We are updating this page with our immediate needs as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our programs. We continue to provide support to the youth in our residential programs and our Family Resource Centers are distributing food and providing other kinds of support over the phone.
Join our COVID-19 Task Force
We are sending emails as our needs arise to a group we’re calling our “COVID-19 task force.” This small group will receive updates as they come in about what we need. They’ll leverage their own resources and also their networks to help us make connections and provide food and other resources to people who need help the most.
Donate to our COVID-19 Relief Efforts
Many of our most important needs right now can only be met monetarily, and financial contributions are much needed and appreciated. Many of the youth in our programs who work hourly jobs have been laid off, resulting in more need for food, resources, and rental support. Their progress toward greater income has been delayed because of job training programs or secondary schools being put on hold. Many families from our Community Based Programs who rely on hourly jobs have lost their income as well as the support for their children usually provided at school every day. The youth and families we serve need us now more than ever.
Your donations are deeply impactful: $100 provides three weeks of food for a young woman and her child at Second Story for Young Mothers, $250 provides five therapy sessions through these challenging and often anxious times, and $1,500 covers approximately two months of rent and resources for a young person in Second Story for Homeless Youth.
If you’re in a position to give, please consider making a monetary donation to support youth and families made even more vulnerable by COVID-19. Your contributions allow us to continue serving at the front lines of this crisis, providing essential support to those who need it the most.
Help Locate Housing
One of our most important non-monetary needs is for host homes, rooms to rent, or leads on rooms in the Northern Virginia area. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many additional challenges to the young people in our program. The difficulty of securing affordable housing has increased, and the number of housing scams has been increasing along with it. Young people are vulnerable to this type of situation and our staff want to ensure that youth are safely and securely housed. We are looking for room-for-rent opportunities or people who are willing to open up their home to our young people to provide them with reliable, steady, and secure housing so that they can continue with school, work, or a combination of both. As life becomes more challenging in our area in a variety of ways, we hope we can continue to support our young people with positive housing arrangements. We provide rental subsidies for rooms for rent at a maximum cost of $600, as well as support for host homes (where there is no cost to us or the youth). If you or someone you know would be open to discussing this opportunity, please contact Second Story for Homeless Youth Program Manager, Michelle Stitt.
Give In Kind
- “Activity kits” for youth in our after-school programs. We will deliver them with groceries to youth so that we can facilitate craft projects over Zoom! We’re looking for donations of kits with the following supplies: Glue, Glue sticks, Scissors, Paint, Crayons, Paper, Markers
- Target gift cards
- 2 water hoses
- Youth-sized masks
- 20-30 masks (homemade is ok, N95 is unnecessary)
- Safeway gift cards ($10 and $20 increments are preferred)
- First aid kits
- Paper towels
- Microwave packs of rice
- Maseca brand corn flour
- Toothpaste
- Mop
- Shampoo
- Body wash
- Body lotion
- Hand sanitizers
- Cleaning supplies
- Toilet paper
- Water
- Bars of soap
-
Diapers size 6
-
4T pullups
-
baby wipes
- Granola bars, trail mix, and other snacks
- Food delivery (ie pizza & takeout)
- Frozen foods
- Family/Individual meals
- Chicken nuggets
- Pizzas
- Instant meals (ie Chef Boyardee, Mac n cheese)
- Pasta sauce (medium jars)
- Instant oatmeal
- Wipes
- Gloves
- Boxed/Canned milk (shelf stable)
- Meal helpers
- Canned meats
- Protein milked powder
- Canned soup & pasta sauce
- Canned fruit & vegetables & individual fruit cups
- Beans (black & kidney)
- Peanut Butter
- Crackers
- Pancake mix
- Syrup
- Other shelf-stable food
Gift cards can be emailed to admin@second-story.org or mailed to Second Story attn: Christine Bartell, PO Box 694, Dunn Loring, VA 22027.
All other items can be shipped or dropped them off to 2100 Gallows Rd, Vienna, VA 22182. If you’re dropping them off please text Christine Bartell at 703.217.5205 to let us know you’re on your way, and you can simply leave your items on the doorstep. If you’re shipping your donation please include a note with your order including your name and email address if you would like to receive a donation receipt – donations without this information will be considered anonymous and no receipt will be distributed. For other ideas or questions please email our Director of Resource Management, Christine Bartell.
Host a Fundraiser
There are other ways to help with financial support, too. A great way to spread the word and involve your community is to host a fundraiser. There are several ways you can do this.
- Host a Facebook fundraiser. Learn how here.
- Start a Gofundme and share it with your community.
- Reach out to your community groups (like your church, parents’ group, book club, etc.) and consider hosting a fundraiser.
For more information or if you want to host a fundraiser, email Vice President of Development, Jade Leedham. We’d love to talk about your ideas and provide support!
As always, we appreciate all kinds of support – in-kind donations, helping us spread the word, and monetary donations, and we want to be sure you understand the wide range of need and all the ways you can partner with us.
