May Upside Down Moments Newsletter

May turned out to be an extraordinary stretch for UpsideDown Moments, highlights were the incredible success of KidzFest, A Car Presentation, $5,000 Grant from 100WomenStrong, invited to be on the Panel for Leadership Loudoun, Spring Seasonal Blessings, our first KidzDay, a check from Nights of Columbus for The Next Step and supporting Foster Parents Appreciation Loudoun County! Thanks to a powerful wave of community generosity, we saw the life-changing impact of our programs reach exciting new heights. We are deeply thankful for your unwavering support and are thrilled to showcase the meaningful milestones, hard work, and special celebrations that made this entire month so unforgettable.

Monthly Impact Statistics

• Volunteers - our amazing volunteers provided a total of 312 volunteer hours, highlighting the impact for the month

• Vehicles Empowering Hope - 3 clients were supported with our programs (VEH mentoring & Car Presentation Ceremony)

• 8 Children/4 Families were provided with a 3 hour respite at our new initiative KidzDay!

• 7 Children attended the Super Saturday Celebration at the Homeless Shelter

• 127 youth in need served through Seasonal Blessings

• 13 Foster Families were given $50 Restaurant Gift Cards, Tickets to the Tarara Summer Concert Series (thank you Rusty Foster), Girl Scout Cookies (thank you troop 70346), Tickets to Round 1of the LIV Golf Virginia (thank you Colin Fisher with Par5Group) and Picnic Bags, at the Department of Family Services Foster Family Appreciation Event

• 170 Total clients assisted in May through our programs

$5,000 Grant Award (100WomenStrong)

Through Community Foundation, the 100WomenStrong Fund provides grants to applicants, allowing them to better accomplish or increase their capacity to fulfill their mission. Many grants also create significant improvements for an organization. Each of these grants increases the quality of life for the residents of Loudoun County. This grant funds will be used to continuing our Vehicles Empowering Hope Program, which funds transportation needs to aged out foster youth! Thank you 100WomenStrong, we truly appreciate your support in our mission!

First-Ever KidzDay!

On May 16th, we hosted our very first KidzDay, welcoming 8 wonderful children for a fun-filled evening. Thank you to Vine & Branches Lutheran Church for providing the amazing space! Our volunteers made the event so special, creating smiles, laughter, and meaningful moments for every child who attended. A heartfelt thank you to our incredible volunteers: Sophie Linde, Rachel Nas, Jennifer Zisk, and Vihita K. A very special thank you to Dana Piermarini for generously ordering dinner for everyone and making sure our foster parents were able to take a meal home as well.

Car Presentation Ceremony - Vehicles Empowering Hope

We are so proud to share that Biman was awarded a vehicle at our special Car Presentation Ceremony this month! Biman was chosen for his incredible hard work and dedication to improving his situation, he is employed, has finished high school, and is registered for college for the fall. Special thank you to Peter Burnett, who generously donated a 2004 Chevy Colorado that made this moment possible. Congratulations, Biman, we cannot wait to see all that you accomplish! 🎓

VEH Program - Two Clients On The Move!

Sophia and Adrianna have successfully completed the Vehicles Empowering Hope (VEH) 4 week mentoring program and are now saving money towards purchasing their own vehicles. VEH is a program specifically designed to address one of the biggest barriers facing aged-out youth, transportation. Through savings matching, gas cards, oil changes, car repairs, insurance support, budgeting and car maintenance workshops, VEH helps young adults gain the independence they need to thrive. We are so proud of these two participants and the incredible progress they have made!

Knights of Columbus Pancake Breakfast

On Sunday, the Knights of Columbus hosted a pancake breakfast at St. Theresa School, with proceeds benefiting our newest initiative, The Next Step. A check for $1,500 was presented to UDM, we are so grateful for their partnership and support as we continue expanding services for youth aging out of foster care.

Seasonal Blessings

Our Spring Seasonal Blessings event was another tremendous success, and it only happens because of our incredible volunteers! From unloading and unpacking trucks, to setting up, assisting shoppers, and loading everything back up again, our volunteers showed up with servant hearts and unstoppable energy. Thank you to Floris UMC for providing the space! Special thanks to Theresa Fassig Normil (Seasonal Blessings Coordinator), Ande Burke, Julie Brenner, Kelly Gillin, DJ, Diane Aliff, Saige, Brian and Zach Burns, Ashlyn Demars, and Bruce Saunders. 127 youth were served, and now have summer clothing!

Leadership Loudoun Panel

UDM was represented at the Leadership Loudoun Panel, a focused conversation on the growing challenges facing Loudoun County's ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) population. Nonprofit leaders, elected officials, and business executives gathered to examine the realities facing working households who earn above the federal poverty level yet still struggle to meet the true cost of living. This event, hosted by the Leadership Loudoun Class of 2026, reinforced the urgency of the work UDM does every day.

KidzFest - A Wonderful Success!

Our 3rd Annual KidzFest was an incredible success, bringing together children, families, volunteers, and community partners for an afternoon filled with games, prizes, treats, and unforgettable memories!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, donated, and helped make this event so special. Events like KidzFest are only possible because of the generosity and support of our amazing community.

We are also deeply grateful to our sponsors:

⭐ Deann Zoghlin – $1,000 Sponsor

⭐ Paula Joyce (NOVA Equestrian Center) – $1,000 Sponsor

⭐ Tori Truesdale (True Belongings) – $250 Sponsor

We would like to extend special thanks to our vendors:

• Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids for delighting children with fairy hair

• The Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company team for joining us and bringing a fire truck for the kids to explore

• Loudoun Medical Group

• The SG School of Leesburg

• The Learning Experience

• Adaptive Friends

• Creative Favorite Things

A special thank you goes to everyone who donated baked goods for our bake sale. Your delicious treats were a huge hit and helped make the day even sweeter!

Thank you for helping UpsideDown Moments create joyful experiences and lasting memories for children and families in our community. We can’t wait to see you at next year’s KidzFest!

Volunteer of The Month Spotlight: Julie Brenner

This month Julie went above and beyond, helping with Seasonal Blessings from start to finish, unloading the truck, setting up, assisting throughout the event, and then packing the truck back up. She also dedicated time to donation sorting and showed up with her incredible energy at KidzFest. Julie exemplifies what it means to serve with a cheerful, tireless heart. We are so grateful for you!

Team Member of The Month Spotlight: Jennifer Zisk

Jennifer, you are incredible! This month Jennifer coordinated the Super Saturday celebrations at the Shelter House, taught the Cooking Basics and Planning session for our new initiative The Next Step, volunteered at KidzDay, and also gave her time at KidzFest. Jennifer's dedication across so many areas of our mission is a true gift to UDM and to every young person we serve. Thank you for everything you do!

Introducing: The Next Step

We are proud to be expanding our services for youth aging out of foster care through our newest initiative, The Next Step. This program is an education-based program designed to prepare aged-out foster youth for housing stability and FYI Voucher success. The program bridges the gap between voucher approval and move-in. Participants build practical life skills in essential renting knowledge, basic home maintenance, financial responsibility, meal planning, and grocery shopping. 

Volunteer Virtual Orientation with Q&A

As our volunteer community continues to grow, we have noticed that many individuals are signing up for events before completing our volunteer orientation. To help ensure everyone is prepared and informed, Shashank and Tee from the UpsideDown Moments Volunteer Team will be leading an orientation session and will be available to answer any questions you may have.

Join them on THIS Tuesday 6/16 at 7:00-7:30!

Use the link to join the Meeting, we will start at 7:00 PM sharp!

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/eei-yziz-tvt

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 502-771-1449‬ PIN: ‪241 044 723‬#

Volunteer Opportunities in June

Join us this June for various volunteer opportunities! We are looking for enthusiastic individuals to help with the following activities:

• Sorting and Organizing Donations

  
  

If you are interested in volunteering, please register using this link

Register Here