This regularly scheduled sponsored Q&A column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. Please submit your questions to him via email for response in future columns. Video summaries of some articles can be found on YouTube on the Ask Eli, Live With Jean playlist. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving week everybody!

The Eli Residential Group will be donating $1,500 towards three fantastic local food charities based on your votes. We will distribute the donations in proportion to the total votes received for each of the three charities below. Thank you for your participation and have a wonderful start to the holiday season!

Arlington Food Assistance Center
AFAC is rated 86.34/100 on Charity Navigator.

“Our mission is to feed our neighbors in need by providing dignified access to nutritious supplemental groceries. Since 1988, the Arlington Food Assistance Center remains dedicated to its simple but critical mission of obtaining and distributing groceries, directly and free of charge, to people living in Arlington, who cannot afford to purchase enough food to meet their basic needs.”

“While hunger might not seem to be an issue in a wealthy county like Arlington, the high cost of living here combined with the current economic situation causes many families struggle to make ends meet. Supplemental groceries from AFAC mean that families can remain in their homes, workers can stay on the job, children are ready to learn, and mothers and babies have the nutrition they need. We help relieve the food budgets of our clients, thereby allowing them to make other necessary purchases without sacrificing their health and nutrition needs.”

The Lamb Center
The Lamb Center is rated 97.12/100 on Charity Navigator.

“The Lamb Center is a daytime drop-in shelter for poor and individuals experiencing homelessness in Fairfax, Virginia. We provide a variety of services without cost to our guests, including breakfast, lunch, showers, laundry service, Bible studies, housing and job counseling, AA meetings, a nurse practitioner clinic, a dental clinic, and much more. We partner with local groups and organizations who have a passion for serving the homeless.”

SOME (So Others Might Eat)
SOME is rated 94.35/100 on Charity Navigator.

“SOME provides material aid and comfort to our vulnerable neighbors in the District, helping them break the cycle of poverty and homelessness through programs and services that save lives, improve lives, and help transform lives of individuals and families, their communities, and the systems and structures that affect them.”

“The cycle of poverty and homelessness can be broken. SOME’s (So Others Might Eat) comprehensive programs are designed to help our most vulnerable neighbors — people experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty — find pathways out of poverty and achieve long-term stability and success.”

“SOME is an interfaith, community-based service organization that exists to help and support residents of our nation’s capital experiencing homelessness and poverty. SOME offers a variety of services, including affordable housing, counseling, substance use disorder treatment, and job training. In addition, SOME helps meet immediate daily needs by providing food, clothing, and healthcare to those in need.”

If you’d like a question answered in my weekly column or to discuss buying, selling, renting, or investing, please send an email to [email protected]. To read any of my older posts, visit the blog section of my website at EliResidential.com. Call me directly at 703-539-2529.

Video summaries of some articles can be found on YouTube on the Ask Eli, Live With Jean playlist.

Eli Tucker is a licensed Realtor in Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland with RLAH Real Estate, 4040 N Fairfax Dr #10C Arlington VA 22203. 703-390-9460.