Helping Women and Children in Crisis by Distributing Clothing and Other Essentials at No Cost

UPDATES & CURRENT EVENTS

First off, thank you so much for your patience this month. July brought an unexpected challenge when significant flooding caused extensive water damage throughout the WGB Boutique. While repairs required us to pause shopping appointments, volunteer shifts, and donation intake, our mission never stopped.

Behind the scenes, staff and a handful of volunteers worked tirelessly to relocate inventory, reorganize thousands of clothing items, and keep essential programs like Bag-To-Go and our Diaper Pantry running. Industrial fans and dehumidifiers became regular background noise as restoration work got underway.

We know these temporary closures were frustrating for many of our clients, volunteers, and donors, and we're incredibly grateful for the understanding our community has shown throughout the process. At this point, new drywall has gone up and we're looking forward to welcoming everyone back into the Boutique in early August.

Challenges like these remind us just how resilient this community is. Thank you for standing with us - we can't wait to reopen our doors and continue serving families together.

While the Boutique was temporarily closed, our Warehouse team made the most of the unexpected downtime by tackling a major reorganization that had already been planned for later this summer.

With the help of several dedicated volunteers - whose combined experience at WGB spans thousands of hours - we completely reimagined the Warehouse workflow. The new layout makes better use of our expanded space, adds additional shelving and sorting areas, and creates more permanent homes for key volunteer stations.

Perhaps most importantly, many of the changes were inspired by feedback from our volunteers and are designed to make future shifts more intuitive and efficient.

Returning volunteers will notice a few changes the next time they visit. While the overall flow may take a little getting used to, we believe these improvements will create a better experience for everyone and allow us to process donations even more effectively. As always, we'll continue listening to feedback and making adjustments as we learn what works best.

On July 15th, we were excited to welcome 45 interns from Stanley Martin, Van Metre, Apple Federal Credit Union, QTS, and Carahsoft for our very first WGB Summer Intern Event. Designed to bring together young professionals from across the community, the day combined networking, friendly competition, and hands-on service.

After spending time getting to know one another, the interns put their teamwork to the test through timed volunteer challenges. Teams raced to pack Snack Packs and bundle diapers for the Diaper Pantry, turning everyday volunteer tasks into fun and engaging competitions. Congratulations to Apple Federal Credit Union, whose team packed Snack Packs the fastest, and Carahsoft, who claimed the diaper-wrapping title!

The event concluded with a tour of our facility, giving interns a behind-the-scenes look at the impact of Women Giving Back and the many programs that support local families. Together, these future leaders accomplished meaningful work while building new connections, and we're grateful to each of our corporate partners for helping launch what we hope will become a new WGB tradition.

Thank you to our incredible community for coming together to support this year's Back-to-School event! Thanks to your generosity, we collected 115 elementary school and 344 middle/high school backpacks, each now filled with school supplies and paired with a new pair of athletic shoes.

A special thank you to Falcon HVAC, Carahsoft, Dulles Greenway, The Goddard School of Chantilly, Kimberly Sanchez, and the members of the WGB Board of Directors for helping make this year's drive such a success.

We're especially grateful to 7x24 Exchange, whose generous grant funded the school supplies that filled every backpack. Their volunteers also continued a cherished tradition by assembling each backpack with care, ensuring hundreds of local students are equipped for a successful start to the school year.

For many families, preparing for a new school year can be a significant financial burden. Your generosity helps ensure students not only have the supplies they need to succeed in the classroom, but also the confidence to walk through the school doors feeling prepared and ready to learn alongside their peers.

Together, you're helping local students start the school year on the right foot.

This month, members of the Women Giving Back staff and volunteer team had the opportunity to attend "What Happens When Support Ends Too Soon," a powerful survivorship panel hosted by our partners at Silence No More Movement.

The discussion brought together a wide range of perspectives, including a domestic violence survivor, a Special Victims Unit officer, a financial expert, a substance abuse advocate, a pair of philanthropists, and a workplace leader, each sharing how abuse can affect nearly every aspect of a person's life.

Together, they explored the many barriers that can make it difficult for survivors to leave abusive situations and the vital role that compassionate, informed support plays in helping them move forward.

As Women Giving Back continues to expand our partnerships and welcome organizations like LAWS into our facility, opportunities like these help our staff and volunteers better understand the experiences of the individuals we serve.

We're grateful to Silence No More Movement for creating such a thoughtful and impactful conversation, and to Carahsoft for hosting this important event.

LOOKING AHEAD

WGB is excited to partner with Britepaths to offer EmpowerHER, a workshop designed to help women build confidence, gain clarity, and create a plan for achieving their personal and professional goals.

We encourage you to share this opportunity with women in your network who may benefit from the program. If you feel this workshop would be valuable for you, we welcome you to attend as well!

There are two dates and times to choose from, but registration is required, so please encourage interested participants to sign up in advance.

Download Flyer

Sign Up for Workshop

Set it and Forget it! Make a Lasting Impact Each Month!

The need in our community is growing, and your steady support helps us meet it head-on.

By becoming a monthly donor, you’re joining a special group of changemakers who ensure women and children in crisis have access to clothing, resources, and hope - all year long.

It’s easy, automatic, and incredibly powerful. Just set it once, and know you’re making a difference every single month. When giving monthly is simple and recurring, the support never stops, and the impact lasts a lifetime!

Building a Brighter Tomorrow

The future of our community is in good hands! This month, we were thrilled to welcome the Claude Moore Community Builders (CMCB) through Loudoun Youth, a remarkable program that helps local high school students develop leadership skills through volunteer service.

These hardworking teens jumped right into every task, from restocking our Diaper Pantry and resetting the Snack Pack area to sorting clothing, organizing pallets, and counting backpack and shoe inventory for our upcoming Back-to-School event. No matter the assignment, they tackled it with enthusiasm, teamwork, and a willingness to help wherever they were needed.

While their efforts made a tremendous impact on Women Giving Back, we hope their time with us was just as meaningful. Programs like Claude Moore Community Builders help to inspire young people to become lifelong volunteers and community leaders, and we're grateful to have played a small part in that journey.