ALEXANDRIA, VA — The 10th annual Spring2Action on April 15 saw Alexandria donors raise $2.45 million for local nonprofits amid the new coronavirus crisis. The impact didn’t go unnoticed in Alexandria City Public Schools, which was able to help families without internet access as it transitions to distance learning.

When Gov. Ralph Northam ordered schools to close for the academic year, equity was one of the challenges ACPS faced as it prepared its distance learning plan. The school district identified 600 households with more than 1,200 students that don’t have internet access.

Donations to school PTAs and the Alexandria PTA Council addressed that hurdle. The school district began sending 700 Kajeet mobile hotspot devices to those families last week. According to the district, all secondary students now have internet access and Chromebook laptops.

Groups like the Alexandria PTA Council have been recipients of ACT for Alexandria’s ACT Now COVID-19 response fund. The fund awards grants to nonprofits that provide critical services to Alexandria residents during the coronavirus crisis. The City of Alexandria will match donations up to $100,000, and Amazon has donated $200,000 to the fund.

ACPS has also been helping families in need with free student meal distribution sites. Any ACPS student can receive breakfast and lunch meals at school sites on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.

The cold breakfast and lunch meals do not require preregistration. Sites are located at William Ramsay Elementary School, Francis C. Hammond Middle School, Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology, Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School and T.C. Williams High School.

Any ACPS student or child over age 2 can receive meals at community grab-and-go meal sites. A sixth site opened on Wednesday, April 22 in the Arlandria area.

These community sites are:

  • Mason Apartments at South Reynolds Street, Alexandria, VA 22304 10:45 a.m.–11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
  • Brent Place Apartments at 375 South Reynolds Street, Alexandria, VA 22304 11:20 a.m.–11:50 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
  • Ruby Tucker Family Center at 322 Tancil Court, Alexandria, VA 22314 10:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
  • Community Lodgings at 607 Notabene Drive, Alexandria, VA 22305 10:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
  • Old Towne West Apartments (parking lot) at 500 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 11:20 a.m.- 11:50 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
  • Corner of Florence Drive and Four Mile Road, Alexandria, VA 22305 10:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
  • Other emergency food resources in Alexandria are posted at www.hungerfreealexandria.com.