Alternative House

Teen Center Youth Worker

2012-01-23T14:07:00.001-05:00

This is in the words of a young girl who is a Youth Worker from our Culmore Teen Center.

“I am 14 years old. I attend JEB Stuart High School and I am in the 9th grade. I come from a family of 6 kids, being the second oldest having a brother who's a year older. When I was 7 I lived in Culmore with four of my siblings and my parents. Most days after school all of us would go to the Alternative House Culmore Safe Youth Project (CSYP) after school program, that was just a few minutes from where I lived. It gave us somewhere to go while my parents worked. It was a difficult time both of my parents worked two jobs: one during the day and one during night. When I was in the 4th grade my mom was pregnant with twin baby boys which made it hard for her to work her second job which was delivering newspapers during night. I may have not been the oldest but I was that figure in my family so in the 4th grade my schedule was to go to sleep at 10:00 pm, wake up at 2:00 am deliver newspapers with my parents, come home around 7:00am and then go to school it was a lot of pressure, but the CSYP helped me get away from it all, and to be cared for. When my mom finally gave birth to the twins I was in 5th grade. She left the newborn twins at home for me and my older brother to care for at night while she was working. A few years later we moved out of our one bedroom apartment in Culmore to somewhere a little farther away. About 2 years ago, Alternative House was doing street outreach and they connected with me again. They offered and told me all about the programs available and I joined the Girl World group. I am glad that I was able to connect again, and receive all the support and help that I get from the counselors. A few months ago, I was hired as a youth worker at the Culmore Teen Center. This has given me so much pride and of course it is a great help. It is only for 6 months, but I am learning so much from it! I have many friends that struggle with even worse situations than me; that do not have a safe place to live in and that simply need assistance, and I am so glad that I am able to refer them to the Alternative House. My friends and I still to this day come to all the programs and everything they offer really does mean a lot to us kids, we might not have been born at the top but Alternative House really does help work you there. Thank you for your time.”

For 16 years our Community Based Youth Services have served high-risk and culturally diverse youth in their neighborhoods. Neighborhood-based counselors worked with more than 1,000 young people last year. Our mobile outreach van averages 300 contacts with youth each month providing counseling, referrals and survival supplies in an effort to keep youth in school and away from gang activity.
The Culmore Teen Center served more than 250 youth this past year. The drop-in center provides a safe place away from gang recruitment in one of the most heavily gang-infested areas in Fairfax. Counselors at the center along with community volunteers, provide homework help, tutoring, and recreation and field trips, counseling and community service projects. The center also provides meals for those who need it.

The Safe Youth Project, is an after-school program for 4th, 5th and 6th graders. Our first Safe Youth Project in Culmore was so successful that we were able to open a second program in Annandale. The program provides homework help, tutoring, community service opportunities, computer skills, and recreational opportunities. It was opened after police asked Alternative House if we could work with younger youth. Local gangs have started recruiting children as young as 10. Waiting to provide prevention services beginning in middle school could be too late. The Safe Youth Project has exceeded its enrollment projection of 30 youth at each location and provides neighborhood-based services four days a week.

Host Homes are needed for students

2012-01-18T09:57:00.002-05:00

Our newest program is the Homeless Youth Initiative helps young people who are homeless, without the support of a parent or guardian and who are still in high school. Last year at the end of the school year there were over 300 young people in this precarious position. In partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools, Alternative House is leading a three-pronged program to provide housing and other supports. We are recruiting Host Homes (similar to hosting a foreign exchange student), providing rent vouchers and have a small transitional living program that can work with four young women. Program participants are 16 to 21 years old and must be completing high school.
The Homeless Youth Initiative Host Home program is aimed at providing a stable living situation and environment for homeless or unaccompanied youth who wish to graduate from high school. We find out about these students usually through a referral from their high school (counselor, teacher, friends/community).

The students may be immigrants who have come to the United States on their own and are living alone. They may be living in unsuitable conditions (a too crowded home or apartment where they sleep on the floor or in a closet). The students' living conditions may be about to expire (parents have set a deadline for when the student needs to move out, loss of immediate family members or a non-immediate family member who houses the student may be moving away).

Being a Host Home entails opening your home to the student. Many Host Homes provide transportation, meals, and general support to an HYI student. However, HYI staff provide significant support to assist with the student should the Host Home desire assistance. The student will have frequent contact with an HYI case manager, therapist and/or housing coordinator. HYI can provide necessities for the student (hygiene supplies, school supplies, clothes, etc.) In addition, most of our HYI students are eligible for food stamps and free or reduced cost health care.

If you are interested in becoming a Host Home, please contact Juan Leon through email at juan_leon@thealternativehouse.org or phone (703) 343-3551.

I’m a 17 year old who has problems with my father

2012-01-16T13:16:00.002-05:00

Each year, our teen shelter provides support to hundreds of teens, both over the phone and in person. As a staff member, I frequently talk to teens, families, and others who work with teens about the benefits of our program. But I can’t say it nearly as well as someone who is in the program:

“My situation is clear and simple. Pretty much I’m a 17 year old who has various problems with my father. We have disagreements over any and everything there is which kind of explains my situation….

I wouldn’t say I’m homeless, but at the same time I would because … going back home with my father is no longer an option, so independence is definitely the key to survival.

Since I’ve been here at the Alternative House I’ve been extremely comfortable and I feel as though this was the home and environment I needed to be an even better person than what I’m already am. Even meeting new kids and listening to different stories and situations is definitely cool. The staff here have reached out to me on countless occasions and definitely considered me part of their family. The help received has been absolutely amazing, I feel like the attention is all for me and they pretty much provide you with an extra hand whenever you need it….Alternative House is definitely teen friendly and if you’re having countless problems at home, or if you know home is no longer an option I would recommend A.H. especially if independence is needed throughout your struggles and obstacles A.H. will definitely work.”

- Shelter Resident

Assisting Young Mothers Clients say Thanks

2012-01-09T08:46:00.001-05:00

Here are some of the “Thank You’s” AYM would like to extend to our generous holiday donors!

To whom this may concern,
Thank you for taking the time to go out and dedicate your time for my son and I. Everything came in handy. I am appreciative and grateful for what we received. I was definitely in need of some pajamas in his size. I just wanted to take this time on behalf of everyone and thank all of you. I want to also thank you all for the items I received as well. Thank you, the gifts were beautiful. I couldn’t have asked for more. Thank You.

Thank You! We loved our presents, especially the Ravens gear.

Thank you for making Christmas for me and my child worth waking up to. Seeing the smile on my daughter’s face was enough to last me the rest of the year. Everything was appreciated and loved. Thank You all

To who ever made Christmas this year amazing,
To see the see the smile on my daughters face on Christmas morning was something I’ll never forget. The time dedicated by you to provide us with such an unforgettable day for my child is so greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

Dear Generous Stranger,
You have helped make my son’s first Christmas so meaningful. All of the clothes fit perfectly and they look great. He was very excited about the construction toy that he received as well. I am extremely thankful for the clothes and bottle rack for my next son. I adore my bath set! Thank you for all my gifts.

Safe Youth Project

2012-01-05T07:44:00.004-05:00

The Alternative House Safe Youth Project, is an after-school program for 4th, 5th and 6th graders. Our first Safe Youth Project in Culmore was so successful that we were able to open a second program in Annandale. The program provides homework help, tutoring, community service opportunities, computer skills, and recreational opportunities. We also provide an after school snack and dinner. It was opened after police asked Alternative House if we could work with younger youth. Local gangs have started recruiting children as young as 10. Waiting to provide prevention services beginning in middle school could be too late. The Safe Youth Project has exceeded its enrollment projection of 30 youth at each location and provides neighborhood-based services four days a week.

We have wonderful volunteers who work with the young people in these programs. Larry Fickau (“Mr. Lee”) is one of those volunteers. He works in our Annandale Safe Youth Project. This is what he has to say about his experience volunteering; “For me, the reward of being a volunteer with ASYP is seeing the smile on children’s faces when I teach them how to solve a math problem and, all of a sudden, they understand the method - or how to write a better composition and they find that they can do it!”

New Year’s Resolutions

2012-01-02T10:14:00.000-05:00

It’s that time of year when we make New Year’s resolutions….that we usually don’t keep past a month or so. The locker room at the gym will be crowded until mid-February (or I assume it will be – I won’t be there!), we’ll focus on eating vegetables until that busy night when we break down and order pizza, and we’ll diligently save all our pocket change until we get tired of making rolls of quarters. Then it’s back to the same behavior for 10 ½ months, until January 1st rolls around again and we say “This year, it will be different.”
For the young mothers who we support in our AYM housing program, this year is different. They have decided to make changes in their lives that will positively impact them and their children for years to come. And although many of these resolutions can be difficult to stick to, these moms are doing their best.
“Lucinda” is focused on finding a higher-paying job that matches the career training she received while living at AYM. Now a graduate of AYM I and living in AYM II with her two children, Lucinda obtained a medical certificate while living at AYM and is intent on building a career in this area. Right now she’s working a job that is not in her field of interest until she finds other employment. She’s caring for two children on her own, saving money when she can, and has a cheerful disposition even when times are tough.
“Bridget” is also positive, despite her situation. Having recently given birth to a son, she entered the AYM program after sleeping in her car and living in an emergency shelter for single adults. Since moving into a stable place to live, Bridget has interviewed for jobs, obtained important documents such as a birth certificate and social security card, and saw a medical professional for a physical. Traveling throughout the county on public transportation with a young child, Bridget has a can-do attitude and is looking forward to working full time.
Lastly, “Lonnie” is working part-time while attending school and caring for her daughter. She is hoping to begin a career in the medical field after finishing her certificate program and will be graduating AYM in January after 18 months. She has been connected with medical services for her daughter, who has developmental delays due to a genetic disorder, purchased her own car, and has earned high grades in her college classes. She is looking ahead to living independently with the money she has saved while in the AYM program.
Kind of inspiring, isn’t it?

Meghan Huebner

Housing Scams are Alive and Thriving in Northern Virginia

2011-08-19T14:51:00.002-04:00

AYM clients work toward having a place of their own to call home. Scam artists work toward swindling money from vulnerable people. One weekend, an AYM client contacted staff to ask for $1,600 from her escrow account to cover the deposit and first month’s rent for a house with all utilities were included. She was so excited as she described the house – a fenced in backyard for her children to play, washing machine and dryer in the basement, close to excellent schools! The “owner” had given her a tour of the property earlier that day, but he was leaving the country the next day for six years. He claimed he was looking to provide a needy family with a home, which is why the rent was so inexpensive. All the AYM client had to do was send him a money gram for $1,600 and he would send her the key and rental agreement once he received the money.

This AYM client had been in the AYM program for over a year, where she made great progress, including completing an employment training program, obtained full-time employment, had a car, and had saved money in preparation for transitioning out of the program. She was ready to live independently. Staff discussed the reality of the situation with the client and emphasized that something that seemed too good to be true probably was. Despite this conversation, the client was ready to go forward because she believed in the "owner." Luckily, staff was able to get in touch with the actual realtor and confirmed that rent was $2,700 a month, not the $800 she had been told. The realtor was aware that someone had posted a fraudulent ad offering the house for rent and was working with the police to apprehend him. The next day, the "owner" called the client five times pressuring her for the money. When she confronted him with the truth, he hung up. She was devastated, but thankful that she had gained valuable life experience without losing $1,600. AYM staff are working with her to locate an affordable living setting, as she is ready for independence.

Susie Guido, LPC
Residential Therapist
Alternative House

An Intern Shares

2011-08-19T10:00:00.001-04:00

I have enjoyed my time interning at Alternative House. Before doing my internship here I did not know what to expect from working with kids, since this is was my first time working with teens. I have enjoyed every time I have spent with them. I feel my experience here gave me an opportunity to see another field in psychology since my major is in forensics. I will truly miss the kids and counselors.

Luisa Suisa
Graduate Student
Argosy University

Shelter Volunteer finds a position on our AYM staff

2011-08-18T16:59:00.001-04:00

I chose to volunteer at the Alternative House due to the horrible job market and economy when I graduated from James Madison University. I had been a waitress all throughout college and on breaks so that I could pay for college, thus I did not really have that much experience in my field. It sounds cliché to say that my passion is helping people, especially troubled teens, but ever since I was young that is what I knew I wanted to do. I volunteered at the Alternative House for approximately a year and a half. I felt at home almost immediately when I entered AH, the counselors were very upbeat, refreshing and honest. The program at AH, the more I learned about it, was something I was proud to be a part of. About a month ago I was encouraged to move forward with a career, to use my degree and my experience and make a place for myself in the world. I applied for the Program Assistant position in a program under the Alternative House, called Assisting Young Mothers or AYM. The experience and mentoring I received at AH along with my strengths were perfect assets in landing me the PA position. Programs like AH and AYM are a good example of what good people and good hearts can do, and how we can make a difference in people’s lives individually, in the families, and in the community. All of the programs underneath the umbrella of the Alternative House help populations that are so often overlooked, individuals who more often than not fall through the cracks of our society without someone taking so much as glance back. I think that every person can make a difference, some of the greatest leaders and icons of our time have come from troubled backgrounds and obstacle filled pasts; you cannot make it in this world without a little encouragement or a helping hand, which is what I believe AH gives to this vital population in our society. While I was sad to leave the Shelter at the Alternative House, I have found my place in the AYM program and am proud and happy to still be a part of the AH community.

Angel Cregge
Program Assistant
AYM (Assisting Young Mothers)
Alternative House

An Alternative to Homelessness

2011-08-17T08:53:00.001-04:00

The first young man who entered our Homeless Youth Initiative has become my “poster child” for telling people about what a difference this program makes in people’s lives.

“John” was 18 and a junior in high school when his father kicked him out of the house. His Dad had a substance abuse problem and often acted erratically. John went from friend to friend, “couch surfing” until he ran out of friends in late August; just before the start of his senior year. A social worker placed him in a small adult homeless shelter.

His very first night there John was propositioned by his roommate. The next morning, he fled the shelter and was sleeping in the bleachers of his high school football stadium because that was where he felt safest.

Alternative House has an emergency shelter for teenagers that provides a safe haven to runaway, homeless and abused young people 13-17-years old, but John was 18. We were able to get a waiver of the rules and brought John in to safety.

Working with the faith community, we located a woman who would rent a room to John. It was close to his high school, his girlfriend and his job, but John couldn’t make enough money to cover the rent and continue to attend school. Through Alternative House’s Homeless Youth Initiative, we were able to pay $325 a month towards his $500 rent. John paid the rest.

John stayed in school and graduated on time. He is working full-time as a car salesman and his employers love him. He’s also going to community college. The small investment this community made in John has resulted in a young man with a future versus a homeless high school drop-out. It also means we have a successful citizen not someone in our shelters or jail. Everyone wins here.

Judith Dittman is executive director of Alternative House, the abused and homeless children’s refuge.

I know there’s a place I can go and be safe

2011-08-15T17:39:00.001-04:00

Alternative House is a really good place to be whenever you’re having problems at home. As soon as I walked in Alternative House, the staff treated me good. Ashley gave me a toothbrush & toothpaste – anything I needed until my mom came by and dropped off my stuff. The staff here is amazing. They’re the nicest people I’ve ever met. They show you they care about you and they discuss topics and answer questions that you have. The counselors help you and I trust them enough to open up and talk about the personal issues at home. They give the best advice and help you work on whatever things you feel you have to work on. Alternative House is one of the best places I have ever been in. I feel safe and now I am going to work on myself. I learned to listen better and whenever I’m angry I will find the best solution and never walk out whenever I get mad or not get what I want. I feel like a better person.

I am going to truly miss the counselors and the other staff because they’re like my family now. In the little time I’ve been here I can already say all of this. If I ever have a problem at home, I know there’s a place I can go and be safe. There is always room for improvement, nobody is perfect and there are people in the world that care about someone like me. Alternative House helps you solve problems you are facing at home. They make you realize what is important in life. People, such as friends come and go, but family there is only one. Think about the positive things in life and try not to think about the negatives. If you feel like you don’t have anybody there for you or feel alone and are in need of advice they have a 24 hour crisis line. Don’t ever think you are alone in life because you are not. My stay here at Alternative House has been fun and I know if I ever need advice on a personal home situation, they’re here for me. Thank you Alternative House. My stay here has been the best. I’m going to miss you guys a lot and I will visit you guys whenever I can.

Shelter Resident (age 15)

A Shelter Intern from American University

2011-08-09T11:13:00.002-04:00

As an upcoming senior Psychology major at American University,my decision to intern at Alternative House was based on a recommendation from my advisor to get involved in the psychology field hands on. I chose Alternative House because I knew I wanted to work with adolescents and I loved the warm atmosphere I experienced when I first visited the Shelter for my interview. I enjoyed working with every resident that stayed here, and loved the experience of seeing each and every one of our youths grow during their time with us. Additionally, the staff are all very warm and welcoming, allowing me to feel right at home from my very first day. I have learned so much during the few months I have interned here and will carry the knowledge I have gained through this experience as I continue my education and ultimately begin my career path.

Emily Sherer
Alternative House Intern

A Trip to the Zoo by a Shelter Resident

2011-08-08T10:19:00.002-04:00

Wake up! As one of the staff yells to the fellow residents as the sun is rushing to show. Residents got up and out the door by 7:00 am and headed immediately to a fun adventure at the D.C animal zoo. Everyone tried to stay positive, we had to take a detour because one of our staff members got lost and drove around in circles. While that was going on, one of our residents became car sick and barfed. Staff immediate stopped the car at the nearest sidewalk, and waited for him to finish. Finally back on the road, we were jamming to our radio tunes. We were headed on our way to the zoo determined for no more detours. Arriving at the zoo, we first got breakfast sandwiches. After eating we saw the cheetahs lying still as they soaked up morning sun. Then walking around we saw pandas peeling and eating bamboo. The Lionesses and her cubs playfully fighting were also great. The aged tiger yelling helplessly at his audience, great to see how a tiger calls out. The naked mole-rats scattering around looking for breakfast; Armadillos hiding in their little ball scared of all the eyes. Starry eyed owls that often looked lost. Long stretching zebras that stayed near home around family. Lazy bears who weren’t interested in giving us a show. Watching the Gorilla family as the mother’s breast drooped to her knees. Exotic energetic monkeys who kept climbing. Beautiful underwater plants, above ground plants and many more. Residents enjoyed a mix up for group and had fun with the bond they had with Mother Nature.

Shelter Resident
16 year old, male

Young mother needs dental care

2011-08-05T09:15:00.002-04:00

This week I had my teeth cleaned and a cavity filled. Instead of my usual dread of the dentist, I am thankful that I can afford to take care of my teeth. Dental care is a luxury for many people. One of my clients, a young mother in our AYM program, has four impacted wisdom teeth that need to be surgically removed. The wisdom teeth don’t care that she has no dental insurance or funds to pay for this surgery, they are coming in regardless. These four teeth are coming in underneath her molars and one is coming in sideways through her gum line causing extreme pain. Her insurance covers urgent care clinics and emergency rooms that are more than willing to provide pain medication, but if she takes the pain medication then she cannot function at work or take care of her toddler. A local dentist provided x-rays pro-bono and directed me to an area dental clinic that requires a referral from one of four agencies. One agency listed on their website no longer participates in the program. The two others I could get no one to return my calls. Since that initial call two weeks ago, I have talked with eight individuals, two hospitals that offer low-cost dental surgery and two local non-profits that assist with medical issues. Every phone call generated another one – I was passed from person to person, referred to different agencies with no resolution. I am frustrated with the process and can only imagine how clients feel when they are passed on without anyone listening to their dilemma. Alternative House is a referring agency for reduced dental care provided by area oral surgeons; however, 50% of the cost of impacted wisdom teeth surgery is $1,300 – and that was the least expensive provider. Payment plans are not an option. What do people do when there is an issue that requires immediate attention? Right now the only answer I know is to suffer. So far, my efforts have been ineffective, but I will continue to make calls because I do not accept the responses I have received. Society can do better.

Susie Guido, LPC
Residential Therapist
Alternative House

From a Shelter Intern

2011-08-04T11:21:00.001-04:00

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time working at Alternative House. Before volunteering here I did not know what type of psychology I wanted to go into or even what my different options were. I feel my experience here gave me real insight into the world of counseling and therapy and also gave me a good feel for the type of work that I wish to continue to do in the future. I had a real great experience here, so much so I still plan on volunteering even after my internship has been completed.”
Christopher Mishik
Shelter Intern
George Mason University

Wonderful Volunteer Experience with the Annandale Safe Youth Project (ASYP)

2011-07-14T17:55:00.002-04:00

It has been my privilege to be an ASYP volunteer throughout the past two years. I enjoy working with young students and helping them realize that learning and school can be fun. So often, elementary school children think that school is not a happy place, subjects are too difficult, and reading is boring.

As a substitute teacher in the Alexandria school system and a volunteer in the ASYP program, I frequently find that students don’t understand the material they are studying, struggle with their homework, and need extra help to complete their assignments.
For me, the reward of being a volunteer with ASYP is seeing the smile on children’s faces when I teach them how to solve a math problem and, all of a sudden, they understand the method – or how to write a better composition and they find that they can do it!

It is important to help students strengthen their self-esteem and trust their abilities and help them see that, with discipline and perseverance, they can achieve their goals.
This past year, we have had an exceptional group of students. They were a real joy to be around, willing to learn and to study. They were respectful and followed directions. The kids got along with each other and the staff.

I have the utmost respect for the director of the program, Antonia Arias, and the assistant director, Jade Leedham.

Larry L. Fickau (“Mr. Lee”)

A Grateful Intern Shares Her Story

2011-06-21T14:43:00.001-04:00

Three weeks into my new job, I am so grateful for the experiences I had at Alternative House as an intern. I graduated in May with a Masters of Clinical Mental Health Counseling from George Washington University, and I was one of the few people in my program who had a great job lined up. At Alternative House, I had the opportunity to interact with key community agencies in Northern Virginia, such as Child Protective Services, Foster Care, and the Juvenile Court system, and this gave me an advantage when interviewing for positions in government counseling agencies. Additionally, I had the freedom to explore and develop new aspects of counseling, like bilingual counseling, that set me apart from the other applicants. Though interning in a crisis residential facility can be stressful, I would not trade the experience for any other.

An element that makes Alternative House so unique is the diversity of the teens. Teens from all backgrounds live together, and they feel safe to explore their differences and similarities. The staff at Alternative House facilitates respectful conversations about controversial topics, such as race and religion, that adults typically shy away from because they can be uncomfortable. The teens appreciate being able to ask questions of one another, and hopefully these teens will be leaders who help us as a society to come together despite our differences.

The most inspiring moment of my internship took place just before bedtime. Two boys were sharing a bedroom, one Muslim and one Christian. The Christian boy returned from the shower to find his roommate saying his prayers. He waited respectfully outside the bedroom door until his roommate had finished praying. The Muslim boy looked up when he had finished and invited him in. The Christian boy said, “Hey man, I didn’t know you were Muslim. I don’t really know anything about it. Can I ask you some questions?” And the Muslim boy responded, “Ask anything you want.” The two sat down and began discussing religion. It was a beautiful moment. I hope the experience sticks with them, and I hope that the staff at Alternative House continues to make it a safe place for kids to ask questions and openly discuss important themes.

Cynthia Baleskie

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Culmore Graduation Celebration

2011-06-20T16:46:00.002-04:00

What a great week we had last week. Monday started with the graduation celebration for the young people at the Annandale Safe Youth Project. Wednesday found us celebrating with the youth in Culmore. We had a joint program with the 4th, 5th and 6th graders from the Safe Youth Project and the teens at the Culmore Teen Center. The Teen Center was packed! Everyone had a great time receiving certificates of recognition for their outstanding achievements presented by our Board Member Julie Pangalinen. Alternative House Board Member Rick Holzheimer also joined us as did two members of the Bailey’s Crossroads Rotary Club, William Cook and Karey Starnes. The Baliey’s Rotary has been a long-time supporter of our programs in Culmore and it was great to see them at the celebration. The Teen Center was freshly painted by volunteers from Convergint Technologies and was perfect for the occasion. We heard poems and viewed artwork of the students and then had a great meal of Lasagne and salad prepared by the women from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in McLean. A special graduation cake finished off the event and was promptly “finished off“ by the many hungry young people in attendance!

One of the most memorable things for me that evening was the opportunity to talk with one of the graduating teens. This young woman’s family is originally from Pakistan. In addition to going to school and working at the Teen Center as a Youth Worker, she has been caring for her mother who is ill. When I spoke to her about what lay ahead after graduation, she told me she would be spending two years at Community College and then planned to transfer to either Virginia Tech or VCU to study medicine. Her ultimate goal is to open a clinic where homeless people can receive medical care free of charge. She is such a determined and focused young woman that I am looking forward to attending the grand opening of her clinic. I’m sure she’ll succeed.

Judith Dittman

Homeless Youth Initiative Graduation

2011-06-15T15:10:00.000-04:00

The Homeless Youth Initiative (HYI) is celebrating the end of the school year and the high school graduation of all 13 of our seniors. We could not be more proud that the program will have a 100% graduation rate this school year. High school graduation is a major accomplishment for any teenager, but particularly so for our clients who have had to pursue their education without the support of a parent or guardian. These students have not had the benefit of a parent to wake them up in the morning and ensure they go to school, a parent to drive them to school when they inevitably wake up late, or a parent to remind then that it is time to get off the computer in the evening and focus on their homework. These students have been able to find the internal drive and motivation to complete their academic course load and graduate with a high school diploma. The majority of these students are employed and living independently. Many of them support themselves financially and balance the real life challenges of being an adult, with the demands of being a high school student. Our graduates this year come from all three portions of our program: our group home, host homes and our rent voucher program. It is truly incredible for us as a staff to reflect on all these young people have accomplished, despite the turmoil and many transitions they have experienced. It has been our honor to support these students, celebrate their accomplishments and provide the occasional “tough love” moments that they have needed along the way.
Many of our seniors have elected to pursue a college education in the fall. We have five students going away to 4 year universities, three who plan to attend NOVA, one student who is enrolled in a full time nursing program and other students who continue to explore their options such as certificate programs, the military and AmeriCorps. We wish them continued success in all their endeavors!

Kristin Sorenson

What Great Kids!

2011-06-14T13:39:00.002-04:00

What great kids! The Annandale Safe Youth Project had its graduation celebration last night and it was a blast. We had some special visitors from the community including the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman, Sharon Bulova, Alternative House Board Member, Mike Policicchio, Fairfax Partnership for Youth Board Member Frank Blechman and folks from Association Management Group, St. Barnabas’ Episcopalian Church and John Calvin Presbyterian Church. But the stars of the show were the kids. Their enthusiasm just lit up the room. These are children who are facing some big challenges in their lives. They come from families where there isn’t a lot of money and many of them are struggling in school. But this year they all made big gains in academics and you could see they supported each other. We were treated to impromptu song and dance and spontaneous cheers for summer from the young people and great food was provided by Vienna Presbyterian Church and John Calvin Presbyterian Church. It was also wonderful to see the support from St. Barnabas Episcopal Church. The program is located at the church and members of the congregation volunteer to help provide activities for the young people. The Rector, Assistant Rector and lots of program volunteers joined the party to wish our young people well. Wednesday we’re going to have another celebration in our Culmore Safe Youth Project and Culmore Teen Center. I can’t wait!

Judith Dittman

College Scholarship for HYI Client

2011-05-10T13:29:00.002-04:00

On Wednesday, May 18, at 7:00 pm an awards ceremony will be held at the Vienna Community Center. The Vienna Womens Club is awarding 3 special young ladies with a $1000 scholarship to a college of their choice. One of these young ladies is Jania, a client of The Alternative Houses newest program Homeless Youth Initiative.
Jania came to our program in early 2010. Although she was surrounded by family, her pervious living situation included living under very restrictive rules and guidelines that would seem unfair to most people. Because her mother could not afford to move away from those family members and into her own home, Jania continued to live in the restrictive environment until her counselor referred her to Homeless Youth Initiative.
While residing in the HYI group home Jania completed her junior year of high school and started preparing to attend college. Now a senior Jania looks forward to being a high school graduate and starting college at Northern Virginia Community College in the fall to obtain her Associates Degree. She plans to major in Business Administration and then transfer to a four year institution to complete her Bachelors Degree.
A scholarship from the Vienna Womens Club will bring her one step closer to her goal. Jania is very excited to be a recipient of this scholarship. She worked very hard on her application and essay submission and is proud to see all of her hard work pay off. We at HYI are very proud of Jania as well and know she will continue to be successful in her future endeavors.

Gege Latef
Program Coordinator
Homeless Youth Initiative

Young Mothers need Yoga supplies for class

2011-04-26T04:59:00.003-04:00

It is no secret that mothers rarely get the opportunity to take time for themselves – to charge their ever drained batteries. Yet, women are consistently reminded of how important it is to our health and relationships to take time for themselves and reduce stress. Articles are written about it in our favorite magazines and local newspapers; there are featured stories about it on our favorite talk shows and news programs. And everyone serves up their own tips and suggestions for busy moms to squeeze in that sacred personal time. Some mothers heed the warnings and sign up for an exercise class or women’s club while their child stays home with the child’s father or babysitter. But a low income single mother cannot afford the extra childcare costs outside of her work hours any more than she can pay for a fitness class. What can be done?

This is the question that Assisting Young Mothers (AYM) staff have been challenged with as they assist young mothers move towards independence. Staff focused their attention toward exercise related activities in early 2011 and explored realistic opportunities for the residents. While AYM staff searched for a long-term solution, they personally volunteered to exercise with residents while volunteers provided childcare. In mid April, Alternative House was approached by a yoga enthusiast who wished to share her passion with teenagers. AYM staff welcomed this opportunity. AYM will host monthly yoga sessions for their residents which will focus on stretching, poses, mediation, and stress relief. AYM residents who are pregnant will also be able to participate, doing modified positions and poses.

The first yoga class is scheduled for May 23, 2011. Before we begin, AYM needs to obtain 6 yoga mats to provide the grip and stickiness needed for the exercises. Residents would also benefit from 6 yoga straps and 6 yoga blocks, which help users build flexibility and assist with challenging poses. AYM will be happy to accept any new or used mats, straps, or blocks.
The physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of yoga are well documented. AYM hopes that our residents will experience increased patience and model positive coping mechanisms for their children as a direct result of participating in the yoga program.

Autumn Grigg

Shelter Intern works on the Hotline

2011-04-21T11:39:00.000-04:00

As a senior Psychology major at George Mason University, I enrolled in a service-learning course, a class that combines community service with academic instruction as it focuses on critical, reflective thinking and civic responsibility. As a student in a service-learning course, the experience is intended to focus organized community service that addresses local needs, while developing my academic skills, sense of civic responsibility, and commitment to the community. After graduation in May, I plan to pursue a graduate program in Clinical Psychology. With this goal in mind, hands-on, relevant internships are a difficult find, but working here at Alternative House has given me more learning opportunities and experiences than I could have imagined!
I chose the Alternative House for a multitude of reasons, including the chance to work with a different population of youth than I had previously. In addition to simply observing the on-goings at a residential facility, this internship has allowed me to assist the primary counselors run group education discussions. One of my favorite experiences, facilitating “Group” ties directly to my course work at school in my Therapeutic Communication, Group Psychotherapy, and Counseling Psychology classes.
A unique aspect of working at AH has been the Hotline process- both training for and documenting. The 24-hour crisis line is not a service that all facilities provide, therefore it has been an added beneficial experience to learn and become comfortable with. Not only does it enhance my skills that can be used in the future for one-on-one counseling, but it exposes me to one more aspect of this extensive field.
The hands-on training and experience has helped me to begin narrowing down my desired career concentration. Furthermore, I have learned a great deal from simply interacting with both the youth and the staff. The opportunity to ask practiced-staff questions about their jobs, practices, and experiences has been invaluable and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. In fact, since my internship course ended in early December, I have continued to volunteer twice a week!

Teal Dye
George Mason University

A Shelter Intern Shares

2011-04-18T15:25:00.000-04:00

As a senior Social Work major at George Mason University, interning at the Alternative House as fulfilled my graduation requirement of a 450 hour field-placement. More importantly than allowing me to graduate it has provided me with knowledge and insight into working with adolescents. Prior to this experience I wasn’t sure of the population I wanted to begin my career working with. After being given the opportunity to learn and grow at Alternative House I have cemented that this is a population I want to continue working with. In my 8 months here so far, I have had the opportunity to work on specific field-competencies, including: practice in ethics, diversity, and values research and application. I work closely with the residents, which enables me to also work on my communication and assertiveness skills. Besides the knowledge I have gained from the interactions with residents I have also learned great amounts from the wonderful staff here. They were all very willing to help, patient with me from the start, and overall a positive part of my experience thus far. I am very grateful to have had this opportunity here at Alternative House and the opportunities it has given me to broaden my horizons and pave a path for my future career goals.

Lindsay Schwartz
Alternative House Intern

HYI Clients help Young Mothers with babies

2011-04-12T14:53:00.002-04:00

Last night, our Assisting Young Mothers (AYM) program was without volunteers to provide childcare while the mom's are in Life Skills group; so three residents and a staff member from the Homeless Youth Initiative (HYI) program came to AYM during the group to help out. At first, the three HYI residents were hesitant, but by the end of the evening, they were all interacting with the babies and having a great time.

If you would be interested in volunteering to help provide childcare for infants and toddlers in our facility on Monday or Tuesday nights we have some openings. This is open to adult volunteers who are willing to make a six-month or longer commitment. We do a background check on all volunteers working with children. Please contact our volunteer coordinator for more information.

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month

2011-04-04T09:46:00.001-04:00

As we take the month of April for Volunteer Appreciation, we reflect back on how important our volunteers have been to us and the contribution they make. We could not function as we do and do the things we do if it were not for the dedication, motivation and passion each volunteer brings Alternative House. You will never know how many lives you have touched in so many ways. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Safe Youth Project

2011-03-19T08:15:00.000-04:00

When Alejandro started coming to the Safe Youth Project (SYP) after-school program as a 4th grader he was a trouble-maker. He spoke out of turn, bullied the other children, and refused to cooperate despite repeated warnings. He was so obstreperous that some of the other children stopped coming to the program. Very troubled by his behavior, our staff met with Alejandro's parents to express their concern and discuss how he acted at home with his parents and siblings. It turns out that the parents were very worried too, but they couldn't afford to seek help or treatment from a professional. Staff had to tell Alejandro's parents that he couldn't come to the program anymore because he was driving the other children away, but they did continue to help the family. They were able to get them connected with another organization, where Alejandro was tested for behavioral problems then got regular counseling to help him improve. Alejandro is now in 6th grade, and has returned to SYP a changed person-he listens to staff, treats his peers respectfully, and contributes to group activities.

Volunteers Help at AYM

2011-03-09T07:52:00.001-05:00

Our Assisting Young Mothers program (AYM) provides counseling and support for pregnant and parenting young women ages 16-24 through residential and community-based programs. Young women receive counseling, shelter, life skills training, parenting education, and job readiness training to help them become nurturing parents and successful members of the community. AYM strives to promote self-sufficiency and nurturing parenting, and to prevent child abuse.

Angela Valerino, the program coordinator for AYM has been working with some special volunteers this week. Angela is happy to report; “This week at AYM we have a volunteer group from Saginaw Valley State University working on organizing and cleaning at the townhouses. The group is made up of 12 college students who have chosen to spend their spring break helping others. They all worked very hard today and were tired by the end of the day; but they are looking forward to continuing tomorrow and we are all optimistic about what will be accomplished this week!”

My Job Requires Many Meetings

2011-03-08T15:36:00.001-05:00

As Executive Director of Alternative House I have a very rewarding job. I get to meet people who care about the children and youth of our community. I speak often with our elected officials and those who work for our government. I serve on the Boards of several organizations and we meet to discuss ways to better serve those who need help. While very rewarding, it also means a lot of meetings! About a year ago, I decided to make time to go to some really special meetings….the weekly meetings of the people who work in Alternative House programs. I can’t make these meetings every week, but I do stop in at least once a month. It makes me wish I could do it more often. It’s very inspiring to listen to the dedicated people who help the children and youth in our programs and it’s inspiring to hear the stories of the young people themselves.

While at the Emergency Shelter for Teenagers meeting, I met a girl whose mother decided to enter a substance abuse treatment program. That would normally be a good thing, but this girl was sent from another state, where she and her mother lived, to Northern Virginia to live with her aunt and uncle. The girl didn’t know about any of this before she got here. She thought she was just coming for a week’s visit. She’s missing her boyfriend and her aunt and uncle have a different parenting style than her Mom. One thing led to another and she started having trouble in school and cutting herself. She told a school counselor she was heading out on her own and the counselor asked her to call us. As I sat in the meeting I could see how much the counselors at the shelter care about this girl and the help they provide is really amazing. They are working with the girl, her aunt and uncle and her mother to keep her safe.

I went to the staff meeting for the Homeless Youth Initiative and heard representatives from our schools heap praise on our therapist and case manager for going far beyond what’s expected to help homeless high school students who are on their own. I learned about how our therapist helped a young man leave the hospital where he was receiving treatment for severe depression and successfully move into a host home and resume attending high school. This wasn’t an easy thing for him to do and it took a lot of work on everyone’s part to make it successful. Once again, though, it was easy to see how much everyone cares.

Our Outreach counselors touch the lives of thousands of kids every year. When I go to their staff meeting I hear about young people from our Culmore Teen Center getting help with homework, putting together resumes and doing college applications. I find out how much the children in the Annandale Safe Youth Project enjoyed their first field trip to an area park after being indoors all winter. The children in the Culmore Safe Youth Project are excitedly anticipating going to see Gnomeo and Juliet thanks to the donation of movie tickets. Field trips and movies are things these children wouldn’t be able to do if we weren’t there. Our Outreach counselors also help get school supplies in the fall, warm winter coats for kids who don’t have any and meals when there is a lack of food at home. They are always there to listen and encourage when going to school seems hard and dropping out and joining a gang would be the easy thing to do.

Finally, at our Assisting Young Mothers staff meeting I saw how our counselors are working with each young mother to help her plan for a brighter future. One young woman wants to join the military and is taking courses at community college to get the educational experience she will need. Another has just found a full-time job that will pay her $12 an hour. While that isn’t a huge salary, it’s a lot more than the minimum wage employment she had previously and she is on cloud nine. Another young woman has just packed her overnight bag to go to the hospital and developed a new delivery plan. She expects her baby in 8 weeks and is looking forward to welcoming her new son. There are so many new beginnings in the program. Women moving forward towards self-sufficiency, children taking their first steps and our counselors there to help and encourage.

While almost all of the meetings I go to are important and productive, the best meetings of the month are when I get to visit our programs and learn about the amazing things that our children and youth are doing and how our staff helps make it happen.

Judith Dittman

Memories

2011-02-11T15:12:00.002-05:00

It’s not often that I have time to sit down at work, much less to pause and reflect on providing services to over 1,000 teens, young mothers, and children in the seven years I’ve worked at Alternative House. But today is a quiet day, even though our teen shelter is full, our HYI program was featured on Channel 7 this week, and our young mothers are searching for jobs in a tough market.

I started at Alternative House just before September 11th, 2001. Working first as an overnight counselor in the teen shelter and later as a primary counselor, I worked directly with hundreds of teens who are now rapidly approaching their 30’s: the young woman who recognized me at a restaurant where she worked years later and excitedly filled me in on the years and events that had passed; the teen who had dropped out of school and stopped by the shelter a year later to say that she had re-enrolled in school nearby; the young woman who joined our Youth Advisory Council after her stay at the shelter in order to pass her knowledge and experience on to benefit others. These stories and more convinced me that obtaining a graduate degree in social work would be the best way to continue supporting at-risk youth.

I returned to Alternative House’s Assisting Young Mothers Program as program coordinator to become part of more stories: the young mother-to-be who was hired for a job only eight days after moving into our program; the toddler who learned how to speak and began to laugh after finally having a safe and stable place to live; the young mother who graduated the program and was hired by AYM as a staff member; the young woman who is still in touch with staff years after graduating, who invites me to attend her daughter’s birthday parties each year. After becoming director of residential services, I was glad to be able to maintain connections with clients while gaining additional responsibilities.

With the addition of our newest program last year, the Homeless Youth Initiative, I am sure that more memories of client successes will follow. I look forward to them!

Meghan Huebner
Director Residential Services

Alternative House Resources

2011-01-27T09:54:00.002-05:00

Did you know that Alternative House has the highest rating awarded by Charity Navigator, an independent nonprofit evaluation organization? We’ve also been awarded the “Best in America” designation from Independent Charities and provide information on our financial and program practices on Guidestar. At our last Open Door at the House, one of our guests told us how impressed he was by our excellent ratings and he was very interested to learn how much of our funding comes from the community.

Approximately half-of the resources we need to operate Alternative House come from non-government sources. About one-fourth is financial support from individuals, businesses, the faith community and private foundations and one-fourth is in donations of food, clothing, paper goods and volunteer hours. We also receive about one-fourth of our funding from the Federal Government through the Department of Health and Human Services Runaway and Homeless Youth Act. The final quarter comes in various grants and contracts with Fairfax County.

We are currently working on revising our website so that we can put all of our financial information on line. That should happen in the next month or so. Until then, if you would like a copy of our tax return or audit you can find it on-line at Guidestar or call us and we’ll send you a copy.

We work hard to make the funds invested in us by the community go as far as possible and we try to be as transparent as possible about where our funding comes from and where it goes. The excellent ratings we receive from independent evaluators verify that every dollar we receive is used wisely.

by Judith Dittman

The Police Brought Susan to Alternative House

2011-01-24T12:59:00.001-05:00

In December the police brought Susan, a 13 year old girl to our Emergency Shelter for Teenagers. She had been on the run for five days without a safe place to stay. Susan was afraid that her mother would send her out of the country to live with relatives after she was involved in a fight at school. She ran away to prevent that. After arriving at the Shelter and meeting with Alternative House counselors, Susan realized her recent decisions would have an impact on her relationship with her mother. We helped Susan identify ways to improve her communication and decision making skills so that she could return home and improve her relationship with her family.

The many gifts of the season

2011-01-20T12:49:00.002-05:00

Something about the holiday season and the start of a new year makes many people stop and take stock of what they have, or what they would like to have but just can’t seem to get.

In all of our residential programs at the Alternative House, homeless teens, young mothers, and small children were very thankful for the donated gifts they received this year. High school students cried when they opened a warm coat, a gift card to a supermarket, or a new pair of sneakers. Toddlers squealed with delight while playing with toy cars and baby dolls. Young mothers pampered themselves with a new makeup kit or a gift card to Target. As a staff member, I have been thankful as well: thankful that we are able to provide services to so many families and youth in need, thankful that we have dedicated staff and volunteers to support our mission, thankful that I can come to work every day and do something that I enjoy.

And then there are the things that we all hope for but seem just out of reach right now: the young mother searching for full-time employment that will allow her to support herself and her child, the high school student trying yet again to pass a final SOL test before graduation, the supervisor looking to hire relief staff to fill in while full-time staff are taking a much-needed vacation. I wish I could fulfill these wishes as easily as opening a gift. Since I cannot hand someone a gift-wrapped diploma or employment, I will continue to work to find resources to make the path to those achievements easier so that more youth can make their dreams a reality.

Meghan Huebner
Director of Residential Services

A young visitor in my office

2011-01-17T14:16:00.002-05:00

I was working in my office, on the second floor of our Emergency Shelter for Teens. From downstairs I heard a baby crying. I knew instantly it was a very young baby. You know how their crying is different. A few minutes later Angela the program coordinator for our Assisting Young Mothers Program came upstairs. She was holding a two month old baby boy. His name is Mikeas. His mother was downstairs meeting with another staff person and Angela was caring for him. Of course we made a big fuss over him in his tiny blue pajamas. He has a full head of dark hair and his cry is very loud. But he calmed down while Angela was walking him around perched on her shoulder. What a nice break to have Mikeas and Angela visit my office. Now back to work.

Gina Cocomello

Safe Youth Project

2011-01-04T13:23:00.000-05:00

When Alejandro started coming to the Safe Youth Project (SYP) after-school program as a 4th grader he was a trouble-maker. He spoke out of turn, bullied the other children, and refused to cooperate despite repeated warnings. He was so obstreperous that some of the other children stopped coming to the program. Very troubled by his behavior, our staff met with Alejandro’s parents to express their concern and discuss how he acted at home with his parents and siblings. It turns out that the parents were very worried too, but they couldn’t afford to seek help or treatment from a professional. Staff had to tell Alejandro’s parents that he couldn’t come to the program anymore because he was driving the other children away, but they did continue to help the family. They were able to get them connected with another organization, where Alejandro was tested for behavioral problems then got regular counseling to help him improve. Alejandro is now in 6th grade, and has returned to SYP a changed person—he listens to staff, treats his peers respectfully, and contributes to group activities.

Thank you for your Generosity by Christine Bartell

2011-01-03T14:24:00.000-05:00

Now that The Holiday season has finally come to a close and 2011 is here I would like to reflect on how generous our volunteers were with not only the donations but their time. Everytime I turned around, someone was calling, emailing or dropping by to drop off gift donations or see if they could help in anyway. As the Office Administrator and Volunteer Coordinator, I had the job of trying to make sure all gift donations received were sorted out for each of the programs. We were completely overwhelmed with the generosity of so many people. It was incredible the various ways people gave. We even had a letter from a boy named Ethan who was abandoned by his parents, now living with his grandparents, who sent Alternative House his top 3 favorite toys to give to an AH child in our Outreach program who had very little. He wrote in his letter that he knew what it was like to be abandoned and wanted to make sure that no other kid would feel that way and that by giving his toy they would know they were loved. To see the joy in this letter from a little boy who wanted to make a difference showed me what the real meaning of Christmas is.

Our volunteers and donors may never know the difference they make outright by wrapping a gift, organizing a closet, and or sorting through a pile of used clothing, but it’s through these acts of volunteerism, coming together in support of our programs in such ways, that they are making a difference in the lives of many children. Thank you to all of you that gave monetarily, with in kind donations and most important..yourself. You are our backbone and everyone here at Alternative House is forever grateful. May you have a happy and healthy 2011!

Frostival a Fun Family Event

2010-12-09T16:37:00.003-05:00

Alternative House is partnering with Celebrate Fairfax, Inc. to raise awareness of their newest event, the second annual FROSTIVAL, an exciting new winter-themed family festival being held December 30, 2010 - January 2, 2011 at the Dulles Expo and Conference Center in Chantilly. The FROSTIVAL is geared towards families with pre-K and elementary school aged children. Activities include games, bounces, slides and rides, winter-themed crafts, storytelling, musical performances, as well as exhibits and vendors.

As a Celebrate Fairfax Community Ticket Partner, Alternative House has been given a unique promo code. For every ticket sold using our promo code, an amount equal to 20% of all funds raised through ticket sales, based on our code, will be donated by Celebrate Fairfax back to our organization!

Alternative House's unique promo code is: 160. Use this code when you purchase tickets so that we receive credit for your transaction. If you are ordering more than one type of ticket (adult ticket, youth ticket, weekend pass etc.), you will need to enter the promo code more than once. Once you have selected your tickets, before you checkout, you should see a confirmation page which lists each ticket you are purchasing and the promo codes associated with each ticket. Double-check to make sure our code is listed! All tickets sold online in advance of the festival are discounted, however, there is a $2 surcharge fee per order (not per ticket). Admission for children 2 years old and younger is free!

To purchase tickets now, visit http://www.frostival.com/ Don't forget to enter our code: 160.

Thank you for your support!

Thanksgiving at the House

2010-11-24T13:36:00.000-05:00

It is the day before Thanksgiving and our Emergency Shelter for Teens is full, 5 boys and 3 girls. This afternoon they are off from school and they are in the kitchen making Mac & Cheese with one of the interns. Tomorrow a donor is bringing over a Thanksgiving Dinner for them.

On behalf of Alternative House staff and clients Thank You to all of our donors, volunteers and supporters. We couldn’t do it without you.

Assisting Young Mothers

2010-11-23T15:26:00.002-05:00

The Assisting Young Mothers program (AYM) provides housing, life skills training, parenting skills training, case management, and mental health services to pregnant and parenting young mothers. Mothers who are homeless and have no place else to go are able to finally give their children – and themselves – a safe and secure place to live and learn the skills needed to become independent and self-supporting.
One important component of the AYM program is helping young mothers develop the life skills they need to live independently. Through structured groups and informal interactions, residents learn skills ranging from budgeting to preparing nutritional meals for themselves and their children to addressing an envelope. For many moms in the program, this is the first time they have been able to learn many things that we might take for granted. With staff, interns, and volunteers, residents come in contact with a variety of positive role models who are able to answer questions and exhibit positive parenting and life skills for residents. One recent resident who graduated the program returned and told staff that she had learned so much from the program that it had saved her daughter’s life. Before entering the program, she had not been aware that certain behaviors or actions were putting her baby at risk. Since graduating the program, she has kept in contact with staff while living in her own apartment with her daughter and working full-time. Most recently, she visited the program to tell staff how much money she had saved and that she wanted to continue to “make us proud” of her.

Homeless Youth Initiative

2010-11-09T11:55:00.002-05:00

I just got back from Houston Texas where a presentation on our Homeless Youth Initiative was a huge success. Kathi Sheffel, the Homeless Liaison for Fairfax County Public Schools and I did a workshop at the annual Conference of the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth to tell others about our innovative program and what a difference it is making in the lives of homeless high school students. We were overwhelmed by the response. The conference organizers had told us to expect about 30 people at our workshop and 150 showed up! We heard from educators across the country that they are facing exactly the same situation we are; hundreds of homeless young people who are still in high school and don’t have any family support. Our Homeless Youth Initiative is a unique and innovative solution to this problem that is achieving remarkable results. I am so thankful for the backing of Fairfax County, the foundations, the faith community, our schools and the community members who are keeping us going. I also hope that those who were at our workshop will be able to take some of our ideas back to their communities to help homeless young people nationwide.

Judith Dittman

Three weeks is such a brief time to help

2010-11-02T16:07:00.003-04:00

Teens come to the shelter in crisis and we have up to three weeks to foster solutions to the issues they are dealing with in their adolescent lives. As a therapist working with the teens at the crisis shelter, my hope is that we plant seeds of change. Three weeks is such a brief time and while we try to begin the process of assisting our residents to do things differently, hearing from former residents affirms the work we do. Recently, I received an email and a letter from two former residents and I wanted to share some excerpts with you to show you how our counseling services can influence one's future.

"I was a resident in the alternative house in 2005. When I was there I talked to a counselor about getting some gang-related tattoos removed. I was told about a program called Skin Deep. I really don't know too much about the program. Of course at that time I was 17 years old and I didn't pay to much attention to it. Now I'm 22 years old and after the two weeks that I was there I decieded to change my life around. Your program gave me a little push to improve my life. It wasn't easy, but I did graduate High School. I have a full time job at CVS/Pharmacy and I'm going to start my first year in NOVA in the spring." Karen

"I'm writing this letter to thank you for the services you all provided me with. The two weeks I was there yall encouraged me to better myself thanks to the counseling. Thank you for helping me when I needed it. Yall changed the way I act, feel and I really want to go to college now." Jerome age 16

Susie Guido, LPC
Therapist
Alternative House

Octavia's Story

2010-10-19T09:35:00.000-04:00

Octavia is a client in our Assisting Young Mothers program (AYM). Below in her own words she tells you part of her story.

Good morning! My name is Octavia and I have a son named AJ who is almost four months old. I have lived in the AYM program for five months.

When I was younger, I always wanted to be independent and wanted to see what it would be like to be on my own. But, when I got pregnant, I knew that it was really time to take matters into my own hands. I knew that I needed to learn how to be independent now because I was going to have to take care of a child soon. During this time, I was homeless. My child’s father didn’t want to help. I have family, but they are spread out across the state and busy taking care of their own things. It was important to me that I get to keep and live with my son. I began calling shelters and searching the internet for a better option and I found AYM.

While in AYM, I am working on many different life skills that will help me to become independent and will improve mine and AJ’s future. Before I had AJ, I didn’t know how tired and unmotivated I would be; but being in AYM has really helped me to figure out what my game plan is going to be. During the past five months, I have kept my job and learned how to better improve my situation. One of the biggest changes I’ve made since coming to AYM is doing what I need to do to get what I need for me and my son. Before coming to AYM, I was a big procrastinator. But now I make sure that I am at work on time, working hard to keep my job, scheduling important appointments, and keeping those appointments.

I’ve also been working on building a savings account. The AYM program requires you to save a certain portion of each paycheck. At first, I thought “wow, that’s really a lot of money.” But now I’m glad that I have money saved up.

After having AJ, I’ve learned that you have to live your life differently once you have a child. I’ve learned that you don’t need to have friends over all the time or stay out late. I’ve learned that being in my house at an appropriate time for my child will make tomorrow morning easier for both of us.

In AYM, we all attend a Parenting Group once a week. I think that some young parents really want to do a good job but they don’t know how to. During this group we learn important skills for taking care of our children that we wouldn’t otherwise know, such as appropriate discipline and the importance of reading to your kids.

Having a child is a big responsibility; you have to make a plan for yourself and your child. You need to stay focused on what is important and not what other people are doing. When I first came into the AYM program, I struggled with my priorities; I wasn’t taking full advantage of AYM and I wasn’t pushing myself to do better. Since then, my focus is different. I’m using AYM as a stepping stone to a better future. Being in AYM can be challenging and there are a lot of rules and restrictions to follow; but I’ve seen that if I’m willing to put in the effort, that I can set goals and achieve them.

When people find out that I’m 19 and have a son, they usually say “that sucks.” But when I look at AJ I see our future. I’ve found a stronger sense of faith through my son. I know that I still need to learn a lot and I plan to grow with AJ as he grows. Like I said in the beginning of my speech, becoming independent is something that has been a goal in my life for a long time; but after having AJ, that goal has become much more meaningful. AYM is helping me learn to be independent so that I can have the life I want for me and my son.

Thank you.

Great News for Homeless Teens!

2010-10-15T15:12:00.000-04:00

We just received fantastic news for our Homeless Youth Initiative. Fairfax County is awarding $75,000 to keep the program going. While it won’t cover the full cost, when combined with the Emergency Grant from the Community Foundation of the National Capitol Region, it gets us a long way down the road. Most important, it means the 30 high school students currently in the program that have a safe place to live while they’re in school, won’t be back out on the street. Fairfax County’s Pat Harrison, Dean Klein, Nanette Bowler, Anita Smith and many others were amazing to work with. It is really hard to come up with funding with economic times so difficult for so many. Unfortunately, those difficult times means there are even more young people who need the Homeless Youth Initiative to help them keep a roof over their heads while they’re still in high school. It also means that we are full at our Emergency Shelter for Teenagers and in our Assisting Young Mothers Programs. Our neighborhood outreach staff are also running at capacity with more requests for food, clothing and school supplies than we’ve ever seen. I know, though, that despite the tough times our community won’t let our children and youth down.

Judith Dittman

CSYP Go Ape!

2010-10-05T09:40:00.003-04:00

Alternative House is so grateful to Jenny D’Agostino from Go Ape! for donating a wild and wonderful field trip to the young people in our Culmore Safe Youth Project (CSYP). Go Ape! is located in Rockville, Maryland. It is an adventure course made up of the world's best zip-lines, obstacles and tarzan swings on the most elaborate ropes course you've ever seen. The kids and a few staff members had the best time. Swing by their website to see how fantastic this place is. www.GoApe.com

Thank you Go Ape! I loved climbing with you and this is why:
I am very scared of heights and Go Ape made me overcome my fear of heights. Thanks so much. I loved swinging in the air. Thanks Go Go Go Go Ape! OHOHOHOHOH Tarzan!
Aiah 11 years old

The field trip to Go Ape was the best field trip ever! I cannot wait to go again... It was awesome, specially the zip wires! Thank you Go Ape!
Samman 12 years old

It was so much fun! Even though I was nervous and scared, once I did the first zip wire, and walked on the high swings from one tree to the next, It was so cool! I really want to do it again. Thank you so much Go Ape!
Esmeralda 12 years old

Even though I was not tall enough to do it. It looked so much fun, and I cannot wait to be tall enough to go. I enjoyed going to the lake and seeing the fish.
Sergio 10 years old

Opening Doors for Children

2010-09-28T14:29:00.001-04:00

This morning was our third Opening Doors for Children Benefit Breakfast. It was held at the beautiful Gannett Headquarters building in McLean. Despite driving rain, the room was full and it was an amazing event. Everyone especially enjoyed hearing from a young mother in our Assisting Young Mothers program and one of our rising stars from our Neighborhood Based Outreach Programs, a 13-year old young lady who wants to go to Thomas Jefferson and have a career as an immigration lawyer. Two of our volunteers Debijo Wheatley and Amee Borgoyne spoke of their experiences and brought a tear or two to people’s eyes. Becky Manicone from Greenburg Traurig was the keynote speaker and gave us all a wonderful perspective on why Greenburg Traurig is involved with Alternative House. She also shared how participating in the holiday gift program introduced her young daughter to the concept of giving in a unique and personal way. The event was capped by a video produced by Jerry Ferguson of Fairfax Cable Access. By the time the breakfast was over at 8:30, the sun was out and we all left with renewed hope and dedication to the young people of our community.

Judith Dittman

Learning to communicate

2010-09-22T12:54:00.001-04:00

“Liz”, a 13 year old girl from Fairfax County, came to our Emergency Shelter for Teens recently due to conflict with her biological father. As the oldest of three siblings, Liz struggled with effectively communicating with her father, a single parent, about the difficulties of growing up female without a mother figure in her life. Alternative House staff were able to refer Liz for a psychological evaluation where she received an appropriate mental health diagnosis. Liz and her father actively participated in family sessions where they were able to begin exploring how they could improve their relationship and communication. Liz was able to return home to live with her biological father and will begin individual and family counseling soon.

Are you a teen or do you know a teen who needs help? Alternative House provides free confidential counseling and referrals to teens and parents. Call 1-800-SAY-TEEN or 1-800 729-8336.

Targeted Youth Program

2010-09-20T16:20:00.000-04:00

Our Targeted Youth Program is designed to help students who have been identified by their school as being at-risk of repeating 9th grade. This summer we worked with one student and her family in particular. The focus was on case management for the family as well as individual and family counseling. The family all obtained library cards and have been attending the free English classes offered at the library twice a week. The student, “Lori”, participated in an online summer school class to help her develop her language skills. She hopes that stronger language skills will help her work towards her goal of an advanced high school diploma. We also helped the family obtain giant bonus cards and are working with Lori to help her learn budgeting skills. We assisted the family with providing immunization information to the school to ensure that Lori will not be held up in the beginning of the school year. We’ve also tried to help Lori’s grandmother with the challenges of raising a child in America, with different opportunities and different cultural attitudes towards child rearing than what she grew up with.

August was a busy month for our teens

2010-09-17T12:45:00.001-04:00

Our Emergency Shelter for Teens provided services for 22 residents and their families during the month of August. Residents participated in a variety of outings including going to the DEA museum, a tour of George Mason University campus, a Redskins game, and to the movies. The college tour was conducted by a counselor, who is a current GMU student, and provided the teens an opportunity to explore their educational options and observe the college experience. The residents received information about George Mason that included learning about the admissions process, different degree options, campus life and the tools needed to be successful in college. The Redskins tickets were donated to the game against the Ravens. For most of the residents, this was their first experience attending a professional football game.

Homeless Youth Initiative gets emergency support

2010-09-16T13:38:00.000-04:00

Alternative House just got some very good news. The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region awarded our Homeless Youth Initiative an emergency $25,000 grant so we can help kids who are homeless and still in high school find safe shelter. We were going to have to tell 30 young people that they only had 30 days to figure out how to pay their rent and stay in school. Now that won’t happen.
The Homeless Youth Initiative has had some incredible success this past year. In June of 2009 there were 100 young people ages 16 to 20 who were homeless, who didn’t have the support of a parent or guardian and who were trying to finish high school. Numerous students in this situation had to drop out of school and almost 10% ended up in adult homeless shelters. And let me assure you….an adult shelter is no place for a teenager.
At the end of this year we had 200 high school students in Fairfax who were homeless without the support of a family. But because of this program, none were living in an adult shelter and only one dropped out of school. Seventeen are going on to college full time and many others have found full time jobs and are enrolled in NOVA.
About a month ago, I went to a lunch with a handful of other nonprofit executives and we were asked what was keeping us awake at night. I shared my heartache of possibly needing to close a program that had done so much good -- a program that was making a real difference in the future of some of our young people. Instead of dropping out of school, they are going on to college. Instead of being propositioned in an adult homeless shelter, they were living with a family and graduating from school. At that lunch was Terri Lee Freeman, President of the Community Foundation of the National Capital Region. She said they might be able to help. Less than 30 days later, our program and our young people have some breathing room. It’s not safe yet. These dollars will get us through the next several months but we still need longer term support.
The Homeless Youth Initiative addresses in an innovative way a problem that is growing nationwide. With a combination of host homes (like those who house a foreign exchange student), rent vouchers that pay a small amount (about $350 a month) to a family to rent a room to a student and a small group home in Vienna for four young women, we have made a real difference.
It looks like next year there may be federal funding to address this issue. That won’t help the kids who are homeless and trying to finish school this year. We don’t want our youth in an adult homeless shelter with no education, no prospects and no hope. In the end, it helps all of us to have our young people graduate from high school and move on to productive lives. That’s why we will turn over every stone to search for the dollars to help them.

Pro Energy Consultants and Air Treatment Company Donate Services

2010-09-09T10:13:00.002-04:00

Alternative House is pleased to acknowledge Pro Energy Consultants’ and Air Treatment Company’s contribution of an energy audit and related HVAC services at our emergency shelter for teens in Vienna. Alternative House especially wants to thank Gary Graff and Kathryn Whitecotton for their assistance. Gary, the owner of Pro Energy, conducted the audit himself and found several problems with our air conditioning system. He suggested we have an HVAC company look at them immediately. We then contacted Kathryn, and Air Treatment Company graciously sent a technician, Carl, over to take a look. Carl expertly repaired the HVAC system, explained everything, and even made suggestions on how we could better maintain our system in the future.

Gina Cocomello, Development Director of Alternative House, states, “Alternative House appreciates the support of Pro Energy Consultants and Air Treatment Company. We can’t thank them enough for their generous donations. Both of these Vienna businesses stepped up to help us. They are a perfect example of good corporate citizens, giving back to the community where they do business.“

Youth Advisory Council needs members

2010-08-27T10:03:00.001-04:00

Alternative House is looking for new members for its Youth Advisory Council. The Youth Advisory Council members are local high school students who help Alternative House extend the reach of its programs and services to the young people in the region. The Council serves as a forum during which members share the challenges and issues they and their peers face and use these experiences as a basis for developing, refining, and effectively applying constructive changes to Alternative House's programs, policies, and procedures. Youth Advisory Council members are expected to attend council meetings which are held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., on the first Wednesday of every month from September through June, at the Emergency Shelter for Teenagers and to actively participate in the Council's community service activities, fundraisers, and special events. Please visit our website for more details and for the Youth Advisory Council application.

AYM is Dropping Drop Side Cribs from Inventory

2010-08-25T15:12:00.003-04:00

The Assisting Young Mothers Program (AYM) is reaching out to Alternative House supporters for help. On July 10, 2010 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted unanimously on new mandatory standards for cribs. These new regulations, which are scheduled to take effect in 2011, will ban the manufacture, sale and use of all drop-side cribs. Currently, AYM only owns one crib (out of twelve) that will meet these standards.
But, why make these changes? The Consumer Product Safety Commission attributed 32 infant deaths to defective drop-side cribs and is considering the role of drop-side cribs in 14 other infant deaths. The commission is also pushing for better mattress support, higher quality wood and sturdier hardware. This ban is not just concerning for families with hand-me-down cribs. Hotels, childcare providers, family shelters and transitional living programs will all be responsible for replacing inventory. While necessary, replacing cribs will prove to be expensive. Small companies and non-profit groups, such as AYM, will suffer most from this ban. With little funding in a poor economy, it will be difficult to replace the inventory that has taken so long to build.
Our organization is beginning to prepare for this measure now and will no longer accept drop side crib donations. AYM will fully comply with the orders and mandates of the ban set forth by the safety commission. However, we fear that in doing so AYM infants and toddlers will be forced to co-sleep with their mothers or sleep on mattresses on the floor if our crib inventory is not replaced. Furthermore, these scenarios pose a multitude of other safety concerns and hazards for the children. We rely heavily – almost solely – on the donations of families, companies, and organizations. AYM will not be able to provide cribs to our mothers and children after the ban without the support of our community. We hope to make the transition smoothly and be able to replace all drop side cribs before the ban goes into effect. Please consider AYM when thinking of monetary or gift donations this year.

Back to School

2010-08-21T04:49:00.003-04:00

This month our Wish List is all about Back to School. Help the young people in our programs get a good start with the right supplies. Please share this list with others who may help.
We need Binders, Lined Paper, Spiral Notebooks, Pencils, Pens, Crayons, Colored Pencils, Markers, Glue, Scissors, Calculators and Backpacks. Gift cards to Staples and Payless shoes are also useful.

Donations may be dropped off at the Shelter on Gallows Road in Vienna any day between 9am-8pm or you may call 703 506-9191 for more information.

Making a Difference by Christine Bartell

2010-08-13T09:53:00.000-04:00

Hi I am Christine Bartell and I just joined Alternative House as the new Office Manager and Volunteer Coordinator. I recently left a career in the IT industry after 15 years and decided I that I wanted to change paths after being in the fast pace corporate world. After much thought and a leap of faith, I decided I wanted to contribute my time to something that could help make a difference in a life, however I never thought at the same time it would change mine.
I have never seen such dedication and drive from a group of people to help make an organization run so smoothly. To see the passion that each staff member and volunteer have is beyond amazing in itself and I commend each and every one for what they do. I am excited being here and whether it is stuffing envelopes, sweeping the floors or making someone smile; I look forward to helping here at AH. I believe that we do not always know how we will touch another person’s life however one thing is for sure, I am able to go home and sleep better knowing I made a contribution in one way or another and that these young people will have a better chance in the world doing the same. Isn’t that what life it is really suppose to be about anyway?
We could really use your time and I personally encourage you to come and be a part of Alternative House in one way or another. Whether it is volunteering long term or short term, you can make a difference. I am having the next Volunteer Orientation on August 25th from 6-7pm and would love to meet you and please call me if you want to know more sooner. I can be reached at 703-506-9191.

1-800-SAY-TEEN

2010-08-12T14:53:00.002-04:00

‎1-800-SAY-TEEN This crisis intervention, counseling and referral service is staffed by trained counselors 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Hotline is an immediate resource for youth and parents who need assistance, whether it's a counseling referral or help with parenting resources.

Girl World for ages 9-12

2010-08-09T15:19:00.000-04:00

Alternative House operates a program called Girl World at the Franconia Family Resource Center for girls ages 9 to 12. The girls get homework help and counseling, participate in life skills groups and recreation activities and go on field trips. We also try to identify needs the family have for food, clothing and community resources. Our Boys program provides the same services.

Here are some comments from three of the girls in the program this summer.

Fayra, age 12, “ Being at Girl World makes me want to give something back like the Culmore Clean-up Day and it makes me feel good about myself.”

Giselle, age 9, “This summer I was reading a lot and playing games. They gave me some clothes, snacks, food. I feel safe and happy.”

Maryori, age 11, “I helped with Culmore Clean-up Day and they gave me a shirt. They provide snacks and clothes and food for my family.”

Alternative House Awarded a 4-Star Rating

2010-08-09T15:14:00.002-04:00

Alternative House has been awarded a 4-star rating for sound fiscal management by Charity Navigator. Charity Navigator, America’s premier charity evaluator, highlights the fine work of efficient charities like Alternative House.

Renee Finds a Foster Home

2010-07-29T13:20:00.000-04:00

Renee is a 14 year old girl who moved to the United States about two years ago to be reunited with her mother after several years of separation. Renee attempted to integrate herself into American culture, but her mother experienced many issues with her acculturation including arranging for Renee to live with a family member in what became an abusive situation. When Renee came to Alternative House she had been on the run for several months in an attempt to avoid being abused by her biological family as well as her step family. Renee was at Alternative House for almost two weeks and then taken to juvenile detention due to the runaway report her mother had filed. Throughout Renee's stay, staff advocated for her to be placed in a safe and secure placement, so she would not be at risk for further abuse. After being in the Juvenile Detention Center for 4 days, Renee returned to Alternative House, this time in Child Protective Services (CPS) custody, and stayed for another 11 days while CPS located a foster family for her. She was able to visit with a potential foster family while at Alternative House, and transitioned to that foster home at the end of her stay.

Alternative House named Nonprofit of the Year

2010-07-21T09:26:00.001-04:00

Alternative House is pleased to be named “Nonprofit of the Year” by the Vienna Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce. Senator Chap Peterson presented the award at the VTRCC Annual Service Awards dinner on July 20, 2010 at the Maggiano’s restaurant in the Tysons Galleria. Last year’s winners and many VTRCC members attended.

Judith Dittman, Executive Director of Alternative House, states, “We are so thankful to the VTRCC for recognition of all of the hard work by our dedicated staff and volunteers. Alternative House is truly a community endeavor, and we are thrilled with the support the VTRCC members have always given us. During the last 12 months, we served 230 clients at our residential refuge in Tysons, and we were able to expand our homeless youth, Assisting Young Mothers and after school programs. At risk youth always need our support, but the current economic climate makes our mission that much more critical. VTRCC is a super organization, and we are so happy that we can work together to achieve our goals.”

Alternative House, founded in 1972, transforms the lives of children and youth by helping them stay safe, make positive decisions, achieve educational success, and overcome personal crises by providing counseling, shelter, neighborhood support and after-school programs. Alternative House offers children, youth and families hope for brighter futures. To learn more, please visit the website at www.TheAlternativeHouse.org.

The Vienna Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce has served diverse businesses and citizens in the Northern Virginia communities of Vienna, Tysons Corner, Oakton, Merrifield, and Dunn Loring since the 1940s. Their mission is to provide a strategic link between businesses and the community through community engagement, networking, special events, marketing, advocacy, education and political representation. For more information, see www.vtrcc.org.

Homeless Youth Initiative

2010-07-12T20:17:00.000-04:00

During the 2008 - 2009 school year, approximately 100 youth in the Fairfax County Public School system were identified by their teachers and administrators as being either homeless or unaccompanied. The Homeless Youth Initiative is a two-prong approach to providing assistance to these young people, ages 16 - 21, who are working to complete their high school education by providing a shelter and host families for the youth to live with. Alternative House opened a shelter to house four females, ages 18 - 21, while they attend school and is actively working to match other male and female youth, ages 16 - 21, with host families who will provide them with a stable living environment while they complete high school.

All of the youth participating in this program receive not only housing and community support, but also case management services, individual therapy, life skills education, tutoring, and assistance with emergency food and supplies.

Rewarding Break

2010-06-28T09:24:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wished during a long day at the office that you could get up and have a fun break? Well, basically that was exactly what I did yesterday; I volunteered to help transport children from our program Culmore Safe Youth Project to a field trip at Ultra Zone Laser Tag in Falls Church, Virginia. What a terrific afternoon! The children were so eager to start the game and once we were given the orientation it turned out I got to play too! The giggles were everywhere; Alternative House was the red team, we went up, down, across and even though our team lost, all you were able to hear was the giggles and the laughter. We were only able to offer this outing thanks to a generous donation from the owner of Ultra Zone Laser Tag. For most of the kids that attended it was their first time playing laser tag. It was one afternoon where they were able to just be kids and did not have to face their routine of living in “Culmore” with limited resources, crowded spaces and lack of supervision. Personally, I definitely enjoyed my break and loved hearing the children say this was the best field trip ever!

In the Community Outreach program of Alternative House we constantly try to offer the youth we serve a safe, fun and productive option, whether it be at the teen center, the Safe Youth Project, the Girl World or the Boys Program. In our programs we try to offer a substantial recreational component in addition to the academic and preventive piece. For the mental health and well being of these children they need to be exposed to what is positive out there away from their current situation so they understand that there is much more to life than conflict and struggle. We are very fortunate to receive donations that make these outings possible.

Nandred Navarro
Director, Community Outreach

Mr. Gonzales Has the Right Formula for Volunteering

2010-06-24T16:24:00.001-04:00

By Susan Blalock

Alternative House is proud to announce that Jose Gonzales who is a volunteer at our Culmore Teen Center was nominated and won a volunteer award. He was awarded the Norbert Grabowski Founder’s Award by the Optimists Club of Central Fairfax on Tuesday, June 23, 2010.

Mr. Gonzales first began to come to Alternative House’s drop-in Teen Center in Falls Church to pick up his daughter who was employed as one of our Youth Workers. While waiting for his daughter to complete her work, he noticed that many of the teens in the program were working on homework and that some were really struggling with their math assignments. He took it upon himself to speak with the staff to see if the teens could use a tutor for their work. It has been very difficult for us to get tutors, especially in math, for this program and the staff were so happy that Mr. Gonzales was willing to help out. He has now been coming to the Teen Center on a weekly basis to help teens with their Algebra and Geometry work for about seven months. During this time, Mr. Gonzales’ relationship with the teens has changed from being just a tutor to also being a mentor and a role model. As the teens learned more about him, they really came to respect and look up to him. Mr. Gonzales immigrated to the United States from Peru when he was young and struggled to learn English, assimilate into the American culture, and despite his own personal economic struggles he continued to pursue his education. Many of the youth at the Teen Center struggle with these same issues and Mr. Gonzales has been a source of hope and inspiration for them. In addition to making a difference for these young people academically and on a personal level, Mr. Gonzales serves as a positive role model to the teens by giving back to his community. As a construction worker Mr. Gonzales has the opportunity to work additional hours to support his family, but he has made sure to leave his schedule open on Wednesday afternoons so that he can work with the teens. A perfect example of the respect that the teens have for Mr. Gonzales occurred about a week ago, Mr. Gonzales arrived at the Teen Center to work with one particular teen and the young man did not have his school materials. He said that he had forgotten about tutoring and would run home to get his books. As soon as the teen left, the staff thought that he would not return and that he had used forgetting his books as an excuse to get out of tutoring. A few minutes later, the teen returned to the Teen Center with all of his school materials and worked with Mr. Gonzales for a couple of hours. Many of the teens have seen that working with Mr. Gonzales helps them with their school work and jump at the chance to get math help from him. For many of these teens, there is no one at home who can help them with their school work so working with Mr. Gonzales prevents them from getting frustrated and lost in their school work which has helped some teens bring up their grades. Not only has Mr. Gonzales inspired some of the teens to do better and given them the tools they need to succeed, but he has also helped youth stay in school. The youth that the Teen Center serves all come from low-income families that struggle financially even during good economic times. Some of these teens have been put in a position where their families want them to leave school in order to get jobs to financially help support the family. Mr. Gonzales has worked with a couple of these teens to help them find a good compromise that will allow them to stay in school and work outside of school to help the finances of their family.

Congratulations Mr. Gonzales and thank you for all of your hard work to help the youth in our program.

Our Programs Support Teens by Meghan Huebner

2010-06-21T09:47:00.000-04:00

One of the great things about Alternative House is the variety of programs that we run. This allows us to serve youth and families in multiple ways, and this past month we were able to assist one teen in particular through multiple programs.

“Miranda” came to our teen crisis shelter after leaving her guardian’s home due to alleged physical abuse. A senior in high school, she was weeks away from graduation when she had to leave her home. Miranda had been staying with several friends prior to coming to Alternative House, but this was not a permanent solution. She came into our teen shelter, where she stayed for almost a week while working part-time and attending school. This time was used to find appropriate, stable, longer-term housing for Miranda, who then moved into our HYI program for homeless youth trying to graduate from Fairfax County Public Schools.

Miranda was able to use her time in both programs to maintain her attendance at school and work, and to have a stable living space until graduation. Miranda’s long-term plan is to join the armed forces, where she has already been accepted. During her time at HYI, she was able to reunite with family members and will join them for a permanent living situation after graduation.

We Rocked the House by Gina Cocomello

2010-06-14T16:42:00.000-04:00

On June 13 Alternative House hosted our 14th Annual Rock the House 8K Race. We have been working for months to get ready for this event. On race morning the weather was hot and muggy but no thunderstorms. The morning starts early I arrived before 6:00am bringing in supplies and setting up registration. Soon volunteers started arriving. We needed to get ready for the runners. Over 50 volunteers turned out to support this event. Volunteers registered the runners, handed out T-shirts and bibs. They were stationed on the route as course marshals to cheer the runners on and to serve water. Two volunteers were out on bikes riding the route to help organize the volunteers and watch for the runners. We wanted everyone in place before the race started. Almost 300 runners registered for the race. The runners were getting ready, stretching, doing short sprints, and pinning on their bibs. There was a group stretch and warm up. The DJ was playing Bruce Springsteen songs right before the start. The runners were lining up. We even had a few runners with jogging strollers lined up in the back of the pack. Then they were off. While they were gone we got ready for their return opening cases of bottled water and sports drinks, cutting up fruit and organizing the prizes. It didn’t seem like very long before the first runners were crossing the finish line. One or two at first then more and more, as they crossed the finish line there was lots of cheering, finally the last runner, more stretching and lots of water. Prizes were awarded for best in category and even random prizes so everyone had a chance to win something.

The Rock the House 8K Race is our largest fundraising event of the year. We couldn’t do it without the support from our sponsors, Board, volunteers, staff and runners. I personally want to thank everyone involved in this event. The proceeds from this race go to support our programs and services for homeless and at-risk youth and teens. Thank you.

Thank you for your Service by Gina Cocomello

2010-05-19T04:10:00.001-04:00

Always remember to give back to the community where you live, work and play. Think about what your community would be like if people didn’t share their time, talent, skills and good fortune. Last year at Alternative House we had over 10,000 volunteer hours given to us by people in the community who want to make a difference in the life of a homeless or at-risk youth or teen.

These volunteers were mentors to young mothers trying to find a path to self-sufficiency, answered Hot Line calls for teens in crisis, helped a middle school student with homework and watched as a toddler took her first steps. Alternative House volunteers spent hundreds of hours painting, cooking, doing yard work, collecting donations and stuffing envelopes. Every one of these people helped our clients stay in school, build self-esteem, develop new skills and move forward to becoming productive members of our community. On behalf of the Alternative House staff and clients I would like to say thank you for your service.

Keeping Young People Safe

2010-05-13T09:56:00.002-04:00

by Judith Dittman

As I am writing this, we have nine young people in our Shelter and two waiting to come in. We're only supposed to have eight youth in the house at once, but there is nowhere else for these young people to go. We have eight formerly homeless young mothers and their children in the Assisting Young Mothers program and a long waiting list. So far this year we've helped 50 high school students who are homeless and don't have the support of a parent or guardian. Last year there were 109 young people in this position, so far this year there are 180. And our community based programs are distributing more food and clothing than we ever have -- up 50% from last year. Thank you for your help in keeping these young people safe.

Assisting Young Mothers

2010-05-12T07:44:00.001-04:00

By Meghan Huebner

Working with young mothers in our Assisting Young Mothers program (AYM) for the past four years has truly been a rewarding experience. Being able to work with a family long-term, and see them change before your eyes, is often exciting for staff and residents alike. There have been many wonderful achievements by AYM residents that I have been fortunate enough to witness: high school graduations, earning driver’s licenses, passing certificate courses, obtaining a GED, and much more. The children also achieve many milestones while in our program: first words, first steps, first day at school, and other causes for celebration.

Many times, it’s not the major accomplishments that are the most important. For many residents, it’s the small things that living in a stable household can create that are the most important, and have the most impact. As one resident recently told me when we were talking about her achievements after a year in the program,

Since coming to live at AYM, I have been able to establish a routine for my son, and he is secure with it. He is going to his babysitter and he knows when I am busy that he has to do his own thing. He knows that things will be the same each day and he can rely on me when things are routine.

Her perspective of her accomplishments was completely different than the achievements that I think of when I consider her time at AYM: holding a full-time job for over a year, obtaining her learner’s permit and driver’s license, beginning to enroll in college classes, living in our most independent townhouse and more. At AYM, I am constantly reminded of the importance of looking at both the very big and the very small pictures: everything from buying a car down to a child’s smile.

A Tug at My Heart by Debi Jo Wheatley

2010-05-03T08:34:00.002-04:00

My first glimpse of the Alternative House shelter was attending an Open Door at the House event to learn more about the organization. What struck me most is how hard everyone has to work to keep the place together for the teens. They are in constant need of new bedding for incoming teens, walls need to be repaired and painted, plumbing and a roof may need to be replaced. What could I do to help make the place just a little brighter?
As part of my design work, I also paint and thought maybe I could bring some brightness to the shelter. The brightness was brought to me. As I painted in the kitchen and day room, the kids who were in attendance were so welcoming even in the midst of their problems----problems that they shouldn’t have to face at their young age.
One young lady in particular tugged at my heart. I was finishing some work on a piece that I had started, and she was in the day room on the phone talking with a family member. When she got off, she came my way to see what I was doing. When I engaged her in conversation she harshly stated that she’d been in the system a long time and just wanted to have a steady place to live. The more we sat and spoke, the hard shell cracked open, and she was a fun, vibrant 14 year old, ready to learn what her future might bring.
When she went upstairs to do her homework, she asked me to please let her know when I was leaving so that I could say goodbye to her. It made me realize that there were probably many times in her life that someone left without a goodbye. So, I made sure to say goodbye. I told my husband about this encounter with tears.
Since then, I was asked to serve on the board of directors for Alternative House, a very proud moment for me. Teens have so many issues facing them these days, and to confront homelessness or futility in their daily lives shouldn’t be one of them. What Alternative House brings to these kids is a chance that they might otherwise not have either through the Emergency Shelter for Teens, the Assisting Young Mothers program or the Culmore Teen Center.
I know I will be a proud supporter of Alternative House for a very long time.

New Eyes by Lynn Olden

2010-04-08T15:54:00.001-04:00

I attended the Alternative House Annual Breakfast and Fundraiser in October 2008, and I knew immediately that I wanted to do my field placement at Alternative House. What touched my heart most was the testimonies of the youth who, in various ways, became involved with Alternative House, and how they were helped by the programs. In August 2009, I began my internship experience at AH.
I love this age, adolescence, that transition period-teens learning to adjust to the changes and the choices they are facing. It is a time of excitement and exhilaration and confusion, all at once. They are finally seeing, through their own eyes, the life that they have been preparing for, and realizing that they have the ability to make that life happen.
During my internship at AH, I provided individual and group counseling with the teens and relished the opportunity to listen to their stories, encourage their goals, build positive relationships and help them improve their communication skills to successfully address challenges at school and at home. I also worked with many families, and helped parents and guardians to envision a new possibility for helping their teenager to develop into the kind of person the teen has dreamt of becoming. But what we provide collectively at AH is so much more. We give adolescents a good meal eaten together, respect, structure, expectancy, humor and laughter. We see every adolescent through new eyes, devoid of the mistakes they have made and full of the hope they have lost sight of; and that is what makes all the difference.
The counselors at AH are as competent and dedicated as they are compassionate and creative. They love to have a good time, while they’re doing their work, which makes it a more productive environment. I’ve watched the counselors look for an adolescent’s strength, and then bring it out, so with new eyes, the teen can see and utilize that strength. They care deeply about the adolescents and their families and are intent on seeing the youth succeed. I once heard that the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. The people at AH do great work; and during my internship, they provided me the extraordinary opportunity to share and contribute to that work.
My greatest strength lies in my ability to teach and to remain teachable; I was able to do both while at AH. When I think back to sitting at the table in that breakfast fundraiser, I am proud of myself for this one thing, I had the courage to follow my heart and my intuition, and they did not lead me wrong.

New Van for Alternative House

2010-03-16T11:44:00.000-04:00

Alternative House is pleased to acknowledge The Ward Family Foundation’s contribution of funding, to purchase a new van to distribute survival supplies such as food and clothing to youth in need. Alternative House provides support to at-risk children, youth and families through counseling, shelter, crisis intervention, and neighborhood outreach.

Judith Dittman, Executive Director of Alternative House, states, “We are so thankful to The Ward Family Foundation for their generous donation. Our previous van was more than 10 years old and needed major engine work. The new van got us back on the street at a crucial time when cold weather and school closings increase the need for warm clothing and food for children living in poverty.”

Each month Alternative House distributes an average of 3,000 items of food and clothing to young people from its outreach van. It is a recognized and welcome sight in neighborhoods throughout Fairfax County.

Rock the House by Gina Cocomello

2010-02-17T15:24:00.001-05:00

For almost two weeks now we have been dealing with the effects of the snow. First we had to get ready for it by doing grocery shopping, rearranging our work and school schedules and possibly buying a new snow shovel. Then there was the fun part where the snow was pretty and we all had a few days off and the shoveling was still not too hard.

Now I’m ready for the snow to be gone so let’s fast forward to June and some warm weather. Alternative House is preparing now for our 14th Annual Rock the House 8K Race that will be held at the Fairfax County Government Center grounds as part of the Celebrate Fairfax Festival. So it isn’t too early to start thinking about doing some stretching exercises so when the snow melts you can get ready for the warm weather and our 8K Race.

Ah! So you aren’t a runner, me either. Alternative House is also looking for volunteers to help at our race. We need course marshals to cheer the runners on along the race route. We also need sponsors who would like to support our event. Last year we had almost 400 runners and over 50 volunteers. Our sponsors, runners and volunteers made last years race one of our biggest fundraisers ever.

If you would like information on sponsorship or volunteering contact me at gina_cocomello@thealternativehouse.org If you would like to register to run visit www.runwashington.com in the next few weeks.

Third times a charm

2010-02-10T16:16:00.001-05:00

By Kristin Sorenson, LPC, The Alternative House
Program Therapist for the Homeless Youth Initiative and
the Annandale Targeted Youth Program HYI

I recently completed my first week as Alternative House’s youth and family therapist for their Homeless Youth Initiative and Annandale Targeted Youth Program. Like most first weeks at a new job, it was spent getting to know the program, the staff and the teens I would be working with. This first week was unique however, as I had the advantage of working for Alternative House in the past, and it felt a bit like coming home.

I started my career with Alternative House, as a residential counselor at the teen crisis shelter. I was freshly out of college, and the shelter provided me with my first full time job in the counseling field. I was able to gain experience, hone my counseling skills, and get to know the teens, volunteers, and community members that make Alternative House such a unique place. After working at the shelter for a little over a year, I left the area to pursue my graduate degree in Mental Health Counseling.

After completing graduate school, I returned to Northern Virginia and to Alternative House. I worked as a counselor and therapist at the teen shelter, providing individual and family therapy to the teens and their families. Over time, I transitioned into the role of Program Coordinator at the teen shelter, and was able to continue to provide therapy to the teens and families as well. My time at the shelter provided me with the experience and supervision to work toward my professional counseling license.

About a year ago, I left the teen shelter and Alternative House, to work in a long term, residential facility, for children and teens with severe mental health issues. While it was an incredible learning experience and challenged me as a therapist, I felt that something was missing. What I missed so much was the connection to the community that I always had as an employee of Alternative House. I have always found the shelter, Outreach programs, and the Assisting Young Mother’s program to be environments that are totally unique from any other facility or work experience I have had in the past. The staff are incredibly talented and invested in what they do and they handle crisis like no other. They juggle so much at one time, and they make it look effortless. I always felt fortunate to be around others that were as invested as I was.

When I learned a position was open as the therapist for the new Homeless Youth Initiative Program and Outreach’s Targeted Youth Program, I made the decision to once again return to Alternative House. I am excited to get to know some of the other Alternative House programs and to work closely with county agencies, schools, and local businesses and facilities. I am of course excited to continue working with the youth of Fairfax County and the wonderful volunteers and donors that help make these programs possible.

Nonviolent Crisis Training

2010-02-02T10:25:00.000-05:00

By Meghan Huebner
Director, Residential Services

I recently spent a week training to become a certified trainer for Nonviolent Crisis Intervention. After years of being trained in Nonviolent Crisis Intervention as required for our residential programs, I finally had the opportunity to see things from a different perspective. In addition, I was able to attend the training with staff from hospitals and schools, giving me the chance to interact with professionals from across the youth and mental health spectrum.
Training for Nonviolent Crisis Intervention involves two days of training in verbal and physical de-escalation techniques, one day of "trainer training", and a day of teaching, exams, and physical competencies. At Alternative House, we face many crisis situations in our daily work.
Part of Nonviolent Crisis Intervention training involves diffusing a situation so that no one comes to physical harm. If a youth is pacing quickly back and forth at the teen center while everyone else is doing their homework, or if a resident at the teen shelter is refusing to do their chores, staff is prepared to handle the situation using carefully selected words and body language. During my training, I leaned the reasons behind why these interventions are effective, as well as how negative reactions by staff can escalate a situation.
Although Alternative House uses no physical interventions, I had to learn them all to become a certified trainer. One by one, my fellow trainees and I pretended to punch, kick, and pull one another's hair. We then used the appropriate intervention for each "attack" under the watchful eye of our instructor. After a week, we all certainly felt much closer to one another!
Now that my training is complete, I am certified to train new Alternative House staff and provide refreshers for current staff. We provide Nonviolent Crisis Intervention training with the goal of de-escalating crisis situations before they become out of control, and with the safety of all clients, families, and staff in mind. I look forward to providing staff with new skills and tools to use, and to continuing to advance my training through Nonviolent Crisis Intervention.

Tell Two Friends about our Teen Shelter

2010-01-19T13:23:00.001-05:00

Whenever I watch the local news or read the newspaper, I find that I hold my breath and my heart beats faster when I come across a story involving teens that are missing, possibly runaways or teens that were involved in a traumatic incident – domestic violence, suicide, or a shooting. My mantra is “please don’t let it be one of our teens.” Then I wonder if this teen was aware of the services at the Alternative House teen crisis shelter? I wish that more teens had the opportunity to enter our program, to talk out the heavy demands of their life with a counselor and stay for a restorative period, trying to figure out how to improve their life. My hope is that word of the residential services Alternative House offers will reach as many teens as possible. Perhaps by coming to the Alternative House teen shelter, a potentially harmful situation could be avoided. After you read this, tell two friends about the teen shelter and ask them to tell two friends so we can spread the word and possibly provide assistance to a teen that is hurting, before they hurt themselves, someone else or a situation erupts that could cause lasting harm to the family. If you know of a speaking opportunity (PTA, homeowner’s association, youth group, or any gathering that involves parents of teens or teenagers) please call us as we have speakers available. I want teens to have a chance to choose to come to us.

Susie Guido, LPC
Residential Therapist

Music in the House by Gina Cocomello

2009-12-28T15:16:00.001-05:00

At Alternative House my office is upstairs in the back of the house. Today as I was working away at my desk I thought I heard violin music. It was very nice and I enjoyed listening to it while I continued working. The music continued for a few more minutes so I decided to investigate. Downstairs was a shelter resident a teenaged boy playing the violin. He asked staff if it would be ok if he practiced while he was here. Of course the staff encouraged him to do so. The music was soft and soothing, a nice change from Guitar Hero.

Youth Advisoy Council by Meghan Huebner

2009-12-10T14:18:00.002-05:00

As the director of residential services, I am fortunate to work with teens in a number of different settings. One of the more unique ways is through our youth advisory council, who serve as volunteers to advise Alternative House on shelter policies, perform outreach to their peers, and participate in fundraising. The group of 7-12 teens meets monthly throughout the school year and has participated in various projects, such as gift-wrapping, creating and presenting information to teens on issues of depression, and distributing packets of information to guidance counselors and other individuals who come into contact with teens on a regular basis. They have also selected inspirational quotes that were painted on the walls of our shelter and organized a fundraiser through Ledo’s Pizza.

One current Youth Council member reflected on her experience:

“Despite America’s prosperity, many of the youth in our own country lack essential daily needs. With the recent economic downturn, this has only gotten worse. After seeing a homeless family in D.C. with small children, I decided that I had to do something to help, no matter how small. I joined the Youth Advisory Council at Alternative House, a home for teens who basically need shelter whether it be for the night or the week. I really enjoy laid-back environment at Alternative House and the rewarding meetings that I look forward to each month. Though advertising and suggesting improvements does not seem like much, each little step counts.”

By creating an environment where teens can help their peers and volunteer their time, the Alternative House has created an arrangement where residents, staff, and the teen volunteers can all benefit.

What's for dinner?

2009-12-01T15:32:00.001-05:00

Yum…is that lasagna that I smell? Alternative House’s Emergency Shelter provides services for over 200 youth a year, on average there are 75 youth involved in our Community Outreach programs everyday, as well as the mothers and youth involved in our Assisting Young Mothers program and Homeless Youth Initiative. That translates into huge need for snacks and meals for these young people. During the average week while school is in session, Alternative House provides 56 breakfasts, 28 lunches, 487 snacks, and 455 dinners. Volunteers are essential in helping us in this monumental task. We have several volunteer groups and individual volunteers who drop off or prepare meals for our programs. Some volunteers will prepare a meal just once while others prepare meals either weekly or monthly. Regardless, this is a huge help to our staff. By providing meals for our Emergency Shelter for Teenagers and Outreach programs, volunteers allow our staff to focus on individual coaching sessions with teens rather than meal preparation. In the Community Outreach program these snacks and meals represent food that the youth might otherwise not have access to. By providing meals for the Assisting Young Mothers program volunteers are helping the mothers by alleviating one of the many tasks of their personal, work, and family life that they are trying to balance. All of our programs eat family-style meals and this helps them to know that other people care about them and have the opportunity to interact with positive adult role models. Thank you to all who help us feed the youth we serve and please contact us if you would be interested in helping to provide snacks or meals for our programs.

Thank You

2009-11-09T12:22:00.000-05:00

Just a short while ago I was writing a piece for our newsletter on thanks and Thanksgiving. Our newsletter pieces are very short and I wasn’t able to talk about ALL the things I’m thankful for. (I won’t here either – just a little more in depth.)
People often ask me if it isn’t sad or depressing to work with young people who are homeless or who don’t have the advantages many of us take for granted. My answer is “sometimes”. It’s sometimes difficult to see the hard knocks life has handed the youth we help but it is good to know that because of our shelter, youth are not sleeping on the street and because of AYM, homeless young mothers and their babies have a safe place and that because of our outreach, disadvantaged children have food clothing and a chance to grow. I’m thankful that Alternative House is here giving all these young people an alternative and I’m thankful every day that I can come to work and help make it happen.
I think one of the key words in that last sentence is help make it happen. There are so many people involved at Alternative House. In addition to our dedicated staff we have amazing volunteers. I’m very thankful for them. Our Board of Directors are volunteers as well. They are talented and caring and make sure that we stay on track both financially and, as an organization committed to making things better for children and youth. I can’t begin to tell you how thankful I am that they stand by Alternative House.
Finally, I must add how thankful I am for all of our donors and sponsors. In these hard economic times where more children need our help, our donors have stepped in. Whether it’s a pledge at our benefit breakfast, the donation of time and labor to help keep our Shelter safe and operational, a workplace giving donation or a coat drive, these gifts mean we can be here at a time when it is more critical than ever to help our community’s at-risk children and youth. I’m very thankful for that. Thank you to all of you who make such a positive difference.

Holiday Adoption Program

2009-10-26T12:44:00.000-04:00

Years ago before I was working for Alternative House when I was in another career I had the fun job of doing community outreach for my company. I often worked with nonprofit organizations helping them with fundraising events. But there was one thing I always looked forward to. Each year during the Holidays my company would adopt a family or some children and purchase gifts for them. I got to do the shopping. I selected gifts from a list that was given to me by the nonprofit organization representing them. I did this for years. It became a tradition that I truly enjoyed.

For many of the young people in Alternative House programs the only Holiday gifts they will receive are those donated by people like you and me. If you, your office, faith group or family would like to adopt one or more of our young people for the Holidays we will supply you with a Wish List that each client has filled out. Then you can select the gifts and deliver them to us by December 8. We will even do the gift wrapping for you. Each of our clients has selected three gifts under $30 each. We will give size information and favorite colors. I hope you will consider adopting one of our young people this Holiday Season. This is especially fun if you have children. Let them help with the shopping and selection process. This could be the start of a new tradition in your family.

For more information on this program please contact me at gcocomello@gmail.com

Volunteers Help Alternative House

2009-10-14T13:29:00.000-04:00

Alternative House could not serve the youth and their families in our area without the tremendous support of its volunteers. Last year alone we had 561 volunteers donating over 8,450 hours of their time. These volunteers helped the staff in our programs, prepared meals, sorted donations, held donation drives, helped us maintain our facilities, assisted with special events, and anything else that we needed help with. Our volunteers represent a wide variety of people. We have both undergraduate and graduate level interns who are working with us to meet school requirements or to gain experience in the field. We have a core of corporate and religious groups who come to the Emergency Shelter for Teens and to the Assisting Young Mother’s Program on a weekly basis to prepare meals as well as many different groups who came to our programs to do projects that help us maintain and beautify our facilities. There are individuals who volunteer faithfully on a weekly basis in our programs; working directly with the youth and impacting their lives. We also have individuals who come to our programs just once or twice to do “handyman” type of task, yard work, and donation sorting. If you would like to join our team of hard working and dedicated volunteers who give us a helping hand, then please contact us.

September at the Shelter

2009-09-26T13:25:00.000-04:00

September can be a busy month for teens and their families. Back-to-school preparation, end of the summer plans, switching into fall mode….there is certainly a lot to do this month! For many families, however, it can also be a stressful time. Will there be enough money for school supplies? What kind of grades will be brought home this semester? What is going on at home when parents are still at work? There are many concerns that families have, and many factors that contribute to these concerns. Fortunately, there is also a support for these families in crisis.
The Alternative House’s Teen Crisis Shelter is designed to serve families in need. If a teen is thinking about running away because of the arguments they’ve been having with their parents over school, if a parent does not know what to do because their child has been sneaking out of the house after curfew, or if a social worker needs information for a family that has been in conflict over a recent separation, the teen shelter is available to provide the needed services. Whether it is counseling over the phone on our toll-free 24-hour hotline, providing referrals and resources, or conducting individual, group, and family counseling with residents, the teen shelter helps families transition out of crisis.
Most recently, we helped a youth whose parent was hospitalized to find a safe and secure home with a relative, gave another youth a safe place to stay while she transitioned to a long-term mental health residential treatment center, and facilitated a reunification between a mother and her son, who had been out of the country for four years. Each month, no matter what time of year, brings positive changes to the lives of teens and families.

Opening Doors for Children

2009-09-05T12:53:00.001-04:00

As the Development Director of Alternative House a big part of my job is to carry the message about our programs and services for homeless and at-risk youth and teens out into the community. I often speak to corporate, faith and civic groups. I enjoy telling them about how our programs help the young people we serve stay safe, stay in school, build their self esteem, learn valuable life skills and to become self-sufficient. I try to use examples of how our programs have helped individuals and families overcome difficulties.

What is even better then hearing me tell you these stories is to hear it directly from some of our clients and to meet some of our program staff. I would like to take the opportunity to tell you about the Alternative House second annual Benefit Breakfast Opening Doors for Children that will be held on Wednesday, October 7, 2009. This event will be held at the Gannett Building in Mclean, it is free and it will only last one hour. During that hour our guests will hear from several of our clients, and have the opportunity to meet with program staff. You will also have the opportunity to see a video about Alternative House, meet our Executive Director and Board members.

Yes, this is a fundraising event. You will be asked for a donation. There is no donation too large or too small. We will consider this event a success if we are able to raise funds to continue providing our programs and services for youth, recruit new donors and volunteers who can offer us professional services. We want the opportunity to tell the Alternative House story to people who are interested in learning about us first hand.

If you would like to learn more about this event or you are interested in attending please contact me at 703 506-9191.

Our First Blog

2009-08-25T15:09:00.000-04:00

This is the debut of the Alternative House “blog”. As the Executive Director I have the opportunity to be the first staff person to blog. At the moment, that seems like a mixed blessing. As Gina, our Development Director, commented when I asked her how long this piece should be, “your newsletter articles are always longer than they’re supposed to be. I’m sure you will have no trouble filling up the blog.” Faced with a blank piece of paper, however, that doesn’t seem so certain.
The thing that I am best at talking about or writing about are the kids who are in our programs and the staff and volunteers here at Alternative House who do such an amazing job, so that is what this first posting will be about.
Alternative House has helped thousands of young people over the 37 years we’ve been in existence. Just this past year, we helped 13 young mothers and 15 children in our Assisting Young Mothers (AYM) program and almost 200 young people at our Emergency Shelter for Teenagers. Our Outreach staff worked with more than 1,500 young people providing help and support to youth who are at risk of dropping out of school or making other unsafe choices.
To help these young people be safe and make positive choices takes some very special people. The dedication of the staff at Alternative House is incredible. Our Directors and Program Coordinators are available 24 hours a day to provide guidance to staff when a young person has a crisis. Our counselors work very hard to help young people find their way to a more stable, positive place.
Our Outreach staff recently went that extra step for a young person who took a devastating blow. A girl who has been coming to our drop-in teen center in Culmore recently lost her mother. Her father is disabled and the mother was the primary financial support for the family. Our counselors have connected the father to resources in our community so that they will be able to keep their apartment. We have been able to help with food and clothing and link the family to longer term help. But the counselors in our Outreach program didn’t stop there. Since the family has no money, grief counseling seemed out of the question. However, after many phone calls, our staff found “Camp of Hope” which will provide counseling twice a week for this young girl as she struggles to cope with the death of her mother and the family’s precarious financial situation.
This is just one example of the way the people who work at Alternative House go beyond what is expected and strive for excellence.
Our volunteers also go way beyond for the young people in our programs. Community members do everything from helping with dinner to answering our 24-hour hotline (1-800-SAY-TEEN) to shooting hoops with a youth at the Shelter. It means a lot to the young people in our programs to know that there are people who care enough about what happens to them that they will take time out of their busy day to show they care. Last year volunteers provided almost 9,000 hours of service.
My final thoughts are on the young people who come to Alternative House. At first glance a young person who ran from an abusive home, a young mother who doesn’t have her high school degree and is homeless or a youth struggling to stay out of neighborhood gangs may not seem to have a lot going for them. What you find after meeting these young people and talking with them are that each one has special qualities and gifts and most just need a little help to build on them. That’s the help that Alternative House provides.