The Armed Forces Retirement home is the nation’s oldest home for enlisted military veterans, founded in 1851. The bond between the veterans here is like no other.

The home’s mission for vibrant living is supported by the Old Soldiers Home Foundation, founded in 2017 by David Pauly, a veteran who lived at the Armed Forces Retirement Home before his passing. Through the work of the foundation, his legacy lives on.

The foundation relies on community support, and to help further their mission Easterns Automotive joined with something special. Joel Bassam surprised the foundation with $2,000.

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There is an estimated population of over 5 million children in the United States who have lost a parent to cancer, have a parent undergoing cancer treatment, or whose parent is a cancer survivor. In the heart of Maryland’s Eastern Shore is Camp Kesem. A far from ordinary camp. They are the largest organization that serves kids who have been impacted by their parent’s cancer.

Cancer already places massive stress on families, and they do not want financial barriers to stop kids from coming. Local college students drive the camp, and year-round they are fundraising to make sure this experience is 100% free for children ages 6 – 18. Camp Kesem isn’t a grief or cancer camp; it is an opportunity for kids to be kids again. They are all given Camp names that allow the kids to embody that personality and be whoever they want.

Joined by Joel Bassam from Easterns Automotive Group, he surprised Camp Kesem counselors with a check for $2,500. “It is impossible to find a family who has not been touched by cancer in some way, and it’s important that you are helping these kids move on,” shares Joel. This donation from Easterns saves Camp Kesem from some fundraising and helps them purchase supplies for activities like all of the slimes they made this summer.

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At 17, Cristian Perrera migrated from El Salvador to the United States in search of better education. Cristian wasn’t familiar with the English language or culture, making his transition to the US difficult, but he didn’t allow these hurdles to stop him. Once he was able to finish high school, he received help from an organization called New Futures.

New Futures’ mission is to provide educational opportunities for rewarding careers. They provide academic scholarships, academic and career advising, skill-building workshops, and career readiness. Most of the students that come into their program are first-generation immigrants or low-income students, and their approach is to provide equitable support across the board.

New Futures helped Cristian prepare for college with the help of his advisor, Allie Sirrine. She was there for him when he graduated from Montgomery College with his associate’s degree, and she is still helping him as he pursues his dream of becoming a teacher.

Inspired by New Futures’ mission to change lives, Easterns wanted to help as well. Easterns Automotive Group surprised New Futures with a donation of $2,000 to support their Power On fundraiser. Completely shocked and grateful, Allie shared that this is enough to cover a school semester for one of their scholars. We are honored to support this remarkable initiative.

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For LGBTQ plus families often, support when it comes to raising a family is hard to find. However, the organization Rainbow Families has been doing fantastic work that is now being recognized and awarded.

Sequoia and Shay Taylor El began looking for an option to create the family they always dreamed of in 2015. It may seem easy for parents to create families; however, that’s not the case. They often have to go through a different legal process and pay more money to get the same protection as regular parents.

They were introduced to Darren Paul Vance, the executive director of Rainbow Families, as a support system during their difficult journey. Rainbow Families’ goal is to continue evolving and growing to make sure that they are meeting the needs of the LGBTQ plus community.

For 40 years now, Rainbow Families have celebrated LGBTQ plus families with educational classes parrot for training workshops, picnics, play dates, and its annual family conference. To continue their fantastic work in the community, Easterns Automotive Group surprised Rainbow Families with $2,000.

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Covid has completely turned all of our lives upside down, and as we all continue to adjust, some of us are finding ways new ways to help others in need.

Connie Denton commits a big part of her life to help children in developing countries. Children who can’t afford things we take for granted, like being able to go to school. She founded the non-profit Just 1 Inc and set out to help just one child at a time by educating and empowering them, and she has now helped about 1000 children.

Once the pandemic started, Connie witnessed a need in her very own community, causing her to shift her focus. She changed her non-profit’s direction from “just one child” to “just one senior or homeless individual.” Connie organized a team to deliver groceries to senior citizens who can’t leave their homes. She also spends her weekends dropping off clothes and food to those without shelter.

Touched by all of her efforts to support so many individuals in the community, Joel Bassam joined to share a special message and surprise Connie with $2,000, so she can continue to do fantastic work helping and feeding others.

To learn more about Easterns Automotive Group’s partnership with WUSA 9 and how they come together to empower the DMV community, please visit www.wusa9.com/BetterCommunity

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Cavanaugh Bell is an eight-year-old boy from Gaithersburg, MD, who decided to turn his pain from being bullied into a mission to help others.?

After being bullied brought him to a dark place, he was determined to help others never feel the way he did. In response, Cavanaugh and his mother, Lacey, created the non-profit Cool and Dope. It is a tribe of positive creators that has a mission to stop bullying worldwide by 2030.

Even though it started as an anti-bullying campaign during the pandemic, Cavanaugh saw another way to help his community. They created a food pantry, which developed into care packages for families directly impacted by the Coronavirus, and now into mobile pantries. Cavanaugh and his mother drive around to keep the pantries stocked full of free necessities for others whenever they need them. They currently have 8, but their goal is to have ten pantries by the summer.

Cavanaugh’s kindness inspired us at Easterns Automotive Group, so we wanted to help him reach his goal! We were able to surprise him with $1,500! Enough to complete three mobile pantries! Cavanaugh was completely speechless and later expressed how he felt beautiful inside.?

To learn more about Easterns Automotive Group’s partnership with WUSA 9 and how they come together to empower the DMV community, please visit?www.wusa9.com/BetterCommunity

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October of each year is breast cancer awareness month.? Easterns Automotive Group and WUSA 9 had their mindset on highlighting a non-profit organization that helps breast cancer patients and survivors for their Road to a Better Community segment.? The one that stuck out to them the most is called For 3 Sisters, which is an Olney, Maryland based national grassroots organization dedicated to raising awareness and improving the lives of both men and women affected by breast cancer.

F3S was founded by a retired firefighter named Marshall Moneymaker and his wife Shannon.? Marshall has been nicknamed ?The Pink Firefighter? after dedicating the rest of his life to supporting breast cancer which impacted his family greatly.? He lost his three older sisters in a span of two years to breast cancer.? Their journey as a family was tough coping with multiple losses in such a short amount of time.? Therefore, he knows and understands the obstacles and burdens that many of these families have had to endure.? Finances and lack of resources can certainly be a burden in a time of need.? What?s great is that the Moneymaker?s don?t discriminate.? It is their mission to help every person possible to ensure that they feel a sense of support.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, F3S has received an increase in the demand for services but a decrease in funding.? Easterns Automotive Group?s Joel Bassam decided to surprise the Moneymaker family live on WUSA 9.? Bassam presented the couple with a check donation of $2,000.? They will be able to do wonderful things with the money including assisting and reaching more people in need.? The mission was started out of love and family which shows throughout their tremendous efforts. If you would like to learn more about For 3 Sisters or know someone in particular that can benefit from what they have to offer, please visit: www.f3s.org

To learn more about Easterns Automotive Group?s partnership with WUSA 9 and how they come together to empower the DMV community, please visit www.wusa9.com/BetterCommunity

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When people hear the word ?cancer?, many things come to mind. Most have dealt with cancer head-on due to a friend or family member having it. Breast Cancer synonymous with the color pink and is the most common cancer in American women. About 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer over the course of a lifetime. It?s extremely important to raise awareness as simply having regular mammograms and being screened can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer through early detection.

Virginia resident, Carolyn Cole-Rodenburg created The IIIB?s Foundation after being an 18-year cancer survivor herself. She turned her pain into her purpose by putting her life into helping women going through the same journey. Cole-Rodenburg knows first-hand how breast cancer can take a toll on one?s body ? mentally, physically, and emotionally. The mission of the IIIB?s Foundation is to provide Bosom Buddy Baskets (gift baskets) to women recovering from mastectomy surgery. No one knows what is needed more than a woman that has already gone through this process herself.

Being a non-profit organization, The IIIB?s Foundation relies solely on donations. However, their biggest annual fundraiser ? The Pink Tie Breast Cancer Charity Ball is at risk due to COVID-19. The incredible folks at WUSA 9 and Easterns Automotive Group heard about this and decided to help. They chose to highlight The IIIB?s Foundation on their Road to a Better Community segment. Joel Bassam of Easterns stepped up to donate $2,250 and also shared his own personal cancer story involving his aunt. This money will be able to give 15 Bosom Buddy Baskets to women currently going through treatment. Each care basket will include essential products for these women to make their journey a little easier. Please visit https://www.keepthecandleglowing.org/ to learn more about this incredible organization and to find ways that you can also support.

To learn more about Easterns Automotive Group?s partnership with WUSA 9 and how they come together to empower the DMV community, please visit www.wusa9.com/BetterCommunity

YouTube ? https://youtu.be/SU9R3hD8Lwo

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