information.