SECOND ANNUAL VWAA GOOD WALKS

The LOUDOUN CHAPTER OF THE VIRGINIA WOMEN ATTORNEYS' ASSOCIATION is pleased to be sponsoring the Second Annual VWAA GOOD WALKS event.

This year we are raising funds for BETTER A LIFE - a non-profit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty by providing food via their food pantry, educational assistance, and life-skill services to children and families in need. Their main location is in Purcellville, Virginia and they also have a Reston Distribution site. See below for additional information on BETTER A LIFE

The VWAA GOOD WALK team members will be walking on Sunday, April 19, 2026 beginning at 1:00 pm at the Cool Springs River Campus of Shenandoah University.

VWAA GOOD WALKS is a chapter-based event wherein local VWAA chapter create a team of walkers who will walk a designate route in their community. Each participant will seek donations from third parties for fund-raising in support of a local charity or cause identified by each local chapter. Team members will register and use a walk/race event app to track each team member and how much each team member has raised in donations. The Dames Foundation has underwritten some of the original costs of the project and supports the event. The mission of the Dames Foundation is to expand, through philanthropy, the professional development, public policy, and educational work of the Virginia Women Attorneys Association (the VWAA).

WHY DO THIS

We believe this project fully supports the mission of the Virginia Women Attorneys Association.

First it promotes each chapter to put on and participate in a fund-raising event which will support an identified need in their local legal and public community. Allowing each chapter the flexibility to designate the recipient of the funds raised helps tailor each program to meet the needs of their community.

Second by creating a team that will have to walk a set multi-mile course, local chapters can help promote physical activity and a team activity for its members, fostering a greater cohesiveness and shared experience for each chapter.

Third, this event provides a platform for our chapters to go out into the community and support a local need. As each chapter participates in such a walk, the VWAA will be supporting our communities both locally and across the entire state.



BETTER A LIFE has three Core Programs, namely

GROWTH FOR LIFE

Growth for a Life is comprised of five services:

Food Pantry: Maintaining an inventory of dried and canned food, fresh produce, milk, baby formula, hygiene products, and fresh proteins. Provided to local children in Virginia.

Door-to-Door: Meeting those in need face-to-face to provide individual meal bags containing food for a day, and to spread awareness of the pantry resources

Food Delivery: Bringing monthly quantities of groceries from the pantry to those who may not have access or transportation to a pantry which provides around 1100 LBS of food each week during our distributions throughout Loudoun and Fairfax Counties.

Holiday Giving: Delivering a complete, pre-packaged family meal to individual homes either through delivery or via school distribution during the months of November for Thanksgiving and December for Christmas meals and toys with our A Childs Wish Tree.

School Partnerships: Teaming up with local schools to provide take-home meals and grocery store gift cards



COOK FOR LIFE

Cook for a Life is comprised of two services:

Cook for a Life in the Community: Our partnerships have included other nonprofits such as The Good Shepherd Alliance of Northern Virginia teaching cooking classes to women and children residing at their family transitional housing locations.

Cook for a Life at the Pantry: Monthly classes at our pantries teaching children food safety, nutrition, and cooking basics



INSPIRE A LIFE

Inspire a Life is comprised of five services:

Homework Club: Our partnership with local police departments, honor students and tutors to provide homework assistance to elementary, middle and high school students. Sessions held weekly on Tuesday 4:30-5:30pm while school is in session. All school-aged children are welcome. Every homework club evening comes with a full hot meal for every child.

Continuing Education: General Educational Development test (GED) support, financial and application assistance for college, and ESL (English as a Second Language) class referrals to help them gain free education.

Career Counseling: Help with job applications and career goals


School Partnerships: Teaming up with local schools to provide weekly meals, backpacks and school supplies to those in need

Warm Winter: Providing coats and scarves to adults and children