A Loudoun County nonprofit organization is expanding into Reston with a new food distribution site at Cathy Hudgins Community Center.
Better A Life plans to give out food every Wednesday at noon at the community center, followed by the launch of cooking classes in March. The organization also plans to start a homework club, which includes a free hot dinner for children each week and the mentors that assist them.
For Better A Life president and founder Elizabeth Ford, the expansion into Reston is personal. She grew up in Reston as a “child of hunger,” Ford said.
Her mother, who was a single mom, lost the townhouse where they lived in Southgate Square. After moving several times, Ford says she was permanently kicked out of her home when her mother moved overseas with her new husband. She then lived in a Red Rood Inn in Manassas and eventually became homeless.
“I used to sit at the 7-11 outside of Shadow Wood apartments and bum quarters for my food each day,” Ford said. “There were no resources for kids like me to get free food that any of us kids knew of. They finally opened The Pit over behind the police station…and I lived with my friend in Bowman Towne for most of my days as a young teen. This would give us a place to hang out safely.”
Ford went on to get a bachelor’s degree in information technology. Now in a position to help others, she says she wanted to bring more resources to the community.
Based in Purcellville, Better a Life provides food and educational assistance for kids and families with the goal of breaking the cycle of poverty.
“My programs are selected from experience,” Ford said. “I needed all the above, so my nonprofit BetterALife runs off the three programs (Growth4ALife, Cook4ALife, InspireALife) to help the children learn they can make it; there is hope, and they are loved and never forgotten.”
In addition to supporting 12 schools in Loudoun and Fairfax counties with weekend lunches, shoes, socks, blankets and other necessities, the nonprofit made its Reston introduction with a meals and toy distribution event on Dec. 16. The Reston expansion will officially launch on March 1.
The organization is seeking volunteers, particularly high school juniors and seniors. Applicants can email admin@betteralife.org for more information.
(Updated at 5:24 p.m.) Cathy Hudgins, Fairfax County’s former Hunter Mill District supervisor, has been found after she was reported missing earlier today (Tuesday).
Hudgins was last seen leaving the 2200 block of Colts Neck Road in Reston at 1:20 p.m., the Fairfax County Police Department said.
She was considered endangered “due to mental &/or physical health concerns,” according to the police.
The FCPD described her as a 5-foot-7, 162-pound woman with grey hair and brown eyes. She was seen wearing a gray jacket, blue jeans, and gray sneakers.
Hudgins represented Reston, the Vienna area, and the rest of the Hunter Mill District on the Board of Supervisors for 20 years until she retired in 2019. The Southgate Community Center was renamed after her in 2021.
#Missing 79-yr-old Catherine Hudgins last seen 1:20 pm leaving the 2200 block of Colts Neck Rd in Reston. 5’7”, 162lbs, grey hair, brown eyes, gray jacket, blue jeans, gray sneakers. Endangered due to mental &/or physical health concerns. Call 703-691-2131. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/WIbGR3jLsO
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) March 7, 2023
A community art exchange confined to a box is now open at the Cathy Hudgins Community Center at Southgate (12125 Pinecrest Road) in Reston.
The project, called a Free Little Art Gallery (FLAG), operates like the more typical Free Little Library model.
Residents can deposit and take art that is displayed on miniature cabinets. The FLAG was installed in December, but Public Art Reston and Reston Association held an official unveiling at the community center on Tuesday (Feb. 14).
The concept was created by artist Stacy Milrany, who installed the first FLAG in December 2020 in Seattle, Washington. Since then, the concept has popped up across the country.
All kinds of art — including books — can be deposited in the box.
Christine Hodgson, director of the community center, said the FLAG will help the center provide a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging.
“We believe in empowering our community and our hope is that this FLAG will provide an opportunity for our community members to connect and engage with their inner artist, the center, and the community.” Hodgson wrote in a statement.
The first FLAG in Reston was installed in the Waterview Cluster by resident Sue Johnston in December 2021. The model was borrowed by Public Art Reston at activity tables in community events.
The FLAG at the center is the first in Reston that is installed on public property. It’s supported by funding from a civic organization called Random Acts.
Public Art Reston board member Amanda Scarangella helped push the project forward, building the box with her partner, John Dean.
“Having designed the FLAG, it’s been my honor to work toward fostering a place for future artistic expression,” Scarangella remarked. “The FLAG will serve as a beacon of public art inspiring artists of all ages and skill levels to engage with their fellow community members in a positive manner. The FLAG will create a safe, accessible, and equitable space for all to enjoy the benefits — educational, social, developmental, community-building, and more — of public art.”
In a twist to the free little libraries concept, a new Free Little Art Gallery (FLAG) is open for all at the Cathy Hudgins Community Center (CHCC) at Southgate in Reston.
Modeled after give-a-book, take-a-book approach of Free Little Libraries, the galleries feature art contributed by community members that can be taken. The structure is composed of a miniature cabinet on stands. It’s the first FLAG gifted by a civic organization.
Christine Hodgson, director of CHCCS, said the project serves the center’s goal of creating a welcoming, inclusive environment.
“We believe in empowering our community and our hope is that this FLAG will provide an opportunity for our community members to connect and engage with their inner artist, the center, and the community,” she said.
Reston-based nonprofit organization Public Art Reston and Reston Association are responsible for the oversight of the FLAG. Public Art Reston will share photos of the community’s artwork on Instagram.
The FLAG concept kicked off when artist Stacy Milrany built and installed a library in December 2020 in Seattle, Washington. The project is intended to foster cultural enrichment.
Reston’s first FLAG was installed in December 2021 at the Waterview Cluster. Resident Sue Johnson, who led that effort, promoted the project at Public Art Reston activity tables.
Public Art Reston board member Amanda Scarangella offered financial support for the project through another nonprofit organization where she volunteers.
She built the mini gallery with her partner John Dean.
‘The FLAG will serve as a beacon of public art inspiring artists of all ages and skill levels to engage with their fellow community members in a positive manner,” Scarangella wrote in a statement. “The FLAG will create a safe, accessible, and equitable space for all to enjoy the benefits — educational, social, developmental, community-building, and more — of public art.”
