NeighborShare ALX, a pilot launched by ACT for Alexandria in partnership with NeighborShare, provided fast, flexible financial support to residents facing sudden financial hardship as a result of the federal government shutdown. Trusted local nonprofits identified residents with urgent needs and donors chose which needs to fund, directly supporting the people who needed it most.
For Old Town Community Church (OTCC), NeighborShare ALX is an expression of deeply held values. “We follow the teaching of Jesus to love our neighbors,” says Rev. Brian Hoysa, reflecting on why the pilot initiative resonated so immediately with their mission. “The concept is captivating. As a member of a community, you become more aware of needs and find organized ways to respond.”
Senior Pastor, Dr. Philip Faig frames it as a dual calling. “What we try to do is meet the needs of people who are struggling — the material, tangible needs like hunger and utilities — but also nurture the spiritual need we all have to give of ourselves. NeighborShare ALX is an opportunity to do both of those things.”
This philosophy shapes how OTCC has long approached community investment. When they learned about NeighborShare ALX, OTCC rapidly directed a portion of their annual grants budget toward supporting the pilot program, recognizing in its neighbor-to-neighbor model something familiar and powerful. “It helped us do what we already do, just in a deeper way we hadn’t yet tapped,” Rev. Hoysa notes.
The enthusiasm is shared across Alexandria. At a mayor-clergy gathering representing ten to twelve churches across Alexandria, Dr. Faig raised NeighborShare ALX and the response was supportive, “This is a centralized, organized way for the help that faith communities are already trying to give to reach the people who have need it.” Rev. Hoysa echoed that sentiment, “This is something that can help us be caring in a way that doesn’t duplicate efforts,” he observed. “It helps us meet real, clear needs.” For congregations on the front lines of community need, that kind of coordination can be quietly transformative.
This commitment extends naturally to OTCC’s longstanding partnership with ACT. “ACT convenes people who care about this city,” Dr. Faig says. “Someone has to do that work, bringing people, passions, and the desire to do good together. When ACT calls, we want to answer.”
Brian adds that ACT’s work, including signature initiatives like Spring2ACTion, paints a picture of Alexandria’s nonprofit community that generates real hope. “It gives people hope to know that there are so many people with talents and resources trying to intentionally and strategically direct them for good,” he says. “ACT makes that visible. And good results come from that.”
NeighborShare ALX is proof that when neighbors are connected with purpose and infrastructure, genuine community care becomes possible. ACT was NeighborShare’s first community foundation partner bringing this innovative model to Alexandria before anywhere else. In 3 months, the platform distributed more than $32,000 in direct assistance, reaching more than 250 neighbors, including over 115 children. NeighborShare ALX made Alexandria’s spirit of generosity tangible: neighbor helping neighbor, one need at a time.