Action in Community Through Service

Mission - ACTS provides relief, fosters hope and promotes self-sufficiency for our Prince William area neighbors in crises due to hunger, homelessness and personal violence.

Vision - Creating a community where no one goes without or suffers alone

All program directors and administrative leadership are afforded the opportunity to participate in an intensive year-long leadership program at no cost, including this past year; professional coaching was provided for all staff from the supervisor level up; and all staff have access to nearly-unlimited, free professional development through a contract with Fred Pryer Seminars. This year, we will be providing professional coaching on hiring process for all supervisors.

ACTS partners with many organizations, such as George Mason University to provide services for our clients while we provide internship opportunities for their students. We were a founding member of the Human Services Alliance, which brings nonprofits, government, faith communities, and civic groups together to coordinate the response to community needs. The Alliance also coordinated over $2 million in CARES ACT spending on human service needs and provided training to all member organizations during COVID. ACTS is a member of the local Continuum of Care, which sets policy and coordinates the community's response to homelessness. ACTS COO is a member of the Police Chief's Community Advisory Committee, which reviews and makes recommendations on law enforcement policy and initiatives (such as the role of school resource officers). ACTS has raised community awareness of its services through the use of social media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter).

2021 was a year that brought significant challenges to ACTS. However, the resiliency of staff members who went above and beyond their charged call to bring relief to our community is clearly shown through the results of this past year. In a year that brought record numbers of families calling on ACTS for support, our team met those demands with grace, perseverance, and a commitment to fulfilling our mission. COVID-19 has had a devastating effect on our community. We have seen record numbers of clients seeking utility and rent assistance. Our Hunger Prevention Center went from serving 100 clients a week to 80 clients a day! Our crisis hotline saw call times lengthen, and our Crisis Listeners were suddenly responding to more and more calls where COVID-19 was the primary or secondary issue. Our on-site volunteer force was dramatically reduced due to our adherence to CDC guidelines and protocols; yet no one who sought help was turned away. Looking back on 2021, it is easy to focus on the negatives. However, ACTS has been able to form new partnerships, expand services, innovate, upgrade our facilities, and even grow over the past 12 months . In all, the ACTS family has persevered through obstacles that have forced other non-profits to shutter their doors. Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our donors and the effusive support of those who have recognized the importance of the work of ACTS, we have been able to achieve a level of success previously unimagined. It is only through the grace of our supporters that we have set new benchmarks within our levels of service, making us poised to come out the other side of COVID-19 even stronger than before.