A Rainy but Successful Lemonaide Day

It was a chilly May morning, but that didn't stop dozens of kids from setting up tables for Kids Helping Kids: Lemonaide Day on Saturday, May 13. Proceeds from the lemonade went to 6 different Alexandria non-profits, including two AMP programs: Space Of Her Own and Wright to Read.

On King Street, SOHO had its own stand set up, manned by SOHO Club mentees and mentors.  SOHO Club is made up of graduates of the SOHO 5th grade program, and creates events where girls continue to meet with their mentors and fellow SOHO girls.  These girls volunteered their Saturday in order to raise money for future SOHO girls' room makeovers, and to thank those who donated in the past and contributed to their own events and projects.  As the morning turned to afternoon, the sun came out and the day warmed up, bringing a bright end to a great day of kids going the extra mile.

Check out the SOHO Stand, and see more photos of stands from Lemonaide Day on the Kids Helping Kids Facebook.

AMP is Hiring!

Interested in getting into the non-profit or local government sector? Have a passion for youth mentoring and program capacity building? Want to work within sight of Washington, DC?

Become an Americorps VISTA with the Alexandria Mentoring Partnership!

Duties include expanding the overall capacity of AMP and its partner programs through mentor recruitment, training, and matching, as well as developing a system of ongoing communications. The second year VISTA will be focused on creating and enhancing mentor trainings to better support quality mentoring relationships.

Requirements include a minimum age of 18 and some college education.

Skills include youth development, education, teamwork, recruitment, community organization, communications, writing/editing, public speaking, computers/technology, and event planning.

Program Benefits include healthcare benefits, childcare assistance (if eligible), relocation allowance, and choice of Education Award or End of Service Stipend.

The AMP VISTA will work in cooperation with the Virginia Mentoring Partnership and Alexandria Court Service Unit. This is a full time, one-year position based in Old Town Alexandria. The VISTA Program Coordinator will serve from Mid-August, 2017 to Mid-August, 2018.

Learn more about the position by reading the Americorps VISTA Job Listing.  

May Newsletter

Our May Newsletter is now available.  Highlights include:

News : SOHO Photography Exhibit
Upcoming Events : Lemonaide Day
April Highlights : Mayor & County Recognition Day of Service

Check out the whole newsletter here.  

Marjorie from Wright to Read

From student Marwah:

Each week, Marjorie and I do reading worksheets, we read and we talk. Sometimes we talk about reading and sometimes we talk about stuff we just want to talk about. We read chapter books and also fiction and non-fiction. We’ve been reading together for almost a year.

Outside of the library, we’ve gone to the IHOP [for the holiday dinner]. We also went to the summer picnic. Also, we sometimes eat marshmallows after reading.

From working with my mentor, I’ve learned how to read fluently and how to understand what I’ve read. And I’ve learned a lot more sight words. Marjorie has helped me get my reading level really high, and she’s always nice.

From tutor/mentor Marjorie:

Marwah and I have been reading together at Beatley Library once a week for close to a year. Her improvement over that time has been amazing and inspiring to watch. She has
always had a wonderful attitude, but now I see her confidence growing as she tackles big words and complex sentences.

We typically spend our hour together reviewing flash cards, practicing writing, doing workbook exercises and reading books of Marwah’s choice. She is open to reading almost any book, but she especially likes ones with colorful pictures and ones with animals. Marwah also has a wonderful sense of humor and expressively gives voice to the characters in funny books, like Mo Willems’ “Elephant and Piggie” series. Her favorite sweet is a marshmallow so I sometimes remember to bring those along.


Through Wright to Read, I’ve been able to work with Marwah to improve our reading, but I’ve also gotten to know her whole family. It’s a great organization, providing plenty of support and help.

This article was previously featured in the Alexandria Gazette and the Wright to Read Blog.