ALEXANDRIA, VA – On Monday, June 6, Del Ray Cafe, along with the Jen Walker Team of McEnearney Associates, Wendy Brown with the Surviving Survivors Fund, and Tom Crowley & Chris Nielsen, delivered a $40K check to ACT for Alexandria (ACT). Margaret Ticer Janowsky, owner of the Del Ray Cafe, committed 5% of all May sales – amassing to $10K along with another $30K from their match partners – to be donated in celebration of Del Ray Cafe’s 10th anniversary.
Margaret and Laurent Janowsky at Del Ray Cafe have been active participants in this year’s Spring2ACTion, ACT for Alexandria’s biggest single giving day event, donating 10% of the day’s sales to At Home in Alexandria on April 27, and now, donating a total of $40K to ACT. “This is an incredible gift to our entire community, and I can’t tell you how much we appreciate it,” said Heather Peeler, President and CEO of ACT.
ACT is a community foundation dedicated to improving the lives of Alexandrians through initiatives like the Alexandria Resilience Fund, Spring2ACTion, and racial equity work. Since 2005, ACT has invested more than $1M in grants to deserving Alexandria nonprofits.
With this generous donation of $40K, ACT plans to support low-income Alexandrians by helping them climb the economic ladder and have more stability in their lives. ACT will also be working with 60 partners around the city to create a comprehensive network to support Alexandria’s young people. Peeler commented, “We know how important this is, especially since COVID has had a challenging impact on so many young people.” Finally, through a new grant program, ACT will be supporting frontline nonprofits that have been working hard throughout the pandemic to uplift the community.
During the check presentation, Janowsky not only praised ACT for their hard and important work, but also her match partners and the Del Ray Business Association. Wendy Brown “grew up here in Del Ray and has been a real fan of ours ever since we opened,” said Janowsky, expressing gratitude for Brown’s support of Del Ray Cafe’s initiatives. Janowsky also highlighted match partner Chris Nielsen for her important work. Nielsen was one of the original board members of At Home in Alexandria, a nonprofit supported by Del Ray Cafe for Spring2ACTion every year. Thanking the Del Ray Business Association for their continued support of small businesses like Del Ray Cafe, Janowsky said, “Without them we couldn’t have survived the pandemic…They are the wind beneath our wings.”
“We are in the best neighborhood ever!” exclaimed Janowsky about the overwhelming support from Alexandria’s business and individuals. Echoing Janowsky, Peeler remarked, “Del Ray Cafe is an example of what is amazing about Alexandria. People come together to support the community we all care about.”
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