Cassie Northern 
For nearly 60 years, this local nonprofit organization based in Alexandria has been dedicated to supporting families and individuals alike on the path towards independence. The work that United Community does is truly all in the name: providing basic needs, helping people overcome obstacles, and connecting Fairfax County communities, all through its assorted programs. This year, United Community is also hosting its first-ever carnival on Saturday, August 22nd. The ALX South Block Party will feature food, a variety of entertainment, vendors, and an overall great opportunity to support the organization. Read on to learn about United Community.
About United Community
United Community started off in 1969, with a group of women who were inspired to make a change at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church. After observing many children without shoes and families who needed help, the women decided to start an initiative: their solution was to bring these items directly to the families, right in the church parking lot.
They started bringing a trailer to the church on Saturdays. They provided clothing, classes, and ways for people to connect. This came to be known as the Trailer Store, and back then, there was only one staff member working. It started small, but the Trailer Store laid down the foundation for the future of United Community and what it would become.
By 1971, the Trailer Store had evolved and was on its way to becoming what is now United Community. There were now over 700 volunteers involved, and the Fairfax County government had acknowledged the organization and its efforts to connect different communities. Over time, United Community started adding programs, each with a different purpose and serving different groups of individuals. The organization also first went by the name of United Community Ministries.
In 2019, the organization officially became known as United Community. It chose the name in order to reflect its dedication to not only helping those in need, but also involving and working beside the community as a whole: bringing people together, listening and giving them a say, tackling general issues in addition to those that are individual, and overall heading towards a better future for everyone involved.
Over the years, it also had board members who were still attendees of the Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church. The organization’s previous executive director of outreach was also present when the Mount Vernon Presbyterian first began, an additional sign of United Community’s origins and long-lasting connection to the church.
What United Community Does
In 2025, United Community assisted over 12,000 people in Fairfax County. It also gave out over one million pounds of food and saw nearly 3,000 hours of help from volunteers.
Its work can be split into four main categories: food, children/youth, family support, and immigration/legal/adult education. It also has what it refers to as “wraparound services” which connect the programs together, so that people who need assistance in more than one category can receive it.
United Community often targets families living within certain zip codes, as Southern Fairfax County experiences extremely high rates of food insecurity, poverty and related illness. It reported that more than 85% of the community it serves “live[s] at or below the federal poverty level.”
Food
Under its nutritional program, United Community works for local residents to have easy access to healthy and cultural food. The organization has its Cynthia Hull Pantry, which offers all types of groceries and is located in Alexandria. United Community also has mobile markets; currently, there are two visiting Mount Vernon Woods Elementary and Walt Whitman Middle in Fairfax County Public Schools each month.
Children And Youth
The organization focuses on helping children learn and grow in a helpful and protected environment, working alongside both kids and their families. It provides early learning opportunities at its Early Learning Center (ELC), which can be either weekly or monthly, and at its Community Schools, which are located directly at public schools.
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The Early Learning Center is located in Alexandria and has been providing early education for children from six weeks to five years old for over 30 years. It assists children before they start their official school journey and has a curriculum built around play time. Each child also gets their own portfolio that documents their journey and is used as a resource in parent-teacher conferences. Last year, 78 children enrolled in the ELC.
There are also Community Schools, which provide resources directly to children already in school. They’re located directly at public schools for easy access. Currently, there are two Community Schools located at Mount Vernon Woods Elementary and Walt Whitman Middle in Fairfax County Public Schools. In addition to offering assistance such as tutoring, Community Schools host their own events, may offer clothing, snacks, support, and more, and can help families receive services such as counseling or health screenings at the location.
Families
The organization also provides education for entire families. This includes resources such as economic coaching and assistance with housing, transportation, work (including job training, preparation, and placement), and childcare.
The Family Achievement Program (or FAP), which connects personalized coaches with families, saw 106 members in 2025. This program is specifically for Fairfax County families who have an income “at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).” The coach that families are assigned provides different types of assistance based on the family’s individual needs, and overall gives support and helps them prepare for their future. FAP is located at the Gerry Hyland Government Center in Alexandria.
An additional family resource is Healthy Families Fairfax, which includes direct at-home assistance. Specialists come to families in need at their homes for discussions and support. This program targets newer families, helping them adjust early on. The services it provides are similar to the ones that FAP provides, helping connect families with assorted resources.
There are also Opportunity Neighborhoods, which aim to bring together Fairfax County to focus on five specific goals: building strong communities, helping children prepare for kindergarten, supporting children in school and with their curriculum, helping young adults become ready to work, and assisting families in becoming connected, self-sufficient, and strong. This program calls for a variety of involvement, from individuals to schools and organizations. It focuses on specific zip codes and locations, mainly within Mount Vernon and West Potomac.
Immigration, Legal and Adult Education
United Community also focuses on education through its Immigrant, Legal and Adult Education programs. Here, United Community works alongside immigrants to help with things such as learning/practicing English and getting ready for a US citizenship test; they can also speak with an attorney if needed.
Other efforts include job preparation/searching for adults and virtual classes that are based around computer skills like sending emails. There’s also the Progreso Center for Literacy and Citizenship, which supported 705 adults in 2025 and has both classes and one-on-one assistance.
Get Involved
One of the ways you can participate in United Community’s efforts is through one of its food drives. Its upcoming food drive is an annual one that takes place for Thanksgiving. Support comes in many colors: you can provide food, volunteer by conversing with families, helping organize the food donations, and more; share news about the event with others, or donate. United Community also greatly appreciates donations of cultural food, in order to provide something for everyone. The upcoming food drive is looking for sponsors and has an Amazon registry online that you can shop from. The drop-off location is at 7511 Fordson Road in Alexandria, and the times are from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Monday and from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Tuesday through Thursday.
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United Community also hosts a Holiday Giving Tree Campaign, where you can help children receive Christmas gifts. For this campaign, participating local businesses and locations will have trees with different children’s wishes that you can buy. These children are members of the United Community’s programs and families. If you’re interested in participating, you can head to United Community’s events page for more information.
There are also a few ways to volunteer, either individually or as a team of people. For individuals, the efforts are organized into two categories: positions offering direct service and positions based around specific skills. For the first category, positions include helping at the food pantry, the United Community’s warehouse (driving, delivering, and unpacking), and representing the organization at public events. For the second category, positions include teaching ESL, helping with administrative jobs, being a social media manager/content creator for the organization, writing for the organization online, and more. For groups, there are also food pantry options, and the option of putting together “Snack Packs” directly at your job or wherever your group is located. In addition to food and drinks, these Snack Packs also include handwritten notes.
Another great way to support United Community is also coming up later this month on Saturday, August 22. This will be its first carnival-style event, called ALX South Block Party, at Bryant High School in Alexandria. It’s from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The event will be directly supporting the nonprofit and it’s free.
There will be live music, a live DJ, food, entertainment, and vendors. Some of the entertainment includes free face painting and exercise classes like free Zumba, and just a few of the buying opportunities include jewelry and hot sauce vendors. A few food trucks and restaurants will include Chalkboard Wings and BBQ, Haymi Int’l Market, Dishes of India, and Sip n Treat.
There will also be crafts, a Touch-a-Truck event with the Fairfax County Fire Department, opportunities to talk with local healthcare providers and health organizations, and raffles with goodie baskets. You can register for the event for free online, and registering immediately enters you into the big raffle for a free iPad.
Bryant High School is located at 2709 Popkins Lane in Alexandria. ALX South Block Party will be taking place in the parking lot, which is located behind the high school. The event is from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, August 22.
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