A-SPAN

Twenty years ago, two women in Arlington began preparing and serving meals from their front porch to homeless and hungry people in their neighborhood. This occasional kindness gradually grew to be a nightly meal program for many more people, but these women and their friends noticed the need to do more. Meals were a great start, but the people they were serving had many more needs to be met to escape homelessness. To begin to reach that goal, they created the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (A-SPAN) in 1991. In 2011, A-SPAN will serve nearly 1,500 clients with services ranging from nightly meals to permanent housing.

Emergency Services

Street Outreach

Staff regularly visit street homeless people in the wooded areas, underpasses and areas where they live, delivering items such as blankets and clothing, and encouraging people to visit Opportunity Place.

Homeless Bagged Meal Program (HBMP)

Volunteers serve up to 80 meals nightly at two outdoor locations near VA Square & Rosslyn Metro.

Opportunity Place (OP)

Clients access our Drop-In Center for showers, laundry, phones, computers and services such as employment counseling and case management.

Emergency Winter Shelter (EWS)

Open November 1-March 31, the EWS shelters up to 88 adults and provides a range of services including case management, healthcare and mental health care.

Supportive Services

Case Management

A-SPAN Case Managers help clients navigate assistance programs in order to meet all of their needs.

Healthcare

Nurse Practitioners provide on-site healthcare four nights a week at the Emergency Winter Shelter, managing healthcare, providing followup treatment, and writing prescriptions.

Employment Counseling

A-SPAN’s Employment Case Manager assists client with life skills training, job training, and job searches.

Housing Services

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)

A-SPAN currently houses 21 chronically homeless adults in apartments around Arlington. Clients maintain a lease in their name and case managers provide weekly support in areas of daily living.

Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP)

HPRP provides assistance with rent and/or utilities, or eviction prevention to people who are facing homelessness as a result of the recession.

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