Reston nonprofit Cornerstones has started two new endowment funds to honor Restonians’ impact on the community.
The new funds are part of Cornerstones’ new Legacy of Hope Society, “where members of the community can make a lasting difference today by making a charitable planned gift that offers stability, empowerment and hope for families now and in the future,” Cornerstones said in a release.
The Stu Rakoff CornerstonesMemorial Fund remembers the former Cornerstones Board chair, who died in 2014 after battling ALS. Cornerstones says the the fund honors “a leader whose compassion for the human condition, love of Reston and its founding principles, and vision for Cornerstones’ future inspire us today.”
The Jennifer Steinbauer Early Childhood Education Scholarship Fund provides scholarships for the cost of child care for working families who do not qualify for a government subsidy but still need help with the costs of quality, affordable child care at Cornerstones’ Laurel Learning Center. The fund was established by longtime Reston residents Fran and Jane Steinbauer to honor their late daughter Jennifer, who had a love for working with young children.
Those interested in more information or gift options can email [email protected] or call Kelli Horton, Senior Director Annual Giving and Community Engagement, at 571-323-9566.
Cornerstones, formerly Reston Interfaith, has been active in Reston since 1970. Cornerstones works to promotes self-sufficiency by providing support and advocacy for those in need of food, shelter, affordable housing, quality childcare, and other human services.
The start of school may be more than a month away, but Reston nonprofit Cornerstones is working on ensuring more than 3,500 students have what they need on the first day.
Cornerstones, working with partner Kids R First, has kicked off its annual backpack drive. The organization is seeking new backpacks for Reston and Herndon students who are Cornerstones’ clients or who receive free or reduced lunch.
Cornerstones is urging individuals, corporations and organizations to get involved to make the backpack drive a success
Here is what is needed.
- New backpacks with no logos or wheels.
- High school size: 20″ x 14″ 7″ (the area of greatest need)
- Middle school size: 18″ x 13″ x 6″
- Elementary school size: 16 ” x 12″ x 5″
Backpacks can be purchased online at Walmart or Amazon, with free shipping directly to Cornerstones.
Additionally, Cornerstones is requesting donations of new underwear for elementary age children. Payless Shoes gift cards ($25) are also welcome so Cornerstones’ clients can get a new pair of shoes.
Donors can pledge online the number of backpacks they would like to donate.
Groups planning a collection can email [email protected] to request a personalized flyer to distribute.
Backpacks should be delivered to Cornerstones’ offices, 11150 Sunset Hills Rd., Suite 210, Reston VA 20190 Aug. 8-12, 9 to 5 p.m.
Virginia tax free school shopping on backpacks will also be in effect Aug. 5 to 7.
Questions? Contact Cornerstones at 571-323-9568 or [email protected].
Restonians filled the ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Reston Thursday night to honor their own.
The 23rd annual Best of Reston Awards Gala — “the Reston prom” to some — is the ceremony to honor those for their contributions to the community.
But the black tie event is also a grand night out and a major fundraiser for nonprofit Cornerstones. The 2016 gala raised $483,258 for Cornerstones to increase its supply of affordable housing and boost other programs. Read More
Founders Week continues today with one of Reston’s biggest events of the year — the 25th Annual Best of Reston Awards Gala.
The awards honor Reston individuals and businesses for their commitment to community service. The gala is also the largest fundraiser of the year for Cornerstones, which has a goal of raising $500,000 from this year’s event.
Tickets to the 7 p.m. gala at the Hyatt Regency Reston may still be available. Individual seats start at $200.
Here are this year’s awardees:
Individual Community Leaders, Reston Association Tennis Coach Jim Elder and Reston Community Center Executive Director Leila Gordon.
Small Business Leaders, Beloved Yoga and Wiygul Automotive Clinic
Corporate Business Leaders, Bechtel and Google
Civic Community Organization, Friends of Reston for Community Projects
Vade Bolton-Anne Rodriguez Legacy Award, Amy’s Amigos
See more on the honorees in this previous post.
Reston is honoring founder Robert E. Simon all this week. Simon, who died in September, would have been 1o2 on April 10. See more Founders Week info and events.
Photo: Best of Reston 2015/Credit: Chip McRea
Tickets are going fast for the 25th Annual Best of Reston Awards Gala, which will be held April 7 at the Hyatt Regency Reston.
The awards honor Reston individuals and businesses for their commitment to community service.
See the list of this year’s honorees in this previous Reston Now article.
The gala is also a large fundraiser for Cornerstones, the Reston nonprofit that helps people in need find affordable housing, food and other necessities. This year’s gala has a goal of raising $500,000, says Cornerstones.
That’s similar to the amount raised each of the last two years, says Cornerstones chair Jill Norcross. Two years ago, Cornerstones was able to double its stock of affordable housing with money raised.
Tickets to the gala start at $200 (includes dinner) and can be purchased online.
Sunday’s 33rd annual Capitol Steps Benefit for Cornerstones raised $230,500 to aid Cornerstones’ programs for the disadvantaged and affordable housing stock.
A sold-out crowd of more than 600 guests attended the show — which pokes fun at both sides of the aisle and all things Washington — at the Hyatt Regency Reston.
Rep. Gerry Connolly, among the VIPs in attendance, said Cornerstones is part of why Fairfax County has reduced its homeless population significantly — even during the economic stress of the last decade.
“During my tenure as Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, I was proud to work with my colleagues on the board along with community partners like Cornerstones to develop and implement our 10-year plan to prevent and end homelessness,” he told the crowd.
“Our efforts are producing tremendous results. Contrary to what most communities experienced during the Great Recession, Fairfax County turned the tide and experienced a significant decline in homelessness. In fact, over the last seven years, we’ve reduced the homeless population in Fairfax County by 34 percent.”
Cornerstones’ next major fundraiser is the Best of Reston Awards Gala on April 7.
From a local yoga studio to corporate giant Google, eight individuals and businesses who have had an impact on making Reston a better place will be honored this year as the Best of Reston.
The 25th annual awards for community service are a collaboration between the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and Cornerstones. The awards gala April 7 at the Hyatt Regency Reston is a major fundraiser for Cornerstones, the Reston non- profit that helps people in need find affordable housing, food and other necessities.
This year’s gala has a goal of raising $500,000, says Cornerstones. That’s similar to the amount raised each of the last two years, says Cornerstones chair Jill Norcross. Two years ago, Cornerstones was able to double its stock of affordable housing with money raised.
The community gathered at Reston Station Thursday night to announce the 2016 honorees:
Individual Community Leader
Jim Elder — A coach with Reston Association’s tennis program since 1997, Elder is being honored for teaching Reston youth that good sportsmanship and fair play are as essential to playing the games they love as skills, stats and strategy.
Leila Gordon — Gordon, the executive director of the Reston Community Center was chosen for “putting community at the center of the Reston experience.” Gordon has been instrumental in increasing community arts, education and recreation programs for people of all ages and incomes in Reston.
Small Business Leader
Beloved Yoga — Maryam Ovissi, founder of Beloved Yoga, earns the award for “providing the tools for self-empowerment, self-healing and self-realization coupled with the belief that giving back to community is powerful when we thrive together.” Ovissi takes her yoga and meditation programs into the community to bring it to new participants such as youth and seniors. She is also founder of Reston Town Center’s annual Love Your Body Day. Read More
The Capitol Steps return to Reston Jan. 31 for the troupe’s 33rd annual benefit performance for Cornerstones.
The Capitol Steps are a D.C.-based political satire troupe that mocks both sides of the aisle in skits and songs.
Here is what you need to know:
The show is 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31 at the Hyatt Regency Reston
Tickets start at $75. Tables and sponsorships are available. Wine and dessert will be served.
Proceeds benefit Cornerstones’ efforts to provide affordable housing, emergency shelter, food, financial assistance, childcare and other essential resources to individuals and families in need.
Do you know someone who is truly the Best of Reston?<
Then nominate them for the annual Best of Reston Awards.
Nominations for the Best of Reston are being accepted through Nov. 6 at 5 p.m.
This is the 25th year Cornerstones and the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce have teamed to organize individuals and businesses who have worked to make an impact in the community.
The awards will be announced in early 2016 and presented at a gala at the Hyatt Regency Reston on April 7. The awards are a major fundraiser for Cornerstones, raising more than $500,000 in each of the last two years.
Click to see criteria and nominate businesses and leaders in the categories below.
Individual/Family Community Leader(s)
Civic/Community Group(s)/Nonprofit Organization
Employee-Owned Company/Small Business Leader(2-100 employees)*
Corporate Business Leader (101+ employees)*
Vade Bolton-Ann Rodriquez Legacy Award-Entrusting Our Community’s Future (Special Award)
Download a PDF of the nomination application, though online nominations are preferred.
The following are not eligible for a Best of Reston award:
- Elected officials holding federal, state, or county office
- Individual schools or congregations (individuals/groups working within institutions may be considered)
- Posthumous nominations
- Current employees of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce or Cornerstones
Read about last year’s winners in this previous Reston Now article.
Photo: Best of Reston 2015/Credit: Chip McRea
Reston-area nonprofits Cornerstones and Kid R First were able to send nearly 3,000 Reston and Herndon students back to school last week with the items they needed, including new backpacks, school supplies, and gift cards for shoes, haircuts and other necessities.
Student recipients of the 2015 Back to School Drive included Cornerstones’ clients, as well as other local students who receive free or reduced cost school meals, Cornerstones said.
“Childhood is a critical time for all, often setting the course for an individual’s overall social, emotional and physical health as well as economic circumstances,” Cornerstones CEO Kerrie Wilson said in a press release. “Cornerstones works on behalf of the essential needs of our youngest clients through programs that provide resources and care to help our kids excel and feel a sense of normalcy and belonging.”
Thousands of backpacks were donated to Cornerstones by individuals, businesses and organizations through its annual summer backpack drive. Kids R First provides school supplies for the backpacks. Community members also helped with sorting and stuffing backpacks to get ready for the first day of school.
Reston-based nonprofit Cornerstones has hired Michael J. Scheurer as Vice President, Housing & Community Development.
Scheurer will be responsible for real estate acquisition, development, and advocacy activities supporting the preservation and development of affordable housing, said Cornerstones CEO Kerrie Wilson.
Scheurer will manage the Cornerstones Housing Corporation (CHC), the subsidiary organization that oversees Cornerstones’ existing housing portfolio, and identify new opportunities to broaden our work in this area.
“Mike understands the struggles faced by low-income and working families in our region and brings new ideas and capacity to help us change that picture for the people we serve in the greater Reston-Herndon community,” Wilson said in a statement.
Cornerstones addresses the need for affordable housing in the community through the efforts of its subsidiary housing corporation, by acquiring, preserving, rehabilitating, constructing and managing housing for formerly homeless and at risk individuals and families.
Scheurer most recently worked for the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA). VHDA is a not-for-profit organization created by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1972 to help Virginians attain quality, affordable housing.
At VHDA, Scheurer was responsible for community lending and relationship initiatives as well as developing strategies to finance affordable housing for homeownership and rental. Prior to VHDA, Scheurer was Senior Deputy Director of the Fannie Mae Washington Metropolitan Community Business Center, and Director, Multifamily Finance for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
He has also served as Director of Development and Real Estate Finance for the Department of Housing and Community Development for Fairfax County where he administered and directed the planning, development and preservation of over 4,000 units of housing. He is immediate past Chairman of HAND–the Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers, past chairman of HomeAid of Northern Virginia and serves on the Fairfax County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee.
“Reston and Cornerstones are entering a new and exciting period of possibilities over the next two to five years,” said Scheurer. “I am very excited to be able to bring a career and experience in all phases of affordable housing to Cornerstones and especially in the community where I have resided for over 30 years.”
Scheurer’s position was most recently held by Tim McMahon, who retired in May after 20 years of service.
Photo: Michael Scheurer/LinkedIn
The start of school is about two months away, but Reston nonprofit Cornerstones is working now to make sure 3,000 Reston and Herndon students are outfitted for the new year.
Cornerstones is holding its annual backpack drive. The organization is again partnering with Kids R First, which will donate school supplies to the students in need.
Needy students are among Cornerstones’ clients and are also identified by school counselors as those receiving free or reduced lunches, says Cornerstones.
Here is how you can help:
Go to Cornerstones’ donation page and pledge the number of backpacks you would like to donate.
Backpacks should have no wheels or corporate logos.
Cornerstones needs all sizes: High School, Middle School and Elementary School. Visit Cornerstones online to see exact specifications.
You can also go to Amazon.com and order backpacks that will be delivered with no shipping costs directly to Cornerstones.
Backpacks can be dropped off at Cornerstones, 11150 Sunset Hills Rd., the week of Aug. 10.
Cornerstones can also use donations of new underwear for elementary-age students, as well as gift cards for Payless Shoes ($25) so young clients can have new shoes for the school year.
Photo courtesy Cornerstones
Restonians came out to honor their own Thursday at the 2015 Best of Reston Awards for Community Service at the Hyatt Regency Reston.
The 24th annual event, chaired this year by developers Boston Properties, Comstock, and The JBG Companies, benefits Cornerstones, which uses the money to benefit those facing homelessness in our community.
The 2015 event raised about $540,000, which will enable Cornerstones to help those in the community facing homelessness.
The annual awards honor individuals and businesses in Reston who have made a strong contribution to Reston.
While most of the award winners were announced at a January ceremony, there was a surprise category on Thursday. Lynn Lilienthal was honored with the Robert E. Simon Lifetime Community Achievement Award. The Simon award has been given to a small, select few since it began in 2009.
Lilienthal and her husband, Phil, have been Reston residents since 1968. Lynn Lilienthal founded PALS child care center and has been an active volunteer and leader with the Reston Historic Trust and Museum, Cornerstones and many other organizations.
“It is important to keep giving back to the community,” said Lilienthal, who was a Best of Reston honoree in 1998. “It’s a lot of fun.”
The other 2015 honorees include:
Larry Butler — Individual Community Leader
Butler, Reston Association’s Senior Director of Parks and Recreation, has used his passion for the outdoors in volunteer work that includes the Reston Triathlon, the Reston Sprint Triathlon and the Reston Kids Triathlon. The latter event offers scholarships to 50 kids in need to get involved in the sport.
“His can-do attitude, insight and advice, and leadership in making connections across the community create the added value in every event or activity in which Larry is involved,” the Best of Reston committee said. Read More
Reston will honor its own — and raise money for Cornerstones — on Thursday at the 24th annual Best of Reston Awards for Community Service gala at the Hyatt Regency Reston.
The event is nearly sold out, says Cornerstones, so if you have not purchased a ticket, act fast. Individual tickets start at $200.
The event begins with cocktail hour and a silent auction at 5:30 p.m. The program starts at 6:45 p.m.
Last year, the Best of Reston raised $675,000 to benefit Cornerstones’ efforts to secure affordable housing for citizens facing homelessness.
This year’s event will honor
- Civic/Community Organization: His Hidden Treasures (Troy and Lois Hughes)
- Small Business Leader: Maid Bright (Maria Fedick, Yusuf and Zeynep Mehmetoglu)
- Corporate Business Leader: Leidos (Mike Coogan, Director, Corporate Responsibility)
- Corporate Business Leader: MAXIMUS (Susan Boren, Mark Andrekovich, Tom Romeo)
- Individual Community Leader: Francis C. Steinbauer
- Vade Bolton-Ann Rodriguez Legacy Award: Casey Veatch
- Individual Community Leader: Larry Butler, Reston Association Senior Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Resources
Read more about the honorees in this previous Reston Now post.
Tickets are now available for the April 30 Best of Reston Awards Gala at the Hyatt Regency Reston.
The Best of Reston, organized by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and Cornerstones, annually honors community individual and business leaders who have made an impact.
It is also the biggest fundraiser of the year for Cornerstones. The last two Best of Reston galas raised a combined $1,178,000. That money enabled Cornerstones to double its stock of affordable housing in our community.
Tickets for this year’s event begin at $200 (individual) and go up to $5,000 for a table.
Developers Boston Properties, Comstock, and The JBG Companies will serve as co-chairs of the event.
Here are the honorees for 2015:
Larry Butler — Individual Community Leader
Butler, Reston Association’s Senior Director of Parks and Recreation, has used his passion for the outdoors in volunteer work that includes the Reston Triathlon, the Reston Sprint Triathlon and the Reston Kids Triathlon. The latter event offers scholarships to 50 kids in need to get involved in the sport.
Fran Steinbauer — Individual Community Leader
Steinbauer is an original Restonian, serving as founder Bob Simon’s civil engineer in the planning of the community more than 50 years ago. He has served on the board of Reston Association, Cornerstones, Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and the former Reston Homeowners Association.
Leidos — Corporate Business Leader
New science and tech corporation Leidos opened its headquarters at Reston Town Center less than two years ago, but has quickly become immersed in the community, working with the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life; the American Heart Association’s Run Your Heart Out, Reston; Habitat for Humanity; Greater Reston Arts Center and Initiative for Public Art Reston, among others.
Maximus — Corporate Business Leader
Maximus’ corporate headquarters is in Reston, where it supports Herndon-Reston FISH’s work to help those in need, FACETS, The Women’s Center and the Washington Redskins Foundation, among others.
Maid Bright — Small Business Leader
Maid Bright, a family-run house cleaning business, supported the community by providing dinners to the county hypothermia shelter; cleaning homes free of charge for cancer patients and families moving to transitional housing; participating in Cornerstones’ Help the Homeless Walk; and donating $20,000 for Syrian refugees.
His Hidden Treasures — Civic/Community Organization Leader
Lois and Troy Hughes founded this on profit ministry that helps people work their way out of homelessness and grow self-esteem in newly furnished homes. His Hidden Treasureshelps transform transitional housing into personalized homes, with restored and donated furniture, as well as brand-new beds for clients.
Casey Veatch — Vade Bolton-Anne Rodriguez Legacy Award
This native Restonian is a business leader with Veatch Commercial Real Estate who also gives back in a variety of capacities, helping Cornerstones, Leadership Fairfax, his church, and youth sports teams.
