e-Pathfinder | December 2023
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Britepaths Launches New Workforce Development Program: Pathfinder Kitchen
City of Fairfax Mayor Catherine Read's remarks at the Pathfinder Kitchen celebration

"All of these folks have been instrumental in helping to figure out how to turn our assets into something that we can create so more people can be successful in our community." – City of Fairfax Mayor Catherine S. Read


At our Giving TUNESDay event on November 28, we kicked off our new Pathfinder Kitchen workforce training partnership with Mackenzie's Tunes & Tonics in Old Town Fairfax, which is made possible through a Neighborhood Connected Grant from the Fairfax City Economic Development Authority. Graduates of the program will develop workforce readiness skills and earn a ServSafe Food Handler certification, helping local employers to hire and retain dedicated, skilled employees. During the evening, Mayor Read praised the team effort aimed at helping individuals improve their lives while also helping local businesses thrive. This video is an excerpt of her remarks.


We are grateful to all who came out to celebrate with us and all who donated at the event and throughout the day, making it our most successful #GivingTuesday to date. 


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Taking a Break, And Looking Forward

Britepaths and the Financial Empowerment Center at South County will be closed the week of December 25 for our winter break. We will reopen on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.


During the break, we will not be providing services or accepting deliveries of donations. We can accept in-person donation deliveries at our Fairfax office this month on Monday through Friday, 10 am to 2 pm through Friday, December 22. Checks that are dated and postmarked on or before December 31 may still be mailed to our office to be included in the 2023 tax year.


We are excited for 2024: Our 40th Anniversary Year! Stay tuned in January for news of celebrations and much more.


We thank you for your support and generosity this year, and we wish you a warm and wonderful holiday season and a happy new year!

Help Us Put Food On The Table This Holiday Season

Winter break is coming! There's still time to help make sure a family near you who might otherwise go without will have food on the table.
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Thank You to Our Sponsors & Partners!

SPONSORS: SAIC, American Legion Post 177, Walmart Fairfax Supercenter #2015, Meridian Park Neighborhood, MVB Bank and Richard W. Averill Foundation


PARTNERS: Antioch Baptist Church Sunday School, Fairfax County Office of the County Attorney, Kiwanis Club of Fairfax, Lakkis CPA, Quality Information Partners, Inc., St. Mark Catholic Church, Sun & Moon Yoga Studio, Washington Metropolitan Chapter Community Associations Institute and Whitman, Requardt & Associates, LLP
 
Holiday 23 thank you note from a client, with photo of food the client purchased with her gift card

"Thank you for the gift cards you sent me, it was a great blessing. Look what I was able to buy!" We loved this email and photo from a grateful mom whose family received Thanksgiving assistance thanks to our generous supporters.

ReFraming The Issue


Incredible, but true: In wealthy Fairfax County, 1 in 4 residents are food insecure. And 41% of Fairfax County households with children experience food insecurity. Britepaths' second ReFraming The Issue event with ReFrame Wealth on November 15 focused on the pressing matter of food insecurity, its impact on children and families in our community, and our role in addressing this issue.


We featured a discussion panel that included Fairfax Food Council Project Manager Diane Charles, financial mentoring client Xena Guzman and her volunteer financial mentor Enjoli Ramsey, and Britepaths' Executive Director Lisa Whetzel and Development Director Abra Kurt.


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ReFraming The Issue: Britepaths Financial Mentor Enjoli and Mentee Xena

Britepaths volunteer financial mentor Enjoli Ramsey and mentee Xena Guzman.

CFP Board Diversity Summit

We were honored to be invited to participate in a panel discussion at the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) 2023 Diversity Summit on November 9. Our Financial Empowerment Program Manager Martha Borowski and long-time volunteer Erica James, who is a board member of our grantor Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP), discussed effective ways to provide pro bono financial planning services that make the most impact on communities. Britepaths and the Financial Empowerment Center at South County, and the community we serve, are fortunate to have Erica and a group of outstanding CFP volunteers who are helping our clients on their journeys. We are also grateful to the FFP for helping make our financial empowerment services possible.
 
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards 2023 Diversity Summit, November 9, 2023

l-r: Panelists Erica James, Martha Borowski, CFP Board Chair-Elect Matthew B. Boersen and moderator CFP Board Director Louis Barajas

Special Thanks

Fairfax Turkey Trot

It was a beautiful morning for a trot, and Fairfax Turkey Trot participants showed up in force on Thanksgiving day! Thank you to everyone who raced and to the organizers for supporting Britepaths. And thank you to our sponsors! Anne and Sarah Harrington, Long & Foster; Amazon Fresh Fairfax, Ourisman Kia of Fairfax and VLP Financial Advisors.


Donations and Grants

Thank you to the following companies and organizations for their generous support:



Food Bridge Supporters

Thank you to these organizations for providing funding or pantry donations to assist our neighbors experiencing food insecurity:


Food Bridge Program


Food4Thought


Pantry Drives
Fairfax Turkey Trot in Mantua, November, 23, 2023, overall first place finisher Samik Bhinge

Congratulations to 2023 Fairfax Turkey Trot overall first place finisher Samik Bhinge, who set a new record for the 4 miler: 20 minutes and 31 seconds
FVC Food Drive Delivery November, 29, 2023

Josh Grimes (left) organized a pantry drive for FVCbank. He and Chris Muracco delivered the household, personal hygiene products and grocery store gift card donations on November 29.
 
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Britepaths

Our Mission is to provide our neighbors in need with short-term safety-net services and empower them to work toward long-term self-sufficiency. We deliver our services with respect, compassion, and equity, always preserving the dignity and self-esteem of our clients.


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