Chantilly, VA – August 20, 2016 – More than 150 children and families from 14 local Northern Virginia homeless shelters and supportive housing programs enjoyed “America’s Pastime” this weekend (Aug. 19) – a night of baseball and family fun with the Potomac Nationals vs. the Frederick Keys at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Va. as part of HomeAid Northern Virginia’s 6th annual Night at the Ballpark.

Each year, HomeAid Northern Virginia (HANV) sends families from local shelters in NoVa neighborhoods from Arlington to Warrenton to enjoy a night of baseball and family fun with the Potomac Nationals.  The children – some of the most vulnerable in our region – get the chance to spend quality time with their family, run the bases, take pictures with the mascot and meet the players after the game. For many, HomeAid’s Night at the Ballpark presents their first opportunity to attend a baseball game.

Each of the shelter organizations sending residents to the game is a collaborator with HomeAid Northern Virginia. HANV builds and renovates homeless shelters and housing facilities via the donated expertise, labor and resources of local homebuilders. This enables nonprofit organizations serving vulnerable communities to invest more of their budgets in supportive programs and services rather than building expenses. HANV provides tickets to the event to case managers of these partner homelessness organizations, who in turn coordinate attendance with their residents.

Shelters sending residents to the HANV Night at the Ballpark included Shelter House in Reston; New Hope Housing in Alexandria; Northern Virginia Family Services (NVFS) in Manassas; Pathway Homes in Fairfax; Windy Hill Foundation in Middleburg; Doorways for Women and Families in Arlington; and Good Shepard Housing & Family Services in Woodbridge.

As part of the annual Night at the Ballpark, all residents, parents and children attending from the local shelters received vouchers for dinner at the stadium, a souvenir t-shirt and other goodies Each child was also provided a new backpack for the upcoming school year, provided by the HANV Backpack Challenge. The Night at the Ballpark was sponsored by Augustine Homes, Buhl Electric and Select Construction Company.

About HomeAid Northern Virginia

HomeAid Northern Virginia, a chapter of HomeAid America, engages the resources and interests of the homebuilding community and its corporate partners in order to undertake new construction and major renovations to properties owned by shelter service providers that help homeless people gain stability and get back on the road to self-sufficiency. The organization was started in 2001 by members of the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association (NVBIA), and since then, has completed more than 107 projects valued at more than $13.6 million, serving more than 95,000 homeless individuals.

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