May 26th, 2012 
Accepting award from United Communities Against Poverty, established in 1964 and the official Community Action Agency (CAA) for Prince George’s County in 1978. UCAP, a non-profit 501(c)(3), is the leading advocate for communities of people facing deficiencies in education, affordable housing, economic stability, and adequate health care access.
Last fall, I accepted an award for Non-Profit Partner of the Year on behalf of my 501(c)(3), Courage for Kids. Courage for Kids is a 501(3)c nonprofit registered in the State of Virginia as The Courage Cup. Its mission is to create, find, and support programs in the Mid-Atlantic region through financial support and volunteer commitment. I was so honored to receive this award from United Communities Against Poverty (UCAP) at their annual dinner, but a tad nervous to be accepting in front of the 500 attendees. I am not big on public speaking.
My readers know me as “Miss A”, but I also founded a charity in 2005 with Keri Ann Meslar and Jennifer Doherty Faust called The Courage Cup. The organization once held fancy polo fundraisers to support the Work to Ride nonprofit in Philadelphia, but we have put the drama that event caused us with the Salahis behind us, and are now doing business as Courage for Kids. We aren’t hosting events for thousands of attendees anymore, and are focusing on doing hands on volunteering, and supporting charities in the Washington, DC community.
In 2010, we started our GIVE BACK-pack Initiative to send all the children who graduated from Bright Beginnings to Kindergarten with a back pack filled with books and school supplies. Last year, Courage for Kids expanded the initiative to provide this for children in early childhood education programs at both Bright Beginnings and CentroNia. We also donated money and planned events at United Communities Against Poverty for the many homeless children living at their Shepherd’s Cove shelter.
A graduate of Bright Beginnings excited to start kindergarten with his GIVE BACK-pack!
Wendy Pittman, Founder of My Bougie Baby is our Treasurer, and Stephanie Baucus of Perennial Strategy Group is our Secretary, and have been so helpful and supportive. We look forward to doing more for at-risk kids in our community in the coming years. In addition to our GIVE BACK-pack program, I hope to provide all three of these organizations with a hundreds of books so that these children will have a vast array of books to read. If you are interested in getting involved, please send me an email at andrea@courageforkids.org.
DONATE: Graduation for these children is coming up soon! I hope you will consider sponsoring a child for just $15. If you want to do more, of course we’d love that! 89% of funds received from donations last year went directly to our initiatives — only 11% for administrative expenses as we are a volunteer board. You can donate online at http://www.courageforkids.org/donate or send a check made payable to “Courage for Kids” to Courage for Kids, P.O. Box 3264, Alexandria, VA 22302.
For sponsorship information and press inquires, contact Andrea Rodgers at 202-422-2692, andrea@courageforkids.org.
