Who is Jennifer Ferrara’s Favorite Community Lodgings Employee? *Editor’s note: At the time this interview was conducted, Ms. Ferrara was with BB&T. She has since taken a position with M&T Bank as Vice President and Business Banking Relationship Manager and she remains very active in social justice causes in Alexandria. Jennifer Ferrara is the Vice […]
transitional housing
Ambassador Reflections: Eight Questions with Karina Wiggs
Eight Questions with Karina Wiggs, Community Lodgings’ Director of Operations Karina Wiggs joined Community Lodgings’ staff in November of 1998 – nearly 20 years ago! Find out how Community Lodgings helped Karina find her true passion, and who she wants to be when she grows up. What attracted you to Community Lodgings? I needed a […]
Ambassador Reflections: a Nonprofit Peer Reflects on Community Lodgings
Friends Helping Friends Helping Women Everyone needs a friend. A friend is that trusted person who laughs, cries, celebrates and commiserates with you, and serves as that beautiful reminder that none of us are alone. Friends make life more fun. If you are lucky enough to work with a friend, work becomes more fun too. […]
Ambassador Reflections: John Taylor Chapman on Community Lodgings
Six Great Quotes from John Chapman about Community Lodgings City Councilman John Chapman first heard of Community Lodgings when he was a child growing up in public housing in Alexandria. He was re-introduced to them when he was employed as a paraprofessional instructor, or a teacher’s aide, at Alexandria City Public School’s (ACPS) George Washington […]
Ambassador Reflections: Jenny’s Journey
Jenny’s Journey “I’m not good enough to wash a dog.” That is an odd statement for a job interview, but that is how Jenny McDaniel felt when she applied as a dog washer at Your Dog’s Best Friends in Alexandria ten years ago. Jenny was pulled out of school in the third grade to avoid […]
Ambassador Reflections: My Life in Transitional Housing, by Precious R.
Entering and completing the Transitional Housing Program with Community Lodgings had a tremendous impact on my life. I entered this program not knowing what career I wanted to pursue in life, or where my job would take me. Today I stand as a teacher who is making a difference in many people’s lives. Community Lodgings […]
Ambassador Reflections: Karma Yoga for Community Lodgings
Karma Yoga for Community Lodgings Sara Vandergroot, co-owner of Mind the Mat in Del Ray, never planned to be a yoga instructor and massage therapist. She had taught English in South America for two years after college, then studied law at the Marshall–Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, […]
Ambassador Reflections: Paul Haire’s Community Lodgings Story
From Policy to People – Paul Haire’s Community Lodgings Story Paul Haire is a self-described “wonk who used to write social and public policy from 30,000 feet”. Not exactly the background you would expect for his newest career – running Your Dogs Best Friends, one of Alexandria’s best loved dog daycare and boarding facilities. In […]
Ambassador Reflections: My City, My Town, My Neighborhood, My Kids
Susan Bray saw the transition coming. She was near the end of her professional career as a marketing sales director in the telecommunications industry where she would spend most of her time sending out surveys and collecting opinions of clients (read more about it here). Additionally, her kids were out of college and establishing their […]
Ambassador Reflections: 5 questions with Jesse Strauss
Five Questions with Jesse Medalia Strauss Jesse Medalia Strauss is the co-founder of Forward Frame Media, a full-service videography company that advocates for progressive social change through visual storytelling. He has produced Community Lodgings’ videos since 2015. What attracted you to Community Lodgings? I was just starting out as a freelance videographer and I saw […]