THANK YOU'S for a Successful Spring2Action

SOHO girls, watched over by Del Ray Program Director Angela,
work hard on their hand-written thank-you notes to Spring2Action donors.

On Wednesday, April 5th, the whole community (Alexandria and beyond!) mobilized to give a total of $1,592,459 to local non-profits, including many AMP programs.  Casa Chirilagua Mentors won the contest of most donations over Casa Kids Club and Casa Bible Study, while the entire organization received 4th place for most overall donors and 2nd place for most overall dollars!  The Alexandria Seaport Foundation received 7th for most overall dollars, while Space Of Her Own had a record-breaking fundraising year and finished 15th for most overall donors and 17th for most overall dollars. Casa Chirilagua, Community Lodgings, Space of Her Own, and Wright to Read all received matching grants from the Mason Hirst Foundation.  BRYCE Project and CCNA: RARE also participated in the event and received substantial donations.  On behalf of all AMP programs, we thank everyone who contributed!  

Thanks is the most important part, as 10 SOHO boys and girls learned this past week.  For an entire day each on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 8 girls from Space Of Her Own and 2 boys from Space Of His Own gathered together to create hundreds of hand-written thank-you's to everyone who donated to their program.  Each wrote about what the donations will be used for, how their mentor helps them, and what their favorite part of SOHO is.  While the task was daunting and left the participants with some cramped fingers from so much writing, each expressed at the end of the day how grateful they were to everyone who had donated to make SOHO possible, and how rewarding it was to be able to express those thanks personally.  

Spring2Action is a yearly day of giving sponsored by Act for Alexandria.  Learn more about this year's fundraising results, and continue to follow AMP to see what amazing future events and projects these contributions support.  

Casa Chirilagua Open House

"Mi Casa es Tu Casa" and "Home Sweet Home" was written all over, from t-shirts to posters to individual invitations.  "Welcome to your new home!" was shouted by Casa Chirilagua Executive Director, Dawnielle Miller.  The event title of Grand Opening was interchangeable with "Open House," emphasis on house.  But nothing displayed how "homey" the new community space on Mt. Vernon Ave was like the hundreds of Chirilagua neighborhood families who came out to celebrate Casa Chirilagua's new base.  

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Casa Chirilagua moved into their new center/program spaces/office at the beginning of March, and has been holding their weekly Kids Club and Bible Study meetings there since.  On Saturday, April 1st, a grand event was held to celebrate the new space.  Previously, Casa Chiri's offices and programs had taken place at different partner churches in the Northern Alexandria area.  Now, Casa Chirilagua has one home, in the very center of the neighborhood that they serve. 

The event began with speeches by Board Member Jim Vandehei, Mayor of Alexandria Allison Silberberg and Executive Director Dawnielle Miller.  The Mayor then assisted Casa Chiri students in the ribbon cutting ceremony.  The entire day was hosted by two Casa Chiri parents: a parent committee member and volunteer/mentor, who presented and translated everything for both the Spanish and English audience members.  

Video: Guatemalan Dance;
Top Picture: Honduran Dance:
Bottom Picture: Salvadoran Dance

The beat picked up when Casa Chirilagua kids presented dances from the three main countries represented by Chirilagua families: El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Next attendees were given a tour of the new space, which has a central area and multiple rooms for programs.  Afterward everyone settled down for a community picnic, with Central American food such as atole (a milk and corn drink), nacatamales (banana leaf wrapped tamales), and baleadas (filled wheat tortillas) was served.  Families sat at tables while children bounded with energy, playing soccer, table games, and creating crafts.  With the afternoon at 65 degrees and the sun shining down, it felt like the first sign of summer community fun.

While Casa Chirilagua has been centered in the Chirilauga community for 10 years now, it has finally found its home among its neighbors and supporters.  We wish Casa Chirilagua a happy housewarming, and look forward to more community events to come! 

Follow Casa Chirilauga at www.facebook.com/CasaChiri/ to keep updated on programs and events. 

Casa Chirilagua visits City Hall

Andres and his mentor at City Council

Alexandria is often called a big city with a small town feel, and nothing exemplifies that designation more than the relationship between the City Government and community members.  A few weeks ago, Andres* from Casa Chirilagua and his mentor put on their best suits and visited the City Council meeting in order to talk about mentoring.  After getting up to speak, Andres gave a gift to Mayor Allison Silberberg: a handmade purse from Guatemala.  

In thanks to Andres and Casa Chirilagua, Mayor Silberberg invited a group to visit her offices at City Hall.  Andres was accompanied by his mentor, his mother, two fellow Casa Chiri kids, and two Casa Chirilagua staff: Mentoring Director Adriana Schellhaas and Elementary Programs Director Marissa Salgador. 

Read more about Andres and his speech at the City Council meeting on the Casa Chirilagua Blog, and read up on the Casa Chirilagua visit to the Mayor's office in the Alexandria Gazette.  

*Name changed for privacy reasons. 

Casa Chirilagua staff and mentees, accompanied by Andres' family and mentor, meet with Mayor Silberberg after getting a tour around City Hall.

A message from Casa Chirilaga: Kids Club members