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Celebrating 350 Volunteers – Housing + Volunteers = Success

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Clockwise from top left: Nathaniel “Pic Jones, is an eight-year volunteer resident at MonteVerde Apartments, a senior AHC apartment community in Baltimore; Sharon Showalter, a 10-year tutor, has helped several students through the college application process; Leslie Korn wears multiple volunteer hats, including food distribution and tutoring; Caroline Wolford loves making learning fun and engaging – she started volunteering as a freshman in college and is currently working on her masters in education.

Providing services where residents live is AHC’s secret sauce. Volunteers are the key ingredient.

This Volunteer Month, AHC is celebrating the nearly 350 individuals and groups who generously contribute their time and talents annually through our education and social services programs.

“Our volunteers exemplify ‘Housing + Volunteers = Success,” says Laura Jackson, Resident Services Volunteer Coordinator. “AHC is grateful to the many committed individuals and groups who are making a real difference to residents where they live. Thanks to them,  students are achieving academic success and going to college and families and seniors are participating in much-needed services like food distributions and vaccine clinics steps from their front doors.”

The majority of AHC’s volunteers work directly with youth through our multi-tiered education program. Their support is changing lives. Volunteers help build students’ literacy and math skills in our afterschool and teen programs and partner one-on-one with high school juniors and seniors to help them navigate the journey to college and/or careers.

Volunteers also provide invaluable helping hands during community activities, from supporting food distributions to creating nutritious snack bags for youth and seniors.

We are also grateful to generous individuals who live at AHC apartment communities and volunteer their time to help neighbors, including a dedicated group of seniors at MonteVerde Apartments in Baltimore who deliver food to frail neighbors, help at vaccine clinics, and help Resident Services staff provide community events.  Read more.

Making Measurable Differences

Volunteers’ efforts are making a real difference. Our elementary students’ reading is improving measurably. The number of students who are on grade level or above jumped from 25% to 35% this year. All 42 seniors in our College and Career Readiness program are graduating from high school. These determined students, working with dedicated mentors, have already earned more than $4 million in college scholarships and grants – and the amount continues to grow.

At the property level, nearly 500 families at 10 different AHC properties are getting groceries every month. Volunteers are a huge part of the food distribution programs’ success. And countless individuals and groups created more than 3,000 colorful, healthy snack bags this year as study aids for students and special treats to brighten isolated seniors’ days during the pandemic.

Celebrating Long-Time Volunteers

Some individuals volunteer year after year. Their ongoing service provides the continuity and meaningful relationships that help students immeasurably and are the hallmark of our programs. We are deeply grateful for volunteers’ dedication and commitment. As of this year, 51 people have volunteered for more than five years.

In 2022, we are honoring 10 outstanding volunteers who have reached the five- or 10-year milestone. Deep thanks to Patricia Arriagada (5 years), Colin Bracis (5 years), Alyse Gardner (5 years), Alex Hegji (5 years), Lisa Ju (5 years), Leslie Korn (5 years), Peter Pfeifer (5 years), Lauren Rosenthal (5 years), Sharon Showalter (10 years), and Caroline Wolford (5 years).

Different Perspectives; Similar Personal Rewards

This year’s steadfast volunteers come from many different perspectives and bring a variety of skills to the students they support. For some, related jobs are the connection. Alex Hegji, a five-year mentor, works for the Congressional Research Services advising Congress about student loans. She says, “Volunteering as a mentor is a way for me to work on the front end of the issue, helping students before they get college loans.”

Others are committed to education. Caroline Wolford’s volunteer experience has paralleled her interest in a teaching career. She started volunteering five years ago as a freshman on the Marymount Women’s Lacrosse team. Volunteering with AHC’s Afterschool program has been part of the team’s community service activities for years. Now finishing her master’s in education from Marymount, Caroline will be teaching in Fairfax County in the fall. She plans to continue volunteering at AHC.

Some volunteers are drawn by the opportunity to give back to the community. High school senior Lauren Rosenthal has volunteered since she was in 7th grade, following her older brothers’ footsteps. Volunteering is part of their family culture.

Leslie Korn enjoys the opportunity to help a variety of individuals. She wears several AHC volunteer hats. In addition to running the weekly food distribution program for seniors at Hunter’s Park, she tutors AHC elementary students one night and teens another.

No matter what draws individuals to AHC’s programs, the common thread among volunteers is the reward of helping others while building lasting personal relationships.

Sharon Showalter, a 10-year volunteer, started as a teen tutor and helped the same student for several years – through his high school and eventual college graduation. They still keep in touch and Sharon is planning to mentor his younger brother. She says, “I love the awesome relationships with students – learning from them about their interests and world views and sharing in their excitement when they hear back from college.”

Echoes five-year volunteer Colin Bracis. “AHC has done a fantastic job of pairing teens who need a little extra academic help with willing and able volunteers with some knowledge to share. I’ve enjoyed being a part of this community and having the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives.”

Learn More About AHC’s Volunteer Programs

Learn more about AHC’s volunteer opportunities at https://www.ahcinc.org/get-involved/volunteers/ or email volunteer@ahcinc.org. Ongoing training and support provided.

About AHC Inc

Founded in 1975, AHC Inc. is a nonprofit developer of affordable housing that provides quality homes and education programs for low-and moderate-income families. Based in Arlington, VA, AHC has developed more than 7,800 apartments in 50+ properties in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. AHC’s Resident Services program reaches 3,000 children, teens, and adults and seniors each year through onsite education and social service programs and activities. Visit the AHC website for more information.

MonteVerde Apartments Celebrates Volunteer Heroes

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MonteVerde Apartments celebrated volunteer heroes during Volunteer Month. Rear left to right: Willie Warren, Willie Roberts, Louis Woolridge, Nathaniel “Pic” Jones, and Willie Hanna. Front left to right: Gregory Pendleton and Annette “Peanut” Abrams. Not pictured: Calvin Warren.

Pre-pandemic, Friday afternoons at MonteVerde Apartments meant Club Mount – a lively community gathering with DJ Willie Warren spinning tunes and Annette “Peanut” Abrams sharing home-made dishes. Residents and staff alike looked forward to the weekly celebrations – singing, dancing, and catching up on grandchildren, family, and mutual Baltimore experiences. Other regular social events included Sunday football, Bingo, exercise classes, and art workshops.

Once the pandemic hit, all activities came to an abrupt halt. The reduced social interaction and isolation were particularly tough for the MonteVerde community, which provides 301 affordable apartments for seniors in Baltimore’s Park Heights neighborhood.

Enter a group of volunteer heroes. As everything shut down, a committed group of residents jumped into action to help support residents and ensure an ongoing sense of community. They delivered meals to residents’ doors, helped with monthly food distributions, checked on frail and elderly neighbors, assisted with vaccine clinics, and basically pitched in whenever anything was needed. Many were already long-time volunteers at the property and boosted their efforts as needs grew during the pandemic.

In April, during Volunteer Appreciation Month, MonteVerde’s Resident Services staff celebrated these heroes – eight resolute residents whose long-time volunteer efforts have made a significant difference to the community. None show any signs of slowing down their volunteerism – even as the pandemic seems to be ebbing. “This is my home and I like staying busy,” says “Peanut” Abrams.

“We truly appreciate these wonderful volunteers,” said Latrice Goode, Senior Resident Services Manager. “They continue to help residents in so many ways and really foster a sense of family here at MonteVerde.”

 MonteVerde’s volunteer heroes include:

  • Annette “Peanut” Abrams has lived at MonteVerde for eight years. She volunteers in multiple ways, including regularly picking up trash around the building. A proud great grandmother of eight, she also enjoys sewing and spending time with family.
  • Willie Hanna has lived at MonteVerde for six years and has become the face of the Art with a Heart (AWAH) program. A self-taught artist, Mr. Hanna works closely with AWAH volunteers. His artwork (along with other residents’) artwork is featured in the community room – another way of bringing neighbors together.
  • Nathanial “Pic” Jones has lived at MonteVerde for eight years, and has volunteered from the day he moved in. Mr. Jones volunteers in lots of ways, including helping with food distributions, vaccine clinics, resident events, and onsite community programs.
  • Gregory Pendleton has lived in the community for 12 years and has volunteered for at least nine years. He volunteers for everything — from grill duty at residents’ cookouts to food and bread distributions during the height of COVID-19.
  • Willie Roberts, another long, another long-time resident, has volunteered for eight years, including delivering food to residents’ doors, and helping with food distribution and vaccine clinics. He also cleans up the front grounds on the weekends.
  • Calvin Warren is a 19-year resident, and has been an active volunteer for at least 11 years. He has been on the front line delivering meals, assisting with vaccine clinics, and helping the Resident Services team whenever they needed an extra pair of hands. He also helps deliver food to shut-in residents.
  • Willie Warren has lived at MonteVerde for 12 years, and has been a consistent volunteer since he moved in. He is the DJ for all resident events – and happily responds to all requests. He also regularly volunteers his time delivering food to frail and elderly residents.
  • Louis Woolridge has lived at MonteVerde for 17 years and has been a committed volunteer for at least 11 years. He helps neighbors in myriad ways, from delivering food to helping with household chores when needed.

About MonteVerde Apartments

Located in Baltimore City’s Lower Park Heights neighborhood, MonteVerde is a 301-unit community offering affordable housing for seniors and non-elderly disabled residents in two 13-story buildings. AHC Inc., a nonprofit affordable housing developer, acquired the property in 2008 and completed an extensive renovation of the property in 2010 that provided a single entrance to the two buildings, updated kitchens and baths, new windows and heating and cooling systems, and additional communal gathering spaces for residents. AHC’s Resident Services program provides extensive onsite education and social services for residents.

About AHC Inc.

Founded in 1975, AHC Inc. is a nonprofit developer of affordable housing that provides quality homes and education programs for low-and moderate-income families. Based in Arlington, VA, AHC has developed more than 7,800 apartments in 50+ properties in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. AHC’s Resident Services program reaches 3,000 children, teens, and adults and seniors each year through onsite education and social service programs and activities. Visit the AHC website for more information.

Generous Community Support Brightens Holidays for AHC Residents

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Generous community members helped make the holidays brighter for AHC residents of all ages with visits from Santa, Christmas trees, toys, and gift bags.

“We are grateful for the generous outpouring during the holiday season,” said Laura Jackson, AHC’s volunteer coordinator. “The support means so much to our families, many of whom are still struggling because of the ongoing pandemic. It was wonderful to see children’s eyes light up and also to experience the gratitude from our seniors – particularly those who aren’t able to visit with  family because of the pandemic.”

Amazon volunteers, including Santa, Mrs. Claus, and several elves, helped distribute 200 toys generously donated by Amazon employees from across the country. Gifts were also gathered through a toy drive organized by Wakefield High School’s Interact Club.

The Arlington County Police Department distributed nearly 1,100 toys to children living at AHC’s affordable apartment communities throughout Arlington. Children were able to choose brand new toys displayed on multiple tables at the community centers.

Volunteers from long-time supporter St. Peter’s Episcopal Church unloaded 40 Christmas trees at Woodbury Park/Frederick apartments, much to the delight of residents. Church volunteers also donated 160 toys to AHC children.

Volunteers at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, next door neighbors to AHC’s Spire apartment community in Alexandria, shared hot chocolate and toys with nearly 50 children.

Generous supporters dropped off almost 500 Holiday Gift Bags for senior citizens at our Arlington properties and to the middle and high school students in our education programs. The gift bags are filled with items like adult coloring books & colored pencils, fuzzy socks, hats & gloves, tea & hot chocolate and gift cards.

Donors include 28 individuals, Arlington Rotary Club, Microsoft, TMG Construction, 3 Girl Scout troops, Willis Towers Watson, Partner Forces, and Marymount University athletic teams (Women’s Lacrosse, Men’s Soccer, Men’s Lacrosse, Baseball, Softball and Assistant Athletic Director).

About AHC Inc.
Founded in 1975, AHC Inc. is a nonprofit developer of affordable housing that provides quality homes and education programs for low-and moderate-income families. Based in Arlington, VA, AHC has developed more than 7,800 apartment units in 50+ properties in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. AHC’s Resident Services program reaches 3,000 children, teens, adults, and seniors each year.

Online Book Club Builds Literacy for AHC Afterschool Students

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Engaging students during the pandemic was a key challenge for AHC’s multi-pronged educational program, which supports youth living in affordable apartment communities from kindergarten through high school.

When the pandemic prevented in-person learning opportunities, AHC’s Resident Services staff pivoted to online programming to keep students connected. Helping early readers stay on track was a particular challenge since many had little experience working online and often irregular access to devices.

As the year evolved, volunteers played a valuable role in providing different kinds of literacy-building opportunities for students. One such initiative was a weekly book club created by Anna Niepold, a senior at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, MD. The book club met weekly over Zoom, serving kindergarten through second graders in AHC’s Afterschool Program at Virginia Gardens apartments in Arlington, VA.

Typical meetings included fun icebreaker games followed by either Anna’s team members or the students reading books out loud before reflecting on them through art, discussion, or other activities. The group read a variety of different books based on students’ feedback as well as on reading levels. Some of the favorite books include The Good Egg by Jory John and The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Dewalt.

“Anna was a great help to staff and students during an unprecedented time,” said Melissa Mulé, AHC Resident Services Manager. “Her willingness to assist virtually and arrive to sessions with a smiling face made a difference in the lives of our students. Reading aloud to the class was a great way to promote literacy and keep them engaged.”

Anna initiated the volunteer project as part of the Girl Scout Gold Award program. The Gold Award involves working on a project the girl cares about and requires 80 hours of commitment. Anna’s long-time love of reading and appreciation for the value of reading comprehension skills spurred the creation and format of the Book Club.

“Our team really enjoyed the experience of creating a fun learning environment,” said Anna. “The kids were all incredible, and as time went on, they really began to open up and display their amazing progress in their reading confidence and comprehension. I hope aspects of the program can continue throughout AHC’s Afterschool program, and hopefully we made a difference sharing the joy reading can bring.”

AHC is grateful for the many volunteers and community partners who help make our education programs possible. For more information on volunteering, please visit https://www.ahcinc.org/get-involved/volunteers/.

365 Days of COVID-19: AHC’s Resident Services Team Pivots to Meet the Challenge

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(March 15, 2021 – Arlington, VA) A year ago, AHC Inc., like most organizations, had to shutter its in-person activities in response to the fast-moving pandemic. At the same time, as a nonprofit affordable housing organization, AHC had to quickly switch gears to respond to new and accelerating needs among the children, families and seniors living in the organization’s affordable apartment communities in Maryland and Virginia.

Thanks to a committed and determined Resident Services team, AHC was able to spring into action to help residents weather the challenges of the pandemic. “In the midst of everchanging protocols and chaos, our team was able to pivot to provide life-giving work this past year,” said Susan Davidson, AHC Resident Services Director. “These efforts brought  joy, relief, and much hope to families facing incredible adversities.”

In the last year, AHC’s Resident Services staff members connected with more than 3,000 residents. This included thousands of outreach and follow-up phone calls to more than 1,000 households struggling with rental delinquencies.  Through hours and hours of one-on-one work, AHC’s team helped access $2,963,374 in rental assistance funds for residents – an immeasurable relief for struggling families. AHC Inc. was also able to help 530 households with gift cards through the organization’s Emergency Relief Fund.

“We’ve always known our Resident Services team excels in connecting community services to those who need them most,” said Jennifer Endo, Community Relations Vice President. ” The pandemic has underscored the value of that role.”

Additional Resident Services’ support during the last year includes:

Fighting hunger

  • Increased food distribution sites from six to 26 communities to provide 2,000 households with much-needed food.
  • Delivered groceries to the doorstep of 20+ households in quarantine.
  • Involved 113 volunteers to help with food distributions.

Maintaining educational opportunities

  • Provided 5,000+ virtual sessions with students including Afterschool Programs, Summer Camp, Teen Tutoring, and College & Career Readiness Workshops.
  • Thanks to generous donor support, 960 AHC students across Maryland and Virginia received backpacks.
  • 31 high school seniors (Class of 2020) graduated and are enrolled in post-secondary education.  They received $1.2 million in scholarship awards. 31 additional seniors (Class of 2021) applied to 194 colleges and universities and to date have received 80 acceptances.
  • 65 residents participated in virtual financial literacy workshops in Arlington and Baltimore.
  • 260 volunteers provided support to elementary and teen students.

Building health

  • Distributed 1,200 masks to children and adults.
  • 140 residents received COVID testing onsite
  • 144 seniors received COVID vaccines in their community room.
  • 4 pop-up vaccination registrations were held at AHC’s apartment communities in Arlington
  • Helped 697 residents (primarily seniors) stay engaged through new resident communiations platform, Resident-Connect.

Connecting to community

  • AHC staff helped coordinate generous community support throughout the pandemic, including distributing 4,000 snack bags to students and families, 135 cozy blankets to students in Arlington’s education program, 600 new winter coats and 400 books to children in Virginia and Maryland, 500 activity bags for senior residents, 47 holiday trees, and 900 gift bags to students and senior residents over the holidays.