The Crumley House

At Try Change we like to recognized individuals and organizations that are making a difference in our communities. One such organization is the Crumley House located in Limestone Tennessee. I recently had the pleasure to tour this facility during a trip to Jonesborough Tennessee.

The Crumley House specializes in the rehabilitation of individuals who have suffered brain injuries.

They offer over 20 programs including:

• Vocational & Pre-Vocational Training
• Independent Living Skills
• Behavior Modification
• Competitive Employment Placement
• Community Re-entry
• Job Coaching
• Daily Living Skills
  College Tutoring

With 14 rooms and plenty of land Crumley House offers it's residents not only some of the programs listed above but also exercise programs, fishing and swimming and an Equestrian program as well. The Equestrian program is a special source of pride for Crumley House since this allows some of the wheelchair residents to actually ride horses.

As discussed on their website:

"The Crumley House opened it's doors in the summer of 1992. Although from a far this may have looked like the beginning, the dream that became a reality was born in 1981. On a September afternoon, the lives of then 14 year old Lori Beth Ford and her family were dramatically and forever changed. Following a tragic automobile accident, this beautiful and vibrant teenager became a brain injury survivor.
After several weeks in a coma, Lori Beth awakened with a frontal lobe injury to her brain. She was unable to walk, speak, or eat. The accident ended years of ballet, horseback riding, cheerleading, and many other outstanding endeavors. However, it did not end her life The goals changed but the drive and support of her family did not. Ms. Barrett, who knew very little on the subject of traumatic brain injury, did not hesitate. She immersed herself in Lori's hands-on rehabilitation and recovery. She discovered throughout the process that there was a crucial missing link in the rehabilitation cycle. There was no place to support the transition between acute rehabilitation, community reentry, and independent living skills. From this idea grew what is now The Crumley House."

During my tour, I witnessed many moving experiences but if there was one thing that stayed with me it's this----

Anyone one of us , at any time can suffer a brain injury.

Don't think so? Here are some sobering statistics:

• Every 21 seconds someone receives a brain injury in the US
• Every 5 minutes one of these people will die
• Of those who do survive (70,000 to 90,000) will have a lifelong loss of function
• Traumatic Brain Injury is the leading killer and cause of disability in teenagers and young adults

The team at Crumley House is doing a fantastic job by helping victims of Traumatic Brain Injury re-enter society. Please help Try Change spread the word about The Crumley House. The Crumley House Brain Injury Foundations has been set up to accept donations to assist with a planned expansion and continuation of the much needed services they provide.

You can learn more about Crumley House at:

http://www.crumleyhouse.com/

Phone 423-257-3644

Toll Free 866-892-7246

Email- staff@crumleyhouse.com

At Try Change we feel we can all make a difference. For us, we donate 10& of all our profits to Volunteers of America which serves the homeless in the DC,VA & MD areas. We also adopt a homeless family during the holiday season, donate clothes as well as hold an annual Charity yard sale for VOA.
You can find our shirts at:
Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall

Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall

Shadows in the Forestville Centre

SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall

Millennium in Georgetown

Sport Zone- Selected locations

D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD

First Thangs First- Waldorf MD

Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD

Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD

New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA

Fashion Kings- Bridgeport WV

Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV

Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA

Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD

Fashion World- Hurlock MD

City Wear- Farmville, VA

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.

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Yard Sale Success!

Sorry it took us so long to post but the Try Change Charity Yard Sale was a big success! We raised over $300 for Volunteers of America Chesapeake and donated two loads of household items and clothes to the shelter! We were afraid that no one would show up because of the threat of rain but people were actually there before we had even finished unloading. Thank you to everyone that had a word with their connections about the rain issue :-)

Thank you to our friends, family, co-workers and neighbors for supporting our efforts! It was just amazing the amount of donations we received. Special thanks to Rose & David for all of the help! We never could have done it without you.

Just a reminder that all of this was in support of Volunteers of America Chesapeake. We encourage all of our readers to visit their website and learn about what VOA Chesapeake is doing in our area and what VOA as a whole is doing across the country. We have chosen to support this charity for many reasons but one of which is their many programs and direct involvement in the communities they support. With the recession and the deep decline in the housing market effecting every one, there is even more reason to support VOA and their programs. Homelessness and drug abuse effects the entire community not just individuals. Each of us truly can make a difference!

Thank you again to every one for the support!

Chrissie & Vince

At Try Change we feel we can all make a difference. For us, we donate 10& of all our profits to Volunteers of America which serves the homeless in the DC,VA & MD areas. We also adopt a homeless family during the holiday season, donate clothes as well as hold an annual Charity yard sale for VOA.

You can find our shirts at:

Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall
Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall
Shadows in the Forestville Centre
SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall
Millennium in Georgetown
Sport Zone- Selected locations
D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
First Thangs First- Waldorf MD
Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD
Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD
New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA
Fashion Kings- Bridgeport WV
Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV
Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA
Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
Fashion World- Hurlock MD
City Wear- Farmville, VA

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.
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3rd Annual Try Change Charity Yard Sale!

3rd Annual Try Change
Charity Yard Sale!

Saturday, August 29th
8am to Noon
100% of all proceeds go to Volunteers of America Chesapeake!

There will be Clothing, Jewelry, Antiques,
Holiday Decor, Coca-Cola collectables and much more!

We'll be in the Beau Ridge Neighborhood in Woodbridge
Directions From Springfield:
Take 95 South to the Rippon Landing Exit
Take a Right onto Rt. 1 South
Make a Right onto Cardinal Drive
Then a Left onto Beau Ridge Drive
We'll be in the lot on your left under the power lines.

You can also click on the map below:

View Larger Map

or enter "Beau Ridge Drive, Woodbridge VA 22193" in Mapquest or Google Maps
or you can always call us at 703-261-7099 or email us at trychange@aol.com

We hope to see you there!! Remember all proceeds from this yard sale go to Volunteers of America Chesapeake! You can help our community and find some new treasures too!!

Thanks for your support!

Vince & Chrissie

Charlottesville Women's 4 Miler

Tonight we are offering our support for a friend of ours who is running the Charlottesville Women's 4 Miler. The funds raised will benefit the University of Virginia Cancer Center Breast Care Program. The funds that Jillian raises will support patient and community education programs and services for individuals diagnosed with cancer. Last year they raised $321,000! This year they'd like to take it even further and raise $400,000. We are bringing this cause to the attention of our reader to help make that a reality!

If you would like to make a donation or learn more about volunteering for the event please visit their website at:

http://www.womens4miler.com/

If you'd like to make a donation directly you can send it to:

Women's Four Miler

PO BOX 800773

Charlottesville VA 22908

Please mention that you are sponsoring Jillian Pe. when sending in your donation or you can donate directly online at the website above.

We really appreciate everyone's support!

Vince & Chrissie

At Try Change we feel we can all make a difference. For us, we donate 10& of all our profits to Volunteers of America which serves the homeless in the DC,VA & MD areas. We also adopt a homeless family during the holiday season, donate clothes as well as hold an annual Charity yard sale for VOA.You can find our shirts at:
Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall

Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall

Shadows in the Forestville Centre

SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall

Millennium in Georgetown

Sport Zone- Selected locations

D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD

First Thangs First- Waldorf MD

Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD

Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD

New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA

Fashion Kings- Bridgeport WV

Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV

Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA

Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD

Fashion World- Hurlock MD

City Wear- Farmville, VA

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.

My Space

Razoo

Idealist

Change.org

MyBlogLog

BlogCatalog

Twitter

Try Change has been featured on Complex Fashion!

Complex Fashion is "a new multi-faceted fashion company here to create a next generation online fashion community". Check out their blog to read the feature about us and check out other cool designers and fashions!

Thank you Anthony and Complex Fashion!

Vince

__________________________________________________________________

At Try Change we feel we can all make a difference. For us, we donate 10& of all our profits to Volunteers of America which serves the homeless in the DC,VA & MD areas. We also adopt a homeless family during the holiday season, donate clothes as well as hold an annual Charity yard sale for VOA.You can find our shirts at:

Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall
Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall
Shadows in the Forestville Centre
SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall
Millennium in Georgetown
Sport Zone- Selected locations
D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
First Thangs First- Waldorf MD
Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD
Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD
New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA
Fashion Kings- Bridgeport WV
Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV
Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA
Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
Fashion World- Hurlock MD
City Wear- Farmville, VA

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.
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Terry Prince

As we mentioned in last week’s blog, we met several interesting people while on vacation out in California. We were staying in San Diego but we decided to take a day trip up to Santa Monica. That’s where we met Terry Prince. Terry is a singer song writer with a commitment to inspiring others. His music is about love, inspiration and self-determination. And in what seems to have been the theme of our trip, Terry Prince’s music and passion is also about living your dream. He took the leap several years ago and has been living his music ever since. Terry also believes in supporting his community and helping others. He wrote the theme song “To Belong” for Camp to Belong which is a camp that helps to reunite foster children with their siblings and he also released a single to raise money for Habitat for Humanity in Las Vegas.

Currently Terry Prince is performing at the far end of the Santa Monica Pier. Stop by to watch and listen if you are in the area. His performance will touch you. The Pier is a free venue (food, rides, games and parking come at a reasonable cost but the entertainment is free). You can also pick up a copy of Terry’s CD while you are there.
If you have a chance to see Terry, tell him Vince and Chrissie from Try Change say hi and keep on inspiring!

At Try Change we feel we can all make a difference. For us, we donate 10& of all our profits to Volunteers of America which serves the homeless in the DC,VA & MD areas. We also adopt a homeless family during the holiday season, donate clothes as well as hold an annual Charity yard sale for VOA.You can find our shirts at:

Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall

Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall

Shadows in the Forestville Centre

SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall

Millennium in Georgetown

Sport Zone- Selected locations

D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD

First Thangs First- Waldorf MD

Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD

Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD

New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA

Fashion Kings- Bridgeport WV

Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV

Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA

Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD

Fashion World- Hurlock MD

City Wear- Farmville, VA

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.

My Space

Razoo

Idealist

Change.org

MyBlogLog

BlogCatalog

Twitter

Awakening

We have just returned from an absolutely amazing vacation in San Diego California where we experienced the intense beauty of the coast and met some very interesting and enlightening people.

While exploring Little Italy one evening, a group of windows on the upper floor of a building caught my eye. I said to Vince, either some one as some really beautiful art in their living room or that’s an art gallery up there. It was down the street a ways and on the other side of the street but we eventually made our way around to that side. Upon passing the stairway leading up to that group of windows, we realized that it was indeed a gallery. We debated. Food or Art? Art won and we wandered up the stairs to be welcomed by some amazing, colorful, beautiful work by an artist named Grant Pecoff.

We did eventually end up getting some good food there in Little Italy but not until after we had spent some time with the art work and the artist. We met Grant and his wife Layne, who is also an artist though her art is through her writing and not with a brush. The concept of the art that is being shown is one of awakening and becoming aware of your surroundings, of becoming really alive and appreciating the world around you. The colors are amazing. You are brought into the painting like you are there but experiencing your surroundings with different eyes. I guess they are Grant’s eyes that you are experiencing it through, but for me, the art made me feel like they were my eyes just seeing things from a different perspective. There is a sense of positive forces working and a sense of hope.


We’d like to invite our readers to check out Grant and Layne Pecoff’s art on their website: http://www.pecoff.com/

Or if you are in the San Diego area you can visit their gallery at:
1825 India St
San Diego, CA 92101
Ph: 619-231-1991

Click here to see a list of other galleries where Grant Pecoff’s work is available. Click on the photos within this post to view some of Grant’s work online. Also, don’t forget to check out the books that are available (Written by Layne and illustrated by Grant).

Thanks for stopping by!

Chrissie & Vince






At Try Change we feel we can all make a difference. For us, we donate 10& of all our profits to Volunteers of America which serves the homeless in the DC,VA & MD areas. We also adopt a homeless family during the holiday season, donate clothes as well as hold an annual Charity yard sale for VOA.You can find our shirts at:

Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall
Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall
Shadows in the Forestville Centre
SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall
Millennium in Georgetown
Sport Zone- Selected locations
D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
First Thangs First- Waldorf MD
Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD
Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD
New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA
Fashion Kings- Brudgeport WV
Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV
Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA
Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
Fashion World- Hurlock MD
City Wear- Farmville, VA

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.
My Space
Razoo
Idealist
Change.org
MyBlogLog
BlogCatalog
Twitter

Metro Teen Aids

At Try Change T Shirts we like to share information on organizations that are making a difference . Tonight we bring you Metro Teen AIDS. With so many news stories cluttering our airways it can become easy to forget about the how AIDS has affected not only the Washington DC community but the entire country. Here's some sobering information for you:

• Approximately one half of all new HIV infections in the United States occur among people under 25 years of age.



• Washington, DC has the highest rate of AIDS of any major metropolitan area in the country.



• Local STI rates for DC’s youth are almost twice the national average.
  

One local organization that is doing something about it is Metro TeenAIDS.

Their Mission Statement as listed on their website is:

Metro TeenAIDS is a community health organization dedicated to supporting young people in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Through education, support, and advocacy, MTA works to prevent the spread of HIV, promote responsible decision making, and improve the quality of life for young people infected with, or affected by, HIV/AIDS.

What do they do?

Metro TeenAIDS provides resources to help young people fight AIDS and support each other. MTA is the only organization in the Washington DC-metro area focusing all of its efforts on the unique prevention, education, and treatment needs of young people.

• Advancing the overall health of at-risk and HIV-infected adolescents is within our community’s power. Metro TeenAIDS advances community prevention efforts by:
  Mobilizing young people in support of their peers battling stigma and indifference by raising community awareness about the threat HIV/AIDS poses to young people.


• Providing HIV information and innovative prevention strategies to young people and the adults in contact with them, uniting with other organizations to ensure that teenagers receive adolescent-appropriate and easily accessible prevention, health care, and counseling services as well as safe recreational opportunities.


• Developing comprehensive programs which address the many co-factors of adolescent HIV infection — including low self-esteem, drug and alcohol abuse, dangerously unproductive free time, and exposure to peer groups which encourage unhealthy and risky behavior.
  

How can you help?

There are several ways you can support Metro TeenAIDS in the fight against HIV/AIDS among young people in Washington D.C. Please click on one of the following options.
Volunteer
Contribute
Come to an event
Join our email list

Learn more at http://www.metroteenaids.org/

Or contact them at 202-543-8246

At Try Change we feel we can all make a difference. For us, we donate 10& of all our profits to Volunteers of America which serves the homeless in the DC,VA & MD areas. We also adopt a homeless family during the holiday season, donate clothes as well as hold an annual Charity yard sale for VOA.You can find our shirts at:

Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall

Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall

Shadows in the Forestville Centre

SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall

Millennium in Georgetown

Sport Zone- Selected locations

D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD

First Thangs First- Park Waldorf, Waldorf MD

Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD

Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD

Turning Point- Eastpoint Mall, Baltimore MD

Turning Point- St. Charles Town Center, Waldorf MD

Turning Point- Security Square Mall, Baltimore MD

Turning Point- Centre at Forestville, Forestville MD

New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA

Fashion Kings- Brudgeport WV

Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV

Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA

Dazzle Inc- Iverson Mall, Hillcrest Heights MD

Kurley's- Greenbelt, MD

Echo for Men- Iverson Mall, Hillcrest Heights MD

Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD

Fashion World- Hurlock MD

City Wear- Farmville, VA

Aashik- The Boulevard, Largo MD

M & G- Featherstone Square, Woodbridge VA

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.My Space

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DailyGood: 15-year-old Social Entrepreneur-Inventor

We signed up with Daily Good a while back and they continually highlight inspirational stories. Today we are highlighting a story that is on Change.org that tells a story of a young man that has an idea that could change the future for the world's poor by providing for basic needs, using of all things, algae.

Check on the link below to read the story:

DailyGood: 15-year-old Social Entrepreneur-Inventor

Shared via AddThis




At Try Change we feel we can all make a difference. For us, we donate 10& of all our profits to Volunteers of America which serves the homeless in the DC,VA & MD areas. We also adopt a homeless family during the holiday season, donate clothes as well as hold an annual Charity yard sale for VOA.
You can find our shirts at:
Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall
Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall
Shadows in the Forestville Centre
SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall
Millennium in Georgetown
Sport Zone- Selected locations
D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
First Thangs First- Park Waldorf, Waldorf MD
Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD
Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD
Turning Point- Eastpoint Mall, Baltimore MD
Turning Point- St. Charles Town Center, Waldorf MD
Turning Point- Security Square Mall, Baltimore MD
Turning Point- Centre at Forestville, Forestville MD
New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA
Fashion Kings- Brudgeport WV
Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV
Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA
Dazzle Inc- Iverson Mall, Hillcrest Heights MD
Kurley's- Greenbelt, MD
Echo for Men- Iverson Mall, Hillcrest Heights MD
Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
Fashion World- Hurlock MD
City Wear- Farmville, VA
Aashik- The Boulevard, Largo MD
M & G- Featherstone Square, Woodbridge VA

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.
My Space
Razoo
Idealist
Change.org
MyBlogLog
BlogCatalog
Twitter

Ceasefire

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Well, it's been a very busy couple of weeks for us at Try Change. We expanded into 5 more stores bringing the total of stores that carry the Try Change line to over 30 stores!

Tonight we would like to introduce you to Ceasefire. We learned about Ceasefire from segment on the NBC Nightly News

"CeaseFire is the first initiative of the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention. It works with community-based organizations to develop and implement strategies to reduce and prevent violence, particularly shootings and killings. CeaseFire relies on outreach workers, faith leaders, and other community leaders to intervene in conflicts, or potential conflicts, and promote alternatives to violence. CeaseFire also involves cooperation with police and it depends heavily on a strong public education campaign to instill in people the message that shootings and violence are not acceptable. Finally, it calls for the strengthening of communities so they have the capacity to exercise informal social control and respond to issues that affect them. "

You can learn more about Ceasefire by watching one of their videos:
http://www.ceasefirechicago.org/video.shtml

or visit their website

http://www.ceasefirechicago.org/video.shtml

At Try Change we feel we can all make a difference. For us, we donate 10& of all our profits to Volunteers of America which serves the homeless in the DC,VA & MD areas. We also adopt a homeless family during the holiday season, donate clothes as well as hold an annual Charity yard sale for VOA.You can find our shirts at:

Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall
Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall
Shadows in the Forestville Centre
SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall
Millennium in Georgetown
Sport Zone- Selected locations
D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
First Thangs First- Park Waldorf, Waldorf MD
Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD
Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD
Turning Point- Eastpoint Mall, Baltimore MD
Turning Point- St. Charles Town Center, Waldorf MD
Turning Point- Security Square Mall, Baltimore MD
Turning Point- Centre at Forestville, Forestville MD
New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA
Fashion Kings- Brudgeport WV
Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV
Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA
Dazzle Inc- Iverson Mall, Hillcrest Heights MD
Kurley's- Greenbelt, MD
Echo for Men- Iverson Mall, Hillcrest Heights MD
Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
Fashion World- Hurlock MD
City Wear- Farmville, VA
Aashik- The Boulevard, Largo MD
M & G- Featherstone Square, Woodbridge VA

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.
My Space
Razoo
Idealist
Change.org
MyBlogLog
BlogCatalog
Twitter

Reston Interfaith

During these economic times many families are having to make the choice between paying the electric bill on time or buying a weeks worth of groceries. One organization that is assisting families in not having to choose between the two is Reston Interfaith.

As stated on their website:

"Reston Interfaith is a leading service provider offering comprehensive programs for 13,000 people in Reston, Herndon and northwest Fairfax County."

"Our Mission: We promote self-sufficiency through direct support and advocacy for our neighbors in need of food, immediate shelter, affordable housing, quality child care, and other human services."

Each year, over 2,000 volunteers generously give their time and efforts by participating with Reston Interfaith and our clients. We depend on each of these dedicated community members and the many ways that they are involved!

How Can You Get Involved?

Visit our Volunteer Calendar for the dates and times of upcoming activities.
Attend a Volunteer Orientation, where you will learn about the wide variety of programs we offer in our community and opportunities to participate in each program that require an on-going commitment (weekly, bi-weekly or monthly).
Youth Opportunities Click here to read about volunteer projects and opportunities specifically designed for children and teens throughout the year.

At Try Change we feel we can all make a difference. For us, we donate 10& of all our profits to Volunteers of America which serves the homeless in the DC,VA & MD areas. We also adopt a homeless family during the holiday season, donate clothes as well as hold an annual Charity yard sale for VOA.You can find our shirts at:

Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall

Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall

Shadows in the Forestville Centre

SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall

Millennium in Georgetown

Sport Zone- Selected locations

D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD

First Thangs First- Waldorf MD

Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD

Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD

New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA

Fashion Kings- Brudgeport WV

Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV

Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA

Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD

Fashion World- Hurlock MD

City Wear- Farmville, VA

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.

My Space

Razoo

Idealist

Change.org

MyBlogLog

BlogCatalog

Twitter

Computer C.O.R.E

At Try Change we not only donate 10% of our profits to Volunteers of America Chesapeake, hold annual Charity Yard sales, donate hundreds of items to the Hilda Barg Shelter in Woodbridge and Adopt a Family during the Holiday Season; we also introduce local and national charities to our Blog community members.

Today we bring you "Computer C.O.R.E"

Based in Alexandria VA Computer C.O.R.E free training in computer basics to low income individuals in the Northern Virginia area. As stated on their website "Computer C.O.R.E.'s training program addresses these needs by providing training in computer skills, personal development, and job search strategies. In addition, Computer C.O.R.E. gives free computers to its graduates so that they may continue learning and share computing access with their families."

How can you help Computer C.O.R.E?

Ways you can support Computer C.O.R.E. VOLUNTEERComputer C.O.R.E. relies on a committed cadre of volunteers to meet its mission. There are many exciting opportunities to take on a leadership role and share your knowledge with others. PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORTWe depend on contributions from the community to run our program. Please consider making a tax deductible contribution or choose #8289 on the United Way Campaign or #60280 on the Combined Federal Campaign. DONATE COMPUTERSComputer C.O.R.E. relies on computer donations from the professional community so that we can give a refurbished computer to each graduate. JOB EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Would you like to employ our dedicated graduates in an entry-level position within your organization? Please send us job openings so we can post them on our bulletin board and get them out to our students. TRAINING FOR YOUR EMPLOYEESDo you have staff that could benefit from C.O.R.E.'s program? Think about the added skill value of sending an employee to C.O.R.E.'s training. DONATE OFFICE SUPPLIESWe are always in need of paper and other office supplies.

You can contact Computer C.O.R.E at:

Computer C.O.R.E.

3846 King Street

Alexandria, VA 22302

Telephone: 703-931-7346

Fax: 703-931-6062.

Or visit thier website at

http://www.computercore.org/

By the way, Try Change is now on Twitter! Stop by and check us out or follow us as we continue our adventures in the t-shirt and fashion industries.

At Try Change we feel we can all make a difference. For us, we donate 10& of all our profits to Volunteers of America which serves the homeless in the DC,VA & MD areas. We also adopt a homeless family during the holiday season, donate clothes as well as hold an annual Charity yard sale for VOA.You can find our shirts at:

Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall

Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall

Shadows in the Forestville Centre

SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall

Millennium in Georgetown

Sport Zone- Selected locations

D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD

First Thangs First- Waldorf MD

Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD

Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD

New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA

Fashion Kings- Brudgeport WV

Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV

Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA

Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD

Fashion World- Hurlock MD

City Wear- Farmville, VA

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Doorways

Each we at Try Change like to highlight an organization or person who is making a difference in our community. Tonight we would like to introduce our readers to Doorways. With so many stories of battered and abused women reported each year it's encouraging to see a organization like Doorways here in the DC area. Doorways runs the one and only domestic violence safe house in Arlington VA.

Established 1978, Doorways for Women and Families has provided services for thousands of women and families experiencing domestic violence and/or homelessness.

As noted on their website "Doorways is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that offers safe shelter to abused, homeless and at-risk women and families. The assistance Doorways provides helps clients develop the tools and resources essential to reclaiming self-sufficiency."

Services Doorway Provides:
Advocacy: In order to effectively advocate for the rights and needs of survivors and victims and ultimately eliminate the incidence of family violence and homelessness, we must advocate for those experiencing them on multiple levels; as individuals, as a community and institutionally through public policy.
Freddie Mac Foundation Family Home: A home and caring atmosphere providing basic life needs and individually-tailored support services that prepare clients to lead secure and self-sufficient lives.
Domestic Violence Program: A home free of abuse for women and their children where goals for safety, physical and mental health needs, finances, employment, housing, childcare and long-term stability are set and achieved.
HomeStart Supportive Housing Program: A new beginning for women and families ready to live independently.
Children's Services: Programs and services specifically designed to address the needs of children who have been displaced and/or victimized.
Financial Independence Track: A financial literacy program that helps homeless women and families understand how to better manage their finances and debt in order to help them escape poverty, domestic violence and homelessness.
Community Education: Doorways provides community education on the topics of homelessness and domestic violence to youth, teen and adult groups and through community wide events.

If you feel your in a dangerous relationship or just need to speak to someone you can call the Hotline, Safehouse, and Court Advocate Services (703) 237-0881 24-hour hotline.

What can you do to help Doorways?

Help at one of the Shelters by answering phones or supporting a family in need of assistance.

Donate money. $250 supplies perishable food for one shelter for a week; $1,000 pays for 60 hours of financial counseling for one women.

Donate items. Click here for a list of much needed items.

To learn more contact Email or call Kelly Blanchard, Volunteer Coordinator, 703-522-8858 x 33

*By the way, Try Change is now on Twitter! Stop by and check us out or follow us as we continue our adventures in the t-shirt and fashion industries.

At Try Change we feel we can all make a difference. For us, we donate 10& of all our profits to Volunteers of America which serves the homeless in the DC,VA & MD areas. We also adopt a homeless family during the holiday season, donate clothes as well as hold an annual Charity yard sale for VOA.

You can find our shirts at:
Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall
Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall
Shadows in the Forestville Centre
SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall
Millennium in Georgetown
Sport Zone- Selected locations
D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
First Thangs First- Waldorf MD
Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD
Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD
New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA
Fashion Kings- Brudgeport WV
Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV
Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA
Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
Fashion World- Hurlock MD
City Wear- Farmville, VA

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.
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Hungry For Music

Hello everyone. Tonight we are pleased to one again highlight Hungry For Music. Our good friend Saul first introduced us to this wonderful organization last year and are pleased to help promote their 14th Annual Hungry for Crawfish Boil! The Boil will be held Saturday, May 9th Ft. Hunt Park, Alexandria, VA. There will be plenty of food and of course music!

Tickets are $35.00. Click here to purchase tickets

As stated on their website "Hungry For Music is a grassroots volunteer-driven 501 (c)(3) charity organization with a nationwide and international outreach. Hungry for Music's mission is to inspire underprivileged children (and others) by bringing positive musical and creative experiences into their lives. Since becoming a non-profit in 1994, Hungry for Music has brought the healing quality of music to thousands of people through its musical instrument donations, concerts, and workshops. We support our programs through memberships, benefit concerts and events, raffles, and the sale of Hungry for Music produced compact discs."

Hungry for Music's vision for the future is to firmly establish its programs and create a music education center. Once this becomes a reality, Hungry for Music will be primed to provide ongoing programs to enhance young people's creativity and self-esteem.

How you can Help Hungry for Music:
Become a HFM member
Volunteer
Donate an instrument
Donate sheet music
Donate books
Donate music related toys
Buy a HFM compact disc
Buy a HFM t-shirt

At Try Change we feel we can all make a difference. For us, we donate 10& of all our profits to Volunteers of America which serves the homeless in the DC,VA & MD areas. We also adopt a homeless family during the holiday season, donate clothes as well as hold an annual Charity yard sale for VOA.
You can find our shirts at:

Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall\

Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall

Shadows in the Forestville Centre

SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall

Millennium in Georgetown

Sport Zone- Selected locations

D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD

First Thangs First- Waldorf MD

Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD

Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD

New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA

Fashion Kings- Brudgeport WV

Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV

Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA

Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD

Fashion World- Hurlock MD

City Wear- Farmville, VA

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.

My Space

Razoo

Idealist

Change.org

MyBlogLog

BlogCatalog

Try Change Newsletter

Thank you,
Vince & Chrissie

Life Pieces to Masterpieces

Tonight Try Change brings you an outstanding organization that's doing great things in the DC community. We came across this organizations while reading the" Washingtonian " and where amazed by it's many accomplishments . As stated on their website "Life Pieces to Masterpieces is a non-profit, arts-based, comprehensive youth development organization. We serve boys and young men ages 3 to 21 living in low-income and public housing east of the Anacostia River in Washington, DC.

Their Goal:

"Life Pieces to Masterpieces continuing goal is to nurture, embrace, encourage, and elevate African American boys and young men. Daily participation in LPTM’s artistic, academic, spiritual, and mentoring activities help turn the many challenges in the lives of these boys into opportunities for success, self-reliance, and resiliency."

They have received many awards but more importantly have made a difference in the lives of may young men. Here are some of the results:

• Over 90% of LPTM participants have not become involved in the juvenile justice system or fathered children


• Approximately 90% have shown improved behavior at home and in school
  75% have significantly increased their overall GPA


• LPTM Apprentices have created over 1000 pieces of art over the past 11 years, exhibited locally, nationally and internationally, including The World Bank, Children's Hospital, the Smithsonian, and charitable foundations throughout Washington, DC. and FIDDEM in Paris, France

You can help this organization by tutoring a boy in the homework center or help chaperon field trips. You can also donate to the group. $25 covers two weeks of snacks for one boy; $1,000 pays for a him to participate in the program three days a week for a year.

You can contact them at:

Life Pieces To Masterpieces Inc.at

Merritt Middle School

5002 Hayes Street, NE

Washington, DC 20019

Phone: 202-399-7703

Fax: 202-399-7731

Contact: Gretchen Martens, Deputy DirectorEmail: gmartens@lifepieces.org

At Try Change we feel we can all make a difference. For us, we donate 10& of all our profits to Volunteers of America which serves the homeless in the DC,VA & MD areas. We also adopt a homeless family during the holiday season, donate clothes as well as hold an annual Charity yard sale for VOA.
You can find our shirts at:
Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall
Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall
Shadows in the Forestville Centre
SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall
Millennium in Georgetown
Sport Zone- Selected locations
D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
First Thangs First- Waldorf MD
Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD
Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD
New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA
Fashion Kings- Brudgeport WV
Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV
Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA
Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
Fashion World- Hurlock MD
City Wear- Farmville, VA
Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.
My Space
Razoo
Idealist
Change.org
MyBlogLog
BlogCatalog
Try Change Newsletter

Thank you,

Vince & Chrissie

Why.

Typically each week we like to bring you a story about an individual or person that is making a difference in our community. However; a question was posed to me during a recent visit to one of the stores our shirts are currently in that got me thinking...

The manager asked me: Why did I start Try Change T-shirts? Is it for the money ? Or is it to get my name out in the business world?

I've told the Try Change story a hundred times...How Chrissie and I spotted a young lady wearing an offensive (with curse words) shirt at a supermarket on a Sunday afternoon then ran into a young kid (around 7-8) wearing a shirt with a marijuana leaf with the slogan -just hanging out with my bud on the back. But having someone ask me whether I did it for money or personal attention really made me think again how everything started and what still motivates me today.

So here's why we continue to promote Try Change T-shirts and donate 10% of our sales to Volunteers of America, adopt an homeless family during the holidays, donate clothes and conduct a Charity Yard Sale.

• The number of homeless families in the Washington Dc Region increased 15% in the last year.
  
  
• The actual number is 5,263 families and 6,749 individuals counted...that's 12,012 and this includes children. Something many people do not realize considering that we live in one of the richest areas in the country.


• Area Food Banks have seen an increase of families, even middle class families at their facilities.


• How many more variations of Skulls can we possible put on T-Shirts?


• How long can we continue to believe that the images of sex, drugs and violence has no effect on our young people? Really, come on now...


• Why not try something different?


• How can we observe, then support, businesses that do not give back to the communities that they profit from?


• It's the right thing to do.
  

These are just some of the things that still motivates us today. We believe that it's our obligation to speak out. We do not believe in a overall censorship of music, film or the arts. What we believe is that we as a people should offer a product to those that would like to promote a message of Hope, Peace, Faith, Diversity and Positive Change while at the same time helping the homeless in the DC,VA and MD area.

We don't care about your political or religious affiliation, sexual preferences or racial makeup. We care about helping those who need it while inspiring change in others. On our shirts are various positive quotes that we hope will inspire the person wearing the shirt as well as individuals seeing the shirt.

One such quote is:

"Every saint has a past and ever sinner has a future"

It's never too late for change :-)

You can find our shirts at:

Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall
Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall
Shadows in the Forestville Centre
SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall
Millennium in Georgetown
Sport Zone- Selected locations
D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
First Thangs First- Waldorf MD
Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD
Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD
New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA
Fashion Kings- Brudgeport WV
Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV
Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA
Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
Fashion World- Hurlock MD
City Wear- Farmville, VA

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.
My Space
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Idealist
Change.org
MyBlogLog
BlogCatalog
Try Change Newsletter

Miriam's Kitchen

Tonight we are featuring one of the organizations we met at the Help the Homeless Walkathon...

Did you know....

That there are more than 6,000 homeless men, women and children in Washington, DC on any given night.

Of that total, nearly 1,200 individuals are chronically homeless--meaning they have been homeless for a year or more, or four or more times in the past three years.

Looking for ways to help the homeless in the DC area?

Here's a great place to start - Miriams Kitchen

Miriams Kitchen provides free, high-quality services to the homeless in the Nation's Capital every weekday morning through four core programs: Breakfast Program, Case Management Program, After-Breakfast Program and Arnold's Place Transitional Housing Program.

How can you help?- Here's just few examples of how you can help

Help Serve Breakfast

Help Serve Lunch

Help Sort Food at the Capital Area Food

Host a Clothing or Toiletry Drive

To learn more visit http://www.miriamskitchen.org/HELP/Volunteer/tabid/69/Default.aspx

At Try Change we feel we can all make a difference. For us, we donate 10& of all our profits to Volunteers of America which serves the homeless in the DC,VA & MD areas. We also adopt a homeless family during the holiday season, donate clothes as well as hold an annual Charity yard sale for VOA.

You can find our shirts at:

Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall

Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall

Shadows in the Forestville Centre

SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall

Millennium in Georgetown

Sport Zone- Selected locations

D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD

First Thangs First- Waldorf MD

Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD

Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD

New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA

Fashion Kings- Brudgeport WV

Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV

Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA

Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD

Fashion World- Hurlock MD

City Wear- Farmville, VA

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.

My Space

Razoo

Idealist

Change.org

MyBlogLog

BlogCatalog

Try Change Newsletter

American Widow Project

At Try Change we like to highlight individuals who are making a difference. People who no matter what thier current circumstances might be know that they can be there for someone else. Tonight we bring you two individuals that started an organization out of grief that has truly inspired not only us here at Try Change but thousands of people throughout the country via thier video, thier appearence on ABC News and their journey across the country.

Tonight we showcase the American Widow Project.

As stated on thier website:
The American Widow Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to the new generation of those who have lost the heroes of yesterday, today and tomorrow, with an emphasis on healing through sharing stories, tears and laughter………Military Widow to Military Widow.

Please take the time to view the video. You will walk away truly inspired.

" We all have the capacity to help others"

Help us reach our goal of spreading positive change by purchasing one of our shirts from the retailers or by joining one of our Try Change communities below. As always, if you or your organization has a story of how you’re making a difference, please share it with us so we can share it with everyone!

The Try Change line of shirts can be purchased at the following locations:

Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall

Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall

Shadows in the Forestville Centre

SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall

Millennium in Georgetown

Sport Zone- Selected locations

Remember that we donate 10% to our official partners Volunteers of America Chesapeake.

If you want to purchase a Try Change T-Shirts but cannot get to MD, VA or DC you can purchase them online at SWANK's online store.

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.

My Space

Razoo

Idealist

Change.org

MyBlogLog

BlogCatalog

Try Change Newsletter

Try Change at Crystal Couture!

Two months ago while checking out Art Whino’s website we came across a T-Shirt competition that they were holding in Crystal City VA. Crystal Couture was a two week fashion extravaganza! The event featured sample sales, runway and trunk shows from designers, local boutiques, and area salons. Each featured a theme with unique drinks, food tastes, and exciting fashions and music.



Try Change along with 100 other designers submitted a one design each in hopes of being selected in the top 20 that would be highlighted during Fashion week at Crystal Couture.

Not only did we get in the top 20 but we came in third place!



Above is the design that we submitted. Along with video of the event. Even more incredible was the fact that we were able to secure a tradeshow booth to highlight our designs. This enabled us to meet several great retailers, graphic artist and designers. Everyone was extremely nice, offering suggestions on production and future tradeshows they thought we should attend.



We like to thank Art Whino for being great host of this event. They provided a fashion show and live entertainment for all that came out for the free events.

Check out Art Whino's website at:

http://www.artwhino.com/

To learn more about the two week Crystal Couture event go to:

http://crystalcity.org/eventdetail.asp?IdEvent=407


Thank you to everyone that came out and supported us!

Vince & Chrissie


Help us reach our goal of spreading positive change by purchasing one of our shirts from the retailers or by joining one of our Try Change communities below. As always, if you or your organization has a story of how you’re making a difference, please share it with us so we can share it with everyone!

The Try Change line of shirts can be purchased at the following locations:
Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall
Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall
Shadows in the Forestville Centre
SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall
Millennium in Georgetown
Sport Zone- Selected locations


Remember that we donate 10% to our official partners Volunteers of America Chesapeake.
If you want to purchase a Try Change T-Shirts but cannot get to MD, VA or DC you can purchase them online at SWANK's online store.

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.
My Space
Razoo
Idealist
Change.org
MyBlogLog
BlogCatalog
Try Change Newsletter

Art Whino Recognition! Come join us at Crystal Couture!

Wow, it seems good things continue to happen for us at Try Change!

We recently submitted one of our designs into a T-Shirt competition promoted by Art Whino the new gallery located at the National Harbor in MD. We, along with 19 other shirts, were selected out of all the designs submitted!

The twenty winning designs (Try Change included!) will be showcased in a fashion show and exhibition at Crystal Couture on February 24th, 2009. Crystal Couture is a two week extravaganza of fun and fashion. The event will feature sample sales, runway and trunk shows from designers, local boutiques, and area salons. Each night will feature a theme with unique drinks, food tastes, and exciting fashions and music. The event is free and open to the public so everyone please come out and support local fashion & art with us!

A little about Art Whino:

"Our mission is to bring you the freshest work from the underground art scene worldwide. We have work from hard to acquire work of established artists to new work from emerging talents. We deal in art from major metropolitan centers all over the world such as New York, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro. Our Art Whino Collaboration has now grown to 250 Artist Strong!"

Check out Art Whino's website at:

http://www.artwhino.com/

To learn more about the two week Crystal Couture event go to:

http://crystalcity.org/eventdetail.asp?IdEvent=407

Help us reach our goal of spreading positive change by purchasing one of our shirts from the retailers or by joining one of our Try Change communities below. As always, if you or your organization has a story of how you,re making a difference, please share it with us so we can share it with everyone!

The Try Change line of shirts can be purchased at the following locations:
Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall
Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall
Shadows in the Forestville Centre
SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall
Millennium in Georgewown
Sport Zone- Selected locations

Remember that we donate 10% to our official partners Volunteers of America Chesapeake.

If you want to purchase a Try Change T-Shirts but cannot get to MD, VA or DC you can purchase them online at SWANK's online store.

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.
My Space
Razoo
Idealist
Change.org
MyBlogLog
BlogCatalog
Try Change Newsletter

Thank you!
Vince & Chrissie at Try Change