Overview
An important part of our COVID-19 recovery framework goals is to ensure that businesses thrive, everyone has access to their basic needs, and the city of Alexandria can make long-term investments for the future. The Alexandria Community Access and Emergency Support Grant Program funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) is a project built upon findings from the City’s 2021 Emergency Bridge Pilot Program.
Recognizing nonprofits have deep, trusted relationships with community members, ACT for Alexandria is working in collaboration with the Department of Community & Human Services to ensure that ongoing resource needs are met through the provision of tangible aid (emergency assistance) for individuals and that individuals and families are accessing federal, state, and local programs (community access). Emergency assistance includes, but is not limited to gift cards, transportation assistance, childcare, eviction prevention, and rental assistance. Investing in this work is necessary as access, language, literacy, technology, and other barriers pose a challenge for many community members who are applying for assistance.
Emergency Support
This grant program has been offered in six month increments to respond to the changing and evolving needs of community members, with 13 organizations selected for funding in the first round. Twelve organizations were selected for the second round in late 2022. In response to community needs, housing stability focused grantees received funds in Spring 2023. With the most recent round of funding, ACT for Alexandria partnered with the City of Alexandria Department of Community & Human Services (DCHS) to provide $325,000 for existing programs in Alexandria that currently address food security. The goals for this program included increasing culturally sensitive food supply to meet neighborhood needs, and leveraging community relationships to serve vulnerable and marginalized Alexandrians experiencing food insecurity.
Community Access
Eight organizations were selected to use this funding to support and address the ongoing needs of Alexandrians.
Community Access & Emergency Support Grantees
ACAES Joint Press Release, ACT for Alexandria and City of Alexandria
Questions? Please contact Shelley Spacek Miller at shelley.miller@actforalexandria.org or (703) 739–7778.
This program is being supported by the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds award number 21.027 awarded by the City of Alexandria, Virginia by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.