Since 2013, Volunteer Fairfax has partnered with Edu-Futuro, whose mission is to break the cycle of poverty among immigrant and Latino families by empowering underserved youth and families through education, leadership development, parent engagement, individual case management, and workforce development. During COVID, Edu-Futuro mobilized to become one of Northern Virginia’s largest providers of direct services and emergency financial aid to immigrant families. Their bilingual case managers stabilized more than 1,200 struggling families and disbursed over $1.16 million from their Emergency Assistance Fund for rent, food, utilities, and other necessities.
In 2022, Edu-Futuro launched a pilot program in partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools aimed at reaching students who had not returned to school after COVID, or who were in danger of dropping out due to chronic absenteeism. Of 160 referred youth, 79 remain in or have returned to school.
According to Executive Director Jorge Figueredo, “We could never have accomplished any of this without the invaluable help of volunteers. During fiscal year 2021, we worked with more than 300 volunteers, who collectively donated over 2,000 hours of service.” Here is where Volunteer Fairfax has been critical to Edu-Futuro. “We are proud to report that Volunteer Fairfax has provided essential support for nearly every one of our different youth and parent programs. We celebrate this priceless partnership, because together with your volunteers, we are enriching Fairfax County and our regional economy by giving hard-working immigrant families and first-generation college students the skills they need to break the cycle of poverty and improve their lives here in Fairfax County.”