The Arlington-Alexandria Coaltion for the Homeless

About

• The Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless (AACH) is a private non-profit organization that provides transitional housing and support services to homeless families and women in Arlington County and the City of Alexandria in Virginia.

• AACH offers homeless people more than just a roof over their heads; AACH provides a foundation to help them rebuild their lives. Members from several religious groups in Arlington and Alexandria created AACH in 1985 to meet the critical needs of the homeless in our communities.

• AACH helps former clients stay independent through a homeless prevention program that includes employment counseling and limited rental assistance.

• Clients are immersed in a comprehensive and individualized program designed to enable them to overcome the conditions that led to their homelessness. Each person receives intensive counseling from AACH case managers. The program focuses on family finance planning, budgeting, employment training, life-skills training in parenting, self-esteem and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Clients are required to make regular deposits into an individual savings account. In all of this we work closely with government agencies, private organizations, and community groups to ensure that our clients have access to all of the services they need.

• Support of AACH activities exemplifies public-private cooperation. Funding from Arlington County, the City of Alexandria, the Federal government, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the United Way/Combined Federal Campaign (#8353) is added to grants and contributions from businesses, foundations, religious groups and caring individuals to meet our clients needs. We also receive important donations from local residents of food, clothing, household items, and even cars in good condition.

• More than 200 volunteers provide a variety of invaluable services to AACH, everything from tutoring children to working at the front desk. A volunteer board of directors, made up of citizens from Arlington and Alexandria, direct the activities of AACH.

• Volunteers and community support are critical to AACH’s mission of empowering homeless families and individuals to achieve permanent self-sufficiency. We welcome your interest and support of our programs.