Est. 1988
Est. 1988
Est. 1988
There is nothing worse than seeing worse than seeing an innocent child left hungry. Unfortunately in the District, this became a problem saw more and more frequently. Stoddert Elementary School decided to step in and do something about it. The students of their 5-grade class created the idea of a Share Table. Every day at the end of lunch, students can put any remaining food that is unopened around in baskets that are conveniently placed around the lunchroom. This makes food readily available for any students that are still hungry or want a snack.
Three parents got wind of the Share Table from their very own DC Public School students. Lucie Leblois, Alysa MacClellan, and Krista Weymouth came together to create the DC Food Project. They plan to implement both their Share Table and Backpack Program into several schools with hopes to expand it throughout the entire school system. Stoddert Elementary of course inspired the Share Table while the Backpack Program was an original idea that these three ladies sat down and created together. The Backpack Program sends food home with students in need on Fridays so that they will have food to eat over the weekend.
There is no way that Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group could not step in and help their amazing program. Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group presented a check for $2,700 to the DC Food Project to allow these three moms to continue doing their great work.
If you would like to learn more about the DC Food Project and find out how you too can get involved, please click here.
If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, Click here to nominate them.
Pay It Forward partners Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC give to deserving people and organizations all year round. However, this particular nonprofit organization is very special because it enriches the lives of individuals with physical, cognitive, and psychological challenges. Loudoun Therapeutic Riding (LTR) at Morven Park continues to help both veterans and people with disabilities free of charge to fulfill their mission. For many people, it is their very first time riding a horse when working with LTR. They have been able to make tremendous progress in the lives of many. Loudoun Therapeutic Riding helps more than 100 people each week through their herd of 14 horses.
Easterns and Fox 5 DC decided to help step in because they want Loudoun Therapeutic Riding to be able to continue their amazing work. Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group presented Loudoun Therapeutic Riding with a check for $2,000 to help with their upcoming 2018 Ride-A-Thon.
Please click here to learn more about Loudoun Therapeutic Riding.
If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, Click here to nominate them.
Pay It Forward partners Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group (Eastern Motors) are back with a brand new episode and this one is a tearjerker. Cynthia Cogdell is a retired teacher from the Prince Georges County School district. Many times when teachers retire, they cannot wait to relax and get away from children. This is not the case for Ms. Cogdell who still dedicates her life to helping children without a paycheck being attached. Every morning before school, she meets and greets the children in her neighborhood at the bus stop. Her main goal is to help keep them safe and provide snacks to the kids so they can start their day right. Ms. Cogdell’s daughter uploaded a video to social media of her mother tending to the children at the bus stop and it went viral on social media.
Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC got wind of what Ms. Cogdell was doing and knew they wanted to do something nice for her. It takes a selfless individual to sacrifice their time, energy, and money to help others. Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group presented Ms. Cogdell with tickets up an upcoming Washington Redskins games, a signed Ryan Kerrigan jersey, a certificate for a spa day, and more snacks for the students at the bus stop. She was overjoyed by the surprise. It’s clear that Ms. Cogdell has a lot to look forward to. With all the time and effort that she puts into the children, she too deserves to enjoy herself!
If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, Click here to nominate them.
Watch the video to see the way everything unfolded.
Pay It Forward partners Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group (Eastern Motors) have teamed up yet again to help out a deserving nonprofit foundation. With September being pediatric cancer awareness month, the pair figured that it would only make sense to help and highlight a nonprofit built on helping kids fight childhood cancer. Sharday Richardson of Virginia created the Forever Moriah Foundation this year in honor of losing her oldest daughter. Moriah, Richardson’s daughter, passed in 2013 just shy of her fifth birthday. She was given between nine months to a year to live. The pain of losing a child is near and dear to her heart because she went through this first hand. Many do not know that the survival rate for pediatric cancer is 85 percent yet many children still lose their lives.
Richardson and her family went through such a hard time losing her daughter. She knew that she wanted to help other people on their journeys as well. This resulted in the birth of the Forever Moriah Foundation. Fovever Moriah works closely with young cancer patients at Children’s National Hospital to celebrate their birthdays and completion of treatment with a big party for them and their family. Richardson’s courage and strength to turn her pain into something so selfless and amazing is a true testament of paying it forward. Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group came into this with a goal of not only helping the foundation but also putting a smile on Richardson’s face. She will be enjoying a Spa Day courtesy of Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group. Well deserved! Easterns will also be covering the next party thrown by the Forever Moriah Foundation at Children’s National Hospital. Click here to learn more about the Forever Moriah Foundation and find out how you too can get involved and help.
If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, Click here to nominate them.
Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group (Eastern Motors) have teamed up yet again to Pay It Forward to a very special cause. The W.I.R.E. stands for Women Involved in Reentry Efforts and is a DC based nonprofit organization is doing great work in the community by helping both families and children of incarcerated women. Depending on the situation or circumstance, children don’t get to see their mothers while they are incarnated so this organization steps in to make sure incarcerated mothers see and have a relationship with their children. The group offers financial assistance as well as transportation for children to see their mothers. The W.I.R.E. also offers peer support for women that are returning from being incarcerated.
The W.I.R.E is led by Tanisha Murden and Cheleta Tuckson who turned their pain into purpose because they too were previously incarcerated. It is an ongoing struggle to keep the organization going because it is run solely on donations from generous people. Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group stepped in to help this amazing nonprofit for the hard work and good that they do in the community. Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group presented the group a check for $2,000 to help them with their cause. He also gift $250 in gift cards to Donnell Chapman who shared his own personal story on the Fox 5 DC segment about growing up with an incarcerated mother. If you would like to learn more about The W.I.R.E. and also see how you too can make a donation, please click here.
If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, Click here to nominate them.
Pay It Forward partners Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group (Eastern Motors) have teamed up yet again. The pair found a very special organization to give back to. A 7-year-old girl by the name of Myanna created her own non-profit organization named MyannasHeart based off a personal experience. When Myanna was just 5 months old, she had her very first open heart surgery and has undergone several surgeries since. After enduring such a traumatic experience both mentally and physically, she made it her purpose to help other children with their own hospital experience.
MyannasHeart is a non-profit organization that gives tote bags filled with goodies to children at Inova Children’s Hospital. Some of the goodies included in the tote toys, blankets, and puzzles. These small things can make a child’s hospital stay that much more comfortable. Kudos to Myanna’s mother Sheri Kempton for stepping up to the plate and taking the steps to ensure that her daughter’s dream came to life. When Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group got wind of this they immediately wanted to help. Fox 5 DC invited Myanna and her family on Good Day DC where Joel Bassam of Easterns surprised them live on air with toys, supplies for their bags, and a check for $1,000 to help them on their mission. If you would like to learn more about MyannaHeart and how you can help, please click here.
If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, Click here to nominate them.
Watch the video to see the way everything unfolded.
Pay It Forward partners Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group (Eastern Motors) have been very busy lately paying it forward in the DMV community. They recently found out about a woman named Connie Gilmore who turned her own traumatic experience into a nonprofit organization to empower other women. In 2015, Gimore lost her husband unexpectedly which left her to be a widow. This not only was a shock but an unimaginable loss. Gilmore knew that there had to be women out there facing the same harsh reality. This is how she came up with the idea and formed her non-profit organization, Premature Widows. Gilmore made it her mission to help by creating a support group of widows. They have monthly events where all the women can come together and discuss their life, feelings, and personal struggles in a safe and comfortable place all while still having fun. The women are able to feel comfortable because they have all been through the same journey. There is complete respect and absolutely no judgment.
Through Premature Widows, Gilmore gives back and helps widows on a daily basis. Fox 5 DC an Easterns Automotive Group made it their quest to Pay It Forward to them this time since so much is done for others. Joel Bassam of Easterns donated $200 in gift cards to help with their next pizza party. In addition to that, Easterns will be paying for and sponsoring the rest of their monthly meet-ups in 2018. If you would like to learn more about Premature Widows and how you can help, please click here.
If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, Click here to nominate them.
Watch the video to see the way everything unfolded.
Pay It Forward partners Fox 5 Dc and Easterns Automotive Group teamed up once again for a special cause. Both parties got wind of an amazing non-profit corporation in Montgomery County, Maryland that was and still is in need of some financial assistance. The mission of Hero Dogs, Inc. is to help our very own United States heroes (veterans) by providing service dogs to them free of charge. This directly affects veterans of the U.S. military and first responders suffering from disabilities. It’s nice to know that this corporation is doing such great work to help our nation’s heroes who have already been through and witnessed so much. Hero Dogs also assists patients that are in need at local hospitals.
Ultimately, nobody wants to be ill or in the hospital. Inova Loudoun Hospital has its very own Hero Dog named Jeremiah that works well with children and is specifically trained to work in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Animals bring a sense of comfort to patients because they are so warm and affectionate. They bring out the joy patients need to realize that everything will be okay.
Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group just knew they had to help out once they heard about all the wonderful things they are doing to bring smiles to those in need. Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group presented a $5,000 check to Hero Dogs to help the organization continue its amazing mission. Hero Dogs, Inc. is always looking for people to give whether it is monetary or hands on. Click here to learn more about Hero Dogs and how you too can volunteer or donate to this great cause.
If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, Click here to nominate them.
Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC recently found an incredible organization to Pay It Forward to. William Craig, Antonio Beard, and Jalen Thomas created the Lead By Example non-profit foundation to teach children the importance of health and fitness. The is done by mentoring, educating, and keeping children of the District active to combat childhood obesity and help develop healthy eating habits while they are young. The three of them are working to implement their program into schools, which would in turn replace detention, suspension, or school punishment. Children would learn various workout programs to reduce stress.
Easterns and Fox 5 DC came together to Pay It Forward the wonderful founders of Lead By Example so that they can continue their tremendous efforts. Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group presented $1,500 to the foundation so that 200 students can go to the Universoul Circus. This will be a fun experience for the kids to bond and catch up with eachother out of school. The volunteers were also given $20 gas card to help transport the children. You too can be a part of the Lead By Example Foundation. Please click here to see how you can get involved.
If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, Click here to nominate them.
Happy June! Easterns Automotive Group (Eastern Motors) teamed up with Fox 5 DC once again for another segment of Pay It Forward. The two came across a young 10-year-old girl from Maryland that is doing some great things in the community by helping to save animals. Addy Barrett created her own non-profit organization by the name of Gorilla Heroes to help the endangered mountain gorillas in Africa. She came up with the idea to start a pie-face challenge that will help raise money for this cause. The initial campaign took off due to Addy’s mom Sarah taking a picture of the poster that Addy created and sharing it on social media. In the photo, Addy is holding a poster that says “Save the Gorillas!” Addy’s site has since raised over $1,000 due to the impact of the pie-face challenge. She got the inspiration for the challenge from the ALS Bucket Challenge. Addy got a pie in her face every time a donation was made or a t-shirt was purchased. People were eager to support the cause because they can see she is doing something extremely clever and charitable for her age. While other kids her age are playing on video games or on the computer, Addy is continuing to create awareness about her cause.
Addy’s efforts caught the attention of David Singer, a member of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Singer praised Addy for her generous efforts and even gave her a keepsake from his trip to Rwanda where he got to see the mountain gorillas. It’s only the beginning for Addy and her philanthropic ways. She is set to host a Gorilla Gala on Sunday, June 23rd at A Bit Better Farm in Brookville, Maryland. The event is intended to get kids and their families excited about the gorillas and of course learn more. There will be games, crafts, VR Gorilla Tours, and some pie-face fun. All proceeds from this event will go directly to The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and Ellen Degeneres Wildlife Fund.
Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC got wind of the remarkable things that Addy is doing with Gorilla Heroes and wanted to do their part and contributing. Easterns donated $500 to the Gorilla Gala along with t-shirts and a gift-card to Sakura. Addy and her mother Sarah are looking forward to eating at their favorite restaurant. Allison Seymour of Fox 5 DC and Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group were such great sports that the two decided to take a pie in the face on live tv. It’s all about having fun! If you would like to donate
If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, Click here to nominate them.
Watch the video to see the way everything unfolded.
Pay It Forward partners Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group teamed up once again, but this time in honor of Military Appreciation Month. The military is the heart of this country because they continue risk their own lives to fight for us civilians on a daily basis. Often times, we forget to honor them and really show them the love and respect that they deserve. Fox 5 DC and Easterns decided that they were going to change things. Joel Bassam, Director of Marketing at Easterns Automotive Group, met with Mike Thomas of Fox 5 DC to pass out gift cards to both retired and active members of the military. The overall goal was just to bring a smile to veterans’ faces and show veterans genuine appreciation for protecting this country and keeping us all safe.
Sgt. Matt Wilkes stopped by to chat and help Pay It Forward to other veterans. He is currently retired after serving 3 tours. According to Sgt. Wilkes, life as a member of the military is much more structured and discipline than life as a civilian. Unlike many of us, he has been able to be both in his lifetime. The key to surviving in the military is having a strong support system. His wife was just that as she raised the kids and handled everything at home when he was away. Sgt. Wilkes just recently received his degree from George Mason University in Cyber Security Engineering and is in the process of transitioning fields. He is proof that there is another life after retiring from the military. It really comes down to what you want in life.
Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group gave out over $3,000 in gift cards to active and retired military around the Washington Naval Yard. Hopefully you feel inspired to do something nice for any military personnel that you know. We must continue to let our military know they are appreciated.
If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, Click here to nominate them.
Watch the video to see the way everything unfolded.
Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group teamed up once again but this time to celebrate. Tuesday, May 8th was National Teacher Appreciation Day so the two Pay It Forward partners teamed up to surprise the incredible educators at Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School. The day started off with free breakfast courtesy of Easterns. Mike Thomas was able to speak with several teachers to discuss their important role in kids’ lives and understand the reason that inspired them to teach. Joel Bassam, Director of Marketing at Easterns, was got on the mic to address the teachers and also give each of them a $50 Amazon to in honor of their selfless contributions to their students’ day in and day out.
Allison Seymour came to the school later in the day where she met with the principal of Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School, Dr. Clint Mitchell. The two helped surprise a standout 3rd grade teacher by the name of Jamelle Adamson. Ms. Adamson was singled out for going above and beyond to accommodate all her students and always bringing her A game in the classroom. As a community, we should do our best to always make sure teachers make sure they feel loved and appreciated.
If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, Click here to nominate them.
Pay It Forward partners Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group have teamed up again to do some good in the community. April 30th was National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day. The two decided that it was only right that the two celebrate and highlight an incredible local organization that continues to help animals in the area. The Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) was formed by the Washington Humane Society and the Washington Animal Rescue League to help animals find forever homes. Each year, HRA manages to help over 60,000 area animals.
HRA has a unique set up because they house everything under one roof, including low-cost veterinary services, behavioral training, and animal care. The donations and support from the community is the reason that HRA has been so successful at this. Easterns and Fox 5 DC got wind of the incredible things that HRA is doing and volunteered to help out. In honor of National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, they made a donation of $3,000 to cover the cost of all pet adoptions on Tuesday, May 1st. It was a success! People definitely came out to support and several now have new additions to their families. The remainder of the money will go to HRA’s vet care fund. The vet care fund was set up to pay for the additional care needed after the animals find a home. HRA is such an incredible organization for going beyond the call of duty to help these animals. We hope that you too are inspired to get involved.
To find out more about Humane Rescue Alliance and to learn how you can adopt a pet, Click Here.
If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, Click Here to nominate them.
Capital Caring is a bereavement program with several locations throughout the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. The organization is based in Northern Virginia and specializes in providing bereavement services for families who have suffered a loss. They also provide care to people suffering with serious illnesses. Pay It Forward partners Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group decided to team up and lend Capital Caring a helping hand since they do so much for the community.
Back in December, the two came together to help the Parkland family who lost their daughter in a horrible car accident in Alabama. Capital Caring was helping the family at the time so Fox 5 DC and Easterns stepped in to give them a vehicle. The Parklands needed transportation to get around so a car is just what they needed. Everything went so well that the two partners didn’t want to stop there. Recently, Fox 5 DC and Easterns got word that the organization was in need of a truck. They stepped in to gift Capital Caring with a Dodge Ram so they can continue their mission to serve people in their community. Capital Caring delivers supplies and serves 1,400 patients in the region so this truck will definitely be put to good use.
“We want to help the community that has helped us for 30 years now. We worked with Capital Caring late last year and gave the Parkland family a car and fell in love with the organization, love what they are doing and found out they were in need of a truck and we want to fulfill that need and help them out and keep them going,” Joel Bassam with Easterns Automotive Group said.
To learn more about Capital Caring and their mission, please Click Here.
If you know someone who should be featured on Pay It Forward, You Can Nominate Them Here. In your email, be sure to include who they are and why they deserve to be recognized.
Easterns Automotive Group (Eastern Motors) serves the hard working men and women of the DC, Maryland, Virginia community. Please visit www.easterns.com to view the inventory and view all 6 locations. Find out why they are the #1 car dealership in the DMV!
Pay It Forward partners Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC partnered up once again to give back in the community. The non-profit organization that they chose to help is called HER Resiliency Center in Washington D.C. The overall mission for this center is to help local women find a second chance at life. Many of the members of HER have faced various struggles throughout their lives including living in shelters, non-stable families, and even homelessness. These are obstacles that no one should have to handle alone.
Natasha Guynes created HER Resiliency Center because she herself has faced life obstacles including being in the commercial sex industry, frequent drinking, drugs/homelessness. Guynes was able to overcome her difficult time with the help of DC’s social service agencies. The community of women there were able to help her get on her feet and make positive changes in her life. Once she got on her feet, she knew that there were other women in the same situation that she wanted to help. Guynes is now the CEO of her own non-profit organization that really does make a difference in people’s lives. The young women in the HER Resiliency Center program are assigned mentors to assist them with finding jobs and housing.
Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group (Eastern Motors) heard about the great things Guynes was doing with HER Resiliency Center and wanted to Pay It Forward. They teamed by by donating $2,000 and an SUV filled the supplies that were needed for the program. This will definitely go a long way.
If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized,
Click Here to nominate them.
Watch the video to see the way everything unfolded.
Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC recently came together to highlight a local woman who is helping to pay it forward to seniors of Washington D.C. Norma Hardie is the founder of a non-profit organization called Embracing Our Pearls of Wisdom. Hardie’s purpose for creating this non-profit was to help seniors in the District and surrounding areas with assistance or small things that they need. One great thing is that Hardie has loyal volunteers to help the seniors cook meals, run errors, and even clean. Older people need help sometimes and don’t always have the luxury of having a family member or friend to assist them.
It’s very important to recognize the needs of the elderly because they are the ones who raised the youth. A woman by the name of Arthalia Pumphrey receives excellent care from the volunteers that help her clean and keep her home in good shape. She suffers from really bad arthritis so it is difficult to walk at times. The volunteers believe in being patient with the seniors and take pride in showing them that they will forever be loved. We definitely could use more people like Hardie and her incredible volunteers in this world.
Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group caught wind of Hardie and what she has been doing with her volunteers at Our Pearls of Wisdom and wanted to pitch in and help. The Pay It Forward partners donated a $1,000 check, gifts for the seniors, and even gas cards to help with the volunteers travel.
If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, Click Here to nominate them. Watch the video to how everything unfolded.
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