Our Impact
Since 1970, Cornerstones has worked purposefully with a diverse network of faith-based organizations, corporate partners, donors, advocates, and volunteers who are deeply committed to strengthening families living and working along the Dulles Corridor.
Our caring and generous community enables us to provide a comprehensive, holistic approach that helps people rebuild their self-sufficiency, resiliency, and hope for a better future.
1800
Individual
Donors
2,500 +
Volunteers & Advocates
100+
Faith Based
Groups
75
Corporate and
Community Partners
Thanks to their generous support, Cornerstones annually serve 16,000 families and individuals,
and 5,000 children
and 5,000 children
Established in 1970 to address the need for affordable housing, Cornerstones has grown to become a significant human services provider and advocate for those struggling to make ends meet in Northern Virginia. In this otherwise wealthy and well-resourced region, the number of community residents coming to Cornerstones for one or more services continues to be alarmingly high.
Stability, Empowerment, and Hope
Stability: life-changing help and support in times of crisis
Stability is about meeting critical human need when it is on your doorstep — shelter, hunger, eviction, utilities shut-off, illness, unemployment, and abuse. Cornerstones offers swift triage and vital support to our most vulnerable neighbors in times of crisis.
Empowerment: sustaining after the crisis
Empowerment is support after the crisis. Cornerstones provides a choice of wrap-around resources including job search and readiness support programs, financial counseling, affordable childcare, and other opportunities to ensure that everyone thrives in our community.
Hope: building resilience across generations
Hope is about taking a leadership role in creating meaningful, enduring change that benefits our entire community. Cornerstones rallies corporate and individual allies, diverse nonprofit cohorts, and local/state/national policy advisors and decision-makers to advocate and drive innovative, scalable solutions.
Stability in Fiscal Year 2021
Embry Rucker Community Shelter
850 Households Total
(71 families, 138 children, and 675 singles) served through all our homeless service programs last year - ERCS, QPID, HYPO, Outreach, and Motel Programs.
96 Households (20 families and 76 singles) moved into permanent affordable housing.
Quarantine, Protection, Isolation, and Decompression Hotel (QPID)
May 2020 – March 2022
532 Households Total (75 families, 175 children, and 336 singles) were guests at our QPID Hotels.
111 Households (31 families, 80 singles) transitioned from our QPID Hotels into affordable housing.
Eviction Prevention Program (CARES and Community Block Grants)
$4.7M Housing and Utilities to 1,230 Households.
$1.8M CARES to 581 Households – Award spent in only 7 months .
$985K Community Development Block Grants to 330 Households.
Eviction Prevention Program (Emergency Food and Shelter Program, Emergency Rental Assistance, and Care Management)
$125K Emergency Food and Shelter Program Grants to 85 Households.
$1.7M ERA1 to 96 Households – Award spent in only 4 months.
$1.2M ERA2 to 138 Households
285 Households with 242 children received care management support.
850 Households Total
(71 families, 138 children, and 675 singles) served through all our homeless service programs last year - ERCS, QPID, HYPO, Outreach, and Motel Programs.
96 Households (20 families and 76 singles) moved into permanent affordable housing.
Quarantine, Protection, Isolation, and Decompression Hotel (QPID)
May 2020 – March 2022
532 Households Total (75 families, 175 children, and 336 singles) were guests at our QPID Hotels.
111 Households (31 families, 80 singles) transitioned from our QPID Hotels into affordable housing.
Eviction Prevention Program (CARES and Community Block Grants)
$4.7M Housing and Utilities to 1,230 Households.
$1.8M CARES to 581 Households – Award spent in only 7 months .
$985K Community Development Block Grants to 330 Households.
Eviction Prevention Program (Emergency Food and Shelter Program, Emergency Rental Assistance, and Care Management)
$125K Emergency Food and Shelter Program Grants to 85 Households.
$1.7M ERA1 to 96 Households – Award spent in only 4 months.
$1.2M ERA2 to 138 Households
285 Households with 242 children received care management support.
Empowerment in Fiscal Year 2021
Laurel Learning Center
82 children enrolled.
11 preschoolers tracking on or above benchmarks (write their first name, know alphabet and colors, recognize peer’s written first name).
4 special education children receiving educational support with dedicated teachers.
Youth Enrichment
66 students received 600 hours of youth enrichment and school educational support virtually due to CV-19 and school closures.
55 parents from 33 households participated in family engagement events.
89% of students improved their grades.
85% of parents helped their children achieve academic success and access post-second education resources.
Community and Neighborhood Centers
2,400 Instances of Quick Information and 1,000 Instances of Services connecting people to County partners or Cornerstones programs for help.
300 Programming Events including food distributions, ESL, and after-school programs.
Self-Sufficiency Employment
168 Individuals received job skills training.
28 Adults participated in the 30-hour Job S.M.A.R.T. Employment-Readiness Course.
82% Graduated with 20 securing jobs and remaining employed for 90 days or more.
Cornerstones Housing Corporation (CHC)
314 Individuals secured affordable CHC housing units Most are single mothers with children under age 18. 25% are elderly or disabled.
4 Families/households transitioned from ERCS to CHC affordable units.
2 Families graduated from the program.
Integrated Care Management (ICM)
245 Individuals including 148 children.
70 Households, 61 family households, and 9 single residents were connected to resources for jobs/employment, food assistance, education and financial literacy classes through our ICM program.
Housing Counseling
108 People completed group education workshops.
118 Families received one-on-one support.
28 Households in danger of homelessness / foreclosure secured housing, avoided eviction or resolved mortgage defaults.
104 Households improved their financial capacity.
82 children enrolled.
11 preschoolers tracking on or above benchmarks (write their first name, know alphabet and colors, recognize peer’s written first name).
4 special education children receiving educational support with dedicated teachers.
Youth Enrichment
66 students received 600 hours of youth enrichment and school educational support virtually due to CV-19 and school closures.
55 parents from 33 households participated in family engagement events.
89% of students improved their grades.
85% of parents helped their children achieve academic success and access post-second education resources.
Community and Neighborhood Centers
2,400 Instances of Quick Information and 1,000 Instances of Services connecting people to County partners or Cornerstones programs for help.
300 Programming Events including food distributions, ESL, and after-school programs.
Self-Sufficiency Employment
168 Individuals received job skills training.
28 Adults participated in the 30-hour Job S.M.A.R.T. Employment-Readiness Course.
82% Graduated with 20 securing jobs and remaining employed for 90 days or more.
Cornerstones Housing Corporation (CHC)
314 Individuals secured affordable CHC housing units Most are single mothers with children under age 18. 25% are elderly or disabled.
4 Families/households transitioned from ERCS to CHC affordable units.
2 Families graduated from the program.
Integrated Care Management (ICM)
245 Individuals including 148 children.
70 Households, 61 family households, and 9 single residents were connected to resources for jobs/employment, food assistance, education and financial literacy classes through our ICM program.
Housing Counseling
108 People completed group education workshops.
118 Families received one-on-one support.
28 Households in danger of homelessness / foreclosure secured housing, avoided eviction or resolved mortgage defaults.
104 Households improved their financial capacity.
Hope in Fiscal Year 2021
Opportunity Neighborhood - Reston and Herndon
7 new Neighborhood Ambassadors recruited and trained serving 1,767 hours and conducting 4,585 engagement opportunities with their communities.
556 new residents learned about Opportunity Neighborhood programs and gained access to critical information on Cornerstones’ programs and services as well as resource through our community Fairfax County.
Worked in partnership with Fairfax County, Fairfax County Public Schools, and Supervisor Walter Alcorn’s office to host virtually community conversations to dispel CV-19 myths, connect school social workers with parents in need, develop a safe-space for young women to engage, share concerns, and seek assistance, and identify the urgent needs/discuss concerns of the community.
7 new Neighborhood Ambassadors recruited and trained serving 1,767 hours and conducting 4,585 engagement opportunities with their communities.
556 new residents learned about Opportunity Neighborhood programs and gained access to critical information on Cornerstones’ programs and services as well as resource through our community Fairfax County.
Worked in partnership with Fairfax County, Fairfax County Public Schools, and Supervisor Walter Alcorn’s office to host virtually community conversations to dispel CV-19 myths, connect school social workers with parents in need, develop a safe-space for young women to engage, share concerns, and seek assistance, and identify the urgent needs/discuss concerns of the community.
Community Action Plan
1. Building New Affordable Housing Units – in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties
- Apartments at West Ox Drive (Fairfax) – 34 apartments for singles (2022)
Cornerstones Housing Corporation, in joint partnership with Joseph Browne Development Associates, LLC, will develop 34 units specifically designed for singles needing permanent, secure, well-designed and sustainable housing. Cornerstones will provide care management services and programs to residents. - Apartments at Tuscarora Crossing (Leesburg) – 180 – 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments (Phase I: late 2023) Cornerstones Housing Corporation, in joint partnership with Wellington Development, will build in two phases 180 units with 18 designated to provide permanent supportive housing for eligible individuals or families. Cornerstones will provide care management services and programs to residents.
Apartments at West Ox/Rt. 50 (Fairfax, VA)
34 Apartments for single men and women.
Permanent Supportive Housing for people who have experienced chronic homelessness, or other disability.
Project Start 2022; Delivery 2025.
Permanent Supportive Housing for people who have experienced chronic homelessness, or other disability.
Project Start 2022; Delivery 2025.
Apartments at Tuscarora Crossing (Leesburg, VA)
Partnership with Wellington Development.
180 – 1, 2, and 3-bedroom apartments.
Dedicated for 60%/50%/30% AMI with 18 Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Units.
Cornerstones will provide on-site case management and resident services.
Groundbreaking Summer 2023; Phase I: late 2023.
180 – 1, 2, and 3-bedroom apartments.
Dedicated for 60%/50%/30% AMI with 18 Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Units.
Cornerstones will provide on-site case management and resident services.
Groundbreaking Summer 2023; Phase I: late 2023.
2. Food Empowerment Center
Address food insecurity and food waste by establishing a “hub” offering centralized storage for food partners
to source, rescue, and distribute diverse and healthy food.
- Extend ASAPP outreach and impact
- Employment and educational opportunities in warehouse operations, vocational training, and skills building.
- Engage and leverage community stakeholders
3. Advocacy in Action and Faith-Based Engagement and Community Outreach
- Actively tracking 2022 Virginia General Assembly / House and Senate Appropriations Committees proposed changes to the FY2023-24 budget.
- Providing weekly updates to Cornerstones advocates with calls to action to contact state officials encouraging support in our platform issues:
– build and preserve affordable housing
– invest in connected and resilient children, youth, and families
– create good jobs and economic security
– advance systems change to undo racial and social inequity - At the local level, registering Cornerstones Advocacy speakers to attend/present at Fairfax and Loudoun Counties budget hearings.
- Planning for Advocacy Forum with local/state officials in Fall 2022.
English