Local Organizations Help & Empower Women Around F.C.

by Kylee Toland Falls Church News-Press

Tracing back to the early 20th century, Women’s History Month has been a way to highlight the contributions of women in history and society. It’s also a reminder of the various groups and organizations making it their mission to help and/or empower women.

In 2017, the Women’s History Walk was started by Nikki Henderson from the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, as well as current City of Falls Church council member Marybeth Connelly. The walk was created to highlight the history of “little-known” women in Falls Church, which then expanded into the Women’s History Group as more and more local women became involved.

As a founder of the Women’s History Group, Connelly said since the group is trying to “encourage the next generation of young women to get involved.” On the Women’s History Walk website, Connelly stated there’s a page dedicated to how a woman can get involved in the city, including various organizations who need volunteers. The group has also held events that allow local, elected women to share their stories amongst themselves as well as others.

“When you’re running for office, it’s really intimidating to think about how you would do it when you have kids and a job,” Connelly said, “so to hear the stories of people who do this successfully and need encouragement…I think it’s really important to share that message.”

The group also recognizes the work that women have done in the past decades, which Connelly stated is important to celebrate and highlight due to their impact on the City of Falls Church today. This year, the Women’s History Walk will be a little different, as the “walk” spans over the whole month of March instead of just one day. Signs with the names of various Falls Church women and their biographies can be found at different locations, such as Creative Cauldron, Harvey’s Restaurant and more.

One local nonprofit organization, Homestretch, has been designed to empower homeless parents with children and help “to move them from crisis to long-term stability and financial independence.” Starting over 30 years ago, credit counselor Heather Lynskey said Homestretch helps homeless women by “setting goals and specific plans toward reaching self-sufficiency.”

As a female-dominated organization, Director of Development Nekita Jones said the organization has served “90 percent of women,” as well as being staffed by “over 90 percent of women.”

“With that comes the knowledge and history of knowing what the obstacles are against women,” Jones said, further stating that over 65 percent of Homestretch’s clients are coming from domestic abuse situations. “Immigrant women, women of color and single mothers are facing all kinds of barriers and other obstacles in this country and in this region.”

Kayleen Mark, the housing specialist for the city’s Department of Housing and Human Services, said the main focus of the department is to provide affordable housing and programs to all citizens. Mark stated the department serves a lot of women, unfortunately those who have faced domestic abuse or have children to take care of on their own.

“We work with them on a daily basis to help them find any sort of resources that they may need,” Mark said.

Mark further stated the reason she wanted to be involved in the field of human services was because of her mother, who Mark said had a passion for helping others and “doing good” in the community.

“That has always been my passion as well: to serve those in need,” Mark said.

Falls Church Business News & Notes

Compass Coffee to Open in Falls Church

DC-based Compass Coffee has announced plans to open a full service, drive thru location in the Shops at West Falls Church. They will modify the former BB&T bank building to serve seasonal drink flavors as well as breakfast sandwiches and pastries for those on the go. Compass Coffee opened in 2014 and has 16 shops across the region. It hopes to open this summer.

NOVA Job Market Update

The Northern Virginia Community College Office of Career Services has compiled statistics on jobs posted in Northern Virginia from December 2022 through February 2023. Among the highlights, Northern Virginia had nearly 105,000 job postings in this time period, ranking 25th among all metropolitan areas across the country. The Washington, DC metro area had almost 266,000 job postings, ranking 5th in all metropolitan areas. There were more job postings for software developers than any other occupation (7,338) and registered nurses ranked 3rd. The top three companies posting jobs in Northern Virginia were Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos and Inova Health System.

Best Hospitals Ranked

Newsweek has published its 2023 list of the World’s Best Hospitals with fifteen in DC and Virginia. Among those in Northern Virginia, two are in the top 100. Inova Fairfax Hospital ranked #72, Inova Alexandria Hospital was #100. The goal of the study was to provide a data-based comparison of hospital reputations and performance across the country.

Navigating the New SBA VOSB/SDVOSB Certification

The SBA has recently taken over the certification of VOSB/SDVOSB for set-aside opportunities with the government. GovCon 101 will walk contractors through the new application and share advice on how to properly apply. Participants will learn where to access the portal to submit applications, how to manage the required data, which documents are needed, and eligibility guidelines. The Virginia SBDC session is free and participants will receive the Zoom link upon registration at https://clients. virginiasbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=140430004.

Craft Beverage: Media Marketing Webinar

The Virginia SBDC is facilitating a free seminar for those in the craft beverage industry to learn more about the importance of marketing and developing a strategy to work with the media. Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance program manager Chris Van Orden and Lisa Archer, Editor and Publisher of Edible Blue Ridge , will discuss the craft beverage sector, the media’s process for sourcing stories on local producers, and what makes a good subject. Participants must register in advance and the Zoom will then be shared. Visit https://clients.virginiasbdc.org/workshop. aspx?ekey=900430016.

BAE Systems Receives $245.6 M Contract

Falls Church-based BAE Systems received a contract to procure materials for armored vehicle production. The Pentagon announced that under a $245.6 million cost-sharing contract, the work will support the future purchase of the Army’s Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles (AMPV). The AMPV program will replace the service’s Vietnam War-era M113 armored personnel carriers. The Army and BAE intend to accelerate the production since approximately 200 M113s have been sent to Ukraine.

 Business News & Notes is compiled by Elise Neil Bengtson, Executive Director of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at elise@fallschurchchamber.org.