Nice Guys Awards - Organization Winner
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Hard Work. High Standards. Helping Others.
 
Organization Winners

Who they are: Community Partners for Children

What they do: Provide school supplies, clothing and camp scholarships to low-income Alexandria children

Why they do it: Help give children below the poverty line a better future

"We're making a difference for kids ... and that makes a difference for us."
- Mary Karstens, President



"Over 5,200 students will benefit from the Back-to-School Supply Drive we just finished," says Mary Karstens, president of Community Partners for Children (CPC) in early September.

"This is an all-volunteer organization - everyone is taking time from their busy lives to help."

Noting that over half the children in Alexandria public schools are below the poverty line, she adds, "Knowing we're helping give these kids a better chance is what keeps us going."

Now in its 15th year, Community Partners for Children has grown through combining good intentions with practical planning. "We've done it all through trial and error - every year we discover new things," says Karstens.

 

Planning Makes Perfect

The group's concentration on efficiency has paid off: Its distribution system provides a seamless flow from community to child. Take the Back-to-School drive, for example. "We have about 30 locations that display donation boxes and a poster," says Karstens. "People can donate what they want - staplers, pens and papers, notebooks, backpacks or give cash for supplies."

These boxes are taken to a central location where volunteers sort, divide and pack up the items. Social workers from each public school - familiar faces to the children and administration staff - pick up the boxes and oversee distribution.

In addition to the Back-to-School Drive, CPC also collects and distributes infant supplies via Alexandria's Biggest Baby Shower in spring. In October, they collect Halloween costumes, and they hold a Holiday Toys and Clothing Drive in November/December. During the summer, they provide scholarships to camp programs featuring art, music and other cultural activities.

Although the group has thrived on the process they've developed, they feel there's always room for improvement. "We wrapped up our drive this week - and we've already made our list of what to improve for next year," says Karstens.

To learn more about Community Partners for Children, email cpc.alex@gmail.com
or phone 703-683-1012.

Check out the nominees from this year's Nice Guys Awards Organization Category.

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