Alexandria, VA – The Mother of Light Center (MOLC) opened its doors five years ago with a mission to feed, clothe, support, encourage, and nurture those in need in its Arlandria neighborhood. The growth is exponential! MOLC – staffed solely by volunteers – now delivers food to roughly 4,000 people a month, including 1,600 children and 100s of labor workers. The Center is open six days a week. MOLC also gives clothing, furniture, household items, and baby baskets.
The MOLC gives so much more than food and clothing! Together, under the leadership of David Yee at St. Stephen & St. Agnes School, MOLC operates an afterschool program called “Escuelita” for children ages 5 to 12. The program focuses on English literacy and STEM.
The MOLC Come and See Club supports at-risk teens with stress management, career planning, and coaching.
The MOLC Internship Program provides training and mentoring opportunities to select candidates. MOLC’s first intern, Krissia Rodriguez, just started college at William and Mary with a full scholarship. Congratulations Krissia!
The MOLC Mothers of Saint Anne provides a nurturing environment and resources for personal and family development for mothers and children.
In a new development, Matilde Alvarado, formerly a public policy nurse and the MOLC Director (a volunteer position), wrote a Life Skills Manual. Matilde selected and mentored two women in the community to be community trainers. Based on the Life Skills Manual, they trained seven participants in a 9-week course. The course is in high demand and will be repeated in March.
The MOLC Sewing School now boasts 10 graduates and another class will start in October. The students learn to sew aprons, tote bags, and other items and to market and sell their products at local events. This is empowering. Watch for the MOLC Sewing School Booth at the Art on the Avenue Festival on October 5!
How is it possible to do all this in a small warehouse with an all-volunteer staff? The answer is you! You, our neighbors and partners. MOLC partners with the Capital Area Food Bank. And with local stores such as Keany Produce, DashMart, Lidl Express, Target, Wegman’s, Baldacci’s, Harris Teeter, and Amazon Fresh, many of which donate food, clothing, household items, and baby essentials.
MOLC also partners with local churches, including St Rita’s, St. Stephen & St. Agnes School, the Redeemed Church of Christ, the Mormon Bishop’s Storehouse, St Mary’s Basilica, Blessed Sacrament, Good Shephard, and so many others.
In a partnership with Fox Family Dentistry, MOLC families (over 100 adults and children) have received free dental care.
In collaboration with George Washington University’s Art Therapy Program, MOLC created “Art in a Bag.” The Art Bag is delivered along with the food deliveries. When the recipients complete the art project and return it to MOLC, they share their feelings when doing art – feelings of creativity, emotional support, and improved well-being.
The icing on the cake for MOLC’s 5th Anniversary is this summer’s Read & Shine program designed to improve English literacy. MOLC received significant support from a Capital Area Food Bank grant, Ed Arthur and his Hearts of Love Foundation, and Pat Miller and the Del Ray Business Association. What a success! More than 70 children and teens participated in several literacy events. Fox5 featured Read & Shine in its Pay It Forward segment on July 29.
To keep all this good going at MOLC, you can also contribute through the Federal Capital Campaign. MOLC # 35575. Please visit us at motheroflightcenter.com
This link is to the Fox5 pay-it-forward video:
fox5dc.com/news/pay-forward-mother-light-helps-those-need-alexandria
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