Community Foundation CEO briefs Kiwanians on challenges, opportunities

The president/CEO of the Arlington Community Foundation recently gave Kiwanis Club of South Arlington members and guests an inside look at the organization and its community-building initiatives.

“The point of a community foundation is really to help bring people together,” Jennifer Owens said at the Sept. 18 meeting of the club, held at Busboys & Poets in Shirlington.

Locally, that means “making sure Arlington is a place people feel they belong and can stay in,” Owens said.

Arlington presents a somewhat unique challenge for safety-net organizations, because “there is a high level of wealth but also disparity,” she said.

Her remarks touched on efforts to address income and housing challenges, particularly those impacting households earning 30% or less than the area median income.

“It’s easy to hide need in Arlington if you’re not looking for it,” Owens said. “We’re about trying to bring people into the conversation.”

There also was discussions about efforts to support the community’s growing population of seniors, especially those with income challenges. That represents “a conversation that is starting to be had a little more,” Owens said.

Among those in attendance was Maimoona Bah, division chief for Aging and Disability Services at the county government’s Department of Human Services.

She noted the increasing need for support of seniors at all ages, particularly in the 60-to-70 range that are transitioning into retired life.

“We need to be creative,” Bah said.

The Arlington Community Foundation was founded in the early 1990s by William T. Newman Jr. Owens in 2017 was recruited from a similar organization in Upstate New York to take the helm.

John Murphy, a Kiwanis Club member and civic leader, said Owens has taken the foundation to a new level.

“She dug in and got the job done,” he said.

The key to a community foundation’s success is the ability to garner private (non-governmental) dollars, whether from individuals, philanthropic organizations or business entities.

In Arlington, “there is money, there is need and there is a passion” to address challenges, Owens said.

Beyond financing initiatives, the foundation also serves as an advocacy group. “Information is what drives public policy,” Owens said.

The luncheon attracted a large number of guests, including representatives from the Arlington County government, school system and non-profit organizations.

Kiwanis Club president Andres Tobar also serves as executive director of the Shirlington Employment and Education Center. He noted the importance of the foundation to the community’s social-safety net.

“We are so delighted with the initiatives the Arlington Community Foundation has taken over the years to lend that extra helping hand,” he said.

Two years ago, Tobar was among recipients of the foundation’s William T. Newman Jr. Spirit of Community Award, presented to leaders who are making a difference.

The 2025 awards, to be presented Nov. 7, will honor Claudia Ramirez Cuellar, Nina Janopaul and Kellen MacBeth.