Community Lodgings of Alexandria Surpasses $60,000 Fundraising Goal at June 11 Bash
Retro-Themed Party Draws a Crowd to 20th Annual Event
ALEXANDRIA, VA – As guests filed through the door of Alx Community Waterfront the evening of Wednesday, June 11, they were transported back to a world forty years ago. For one night, Community Lodgings in Alexandria hoped guests could forget the present and hop on a time machine for a strong dose of nostalgia.
The theme was Back to the 80’s: Journey through the Decades. The party space was all decked out in 80s everything, the scene loaded with vintage gear of that iconic decade. Attendees dug deep inside their closets for Miami Vice-style suits, shoulder pads, loafers, flashy headbands, and neon bracelets. Several women even sported leg warmers on that warm night!
Why the 80s theme? Zebra asked Community Lodgings Executive Director Lynn Thomas. “Well, we were founded in 1987,” Thomas explained. She reflected back on the organization’s start and the long journey from there to here.
“The money we raise tonight will help support our youth education program. We serve about 125 kids daily in our after-school program,” Thomas told Zebra. “It will support supplies, staff salaries, and general operating costs.”
Over 100 people descended on the riverside venue to party, dance, and raise money for a noble cause.
Community Lodgings had a specific goal of $15,000 at the event, aside from the total take. As guests danced into the night, Thomas announced they had fallen short. She began to cheer the audience on to open their wallets once more. And the guests came through, exceeding that goal.
“While we did raise that money, it’s not enough,” Thomas cautioned. She sat down with Zebra on the outside patio against a backdrop of boats bobbing in the dark, as the event wound down. “We’re in jeopardy of getting funding cut through the 21st-century grant. We’ll have to work even harder to recover that funding.”
What is Community Lodgings? It is an Alexandria charity which provides transitional housing for homeless families, below-market rent to low-income families, and youth education programs to help children do better in school and decrease at-risk behavior.
Earlier in the evening, a woman stepped up to the podium to rousing applause. Jaclyn moved to Alexandria in 2022. She told the audience “a unique set of circumstances” brought her here. “I had many challenges to overcome in my life, including a physical disability that left my right arm paralyzed from a motor vehicle accident. Moving to Alexandria was a chance for me to start over. I was overwhelmed with fear and doubt that I could move forward with my life.”
Jacylyn’s 14-year-old son joined her shortly after she relocated to Alexandria. With the help of Community Lodgings, “I was able to find my motivation and strength as a single woman trying to navigate a new world with a new set of challenges,” Jaclyn continued. “The program helped me find employment with my disability.”
Jaclyn applied to the transitional housing program in May 2024 and was accepted quickly. Since that shaky start, Jacylyn “walked across the stage at Wilmington University” and went on to earn a graduate degree in social work.
As DJ Scott Carter Jun Tao spun Michael Jackson, Olivia Newton-John, Madonna and other 80s favorites, guests nibbled on jerk chicken, vegan meatballs, and a large charcuterie table laden with fruit, cheese, and shrimp.
The following morning, Shelli Vasser Gilliam, Community Lodgings development director, informed Zebra that the organization exceeded the $60,000 goal from ticket sales, sponsorships, live, and silent auctions.
“By all measures, it was an inspirational, festive, and record-breaking fundraiser. We are continuing to receive donations.”
Lynn Thomas shared that she was raised by a single mother in DC, and grew up in affordable housing.
“When I see a lot of the kids in Community Lodgings, I often see myself and what success could look like. I see the staff investing in the kids, just like someone invested in me when I was a child.”
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