Who We Help

Start With One Step (SOS) is dedicated to supporting single parents who are facing challenging circumstances. Our mission is to provide timely assistance through a community nomination process, ensuring that single parents feel valued and supported within their community.

Eligibility Criteria

We have established the following criteria for those we help:

• Single Parent Status: The nominee must be a single parent, which includes widowed, divorced, separated, or never-married individuals who are the primary caregivers of their children.
• Residency: The nominee must reside within Northern Virginia.
• Urgency of Need: Priority will be given to nominees facing immediate and critical needs, such as:
• Preventing utility shutoffs
• Providing essential appliances or furniture
• Ensuring access to groceries, clothing, and school supplies through nonprofit partners
• Impact: The assistance provided should have a significant positive impact on the nominee’s quality of life. This includes:
•  Improving living conditions
• Alleviating immediate financial burdens
• Enhancing the overall well-being of the family
• Verification: All nominations will be verified to ensure the accuracy of the information provided. This may involve contacting the nominee or the nominator for additional details. References and employer information may be requested if determined by the board.

Nomination Process

Community Nominations: Members of the community can nominate single parents who could use a boost of support. Nominations should be submitted through the form at the button below, where nominators will provide the nominee’s contact information, a description of their current situation, and specific needs.

Board Review: Nominations will be reviewed by the SOS Board based on the above criteria.

Decision Making: Decisions will be made by a majority vote of the board members. In cases where a board member has a direct connection to the nominee, they must recuse themselves from the decision-making process to avoid conflicts of interest. The handbook of how these decisions are made is available upon request.

Types of Assistance Provided

Assistance will be provided on a case-by-case basis and may include:

• Essential Items: Such as appliances, furniture, vehicles, etc.
• Financial Support: Funds to utility company to prevent utility shutoffs or cover other urgent needs.
• Other Support: Eviction/foreclosure support and other items depending on the specific situation and available resources.