Our generous supporters have done it again. After the record-breaking response to our 2021 Annual Campaign, we set an ambitious goal of $75,000 for 2022. Now we are delighted to announce that our donors contributed a grand total of $79,000 during the 2022 Annual Campaign. 

These donations directly benefit youth with behavioral health needs and their families by giving PHILLIPS the resources to provide special education day schools, career and technical education, and home- and community-based counseling. 

At the same time the Annual Campaign was going on, we were making great progress in our larger, multi-year Capital Campaign, the Fund for Tomorrow’s World. 

A recent $100,000 gift from the Peter David Brendsel Fund, which is also one of Capital Campaign’s founding donors, has helped put us more than halfway toward our $5 million goal. This support is especially important now, as we begin a bold expansion of our mission. Through our new nonprofit, SpringForward Ventures, we are creating innovative companies designed around the abilities and needs of workers to help young adults overcome barriers to employment.

To find out how you can help us reach our $5 million goal, please contact President & CEO Piper Phillips  piper.phillips@phillipsprograms.org  703-941-8810

School Dining Gets Finer

It sure doesn’t LOOK like school food. And it certainly doesn’t taste like what we’ve been serving our students up until now.

A delicious new era dawned at PHILLIPS School ~ Annandale on January 17 as Chef Ben Pflaumer began introducing scratch-cooked menu items to replace the unappetizing, heat-and-serve institutional dishes that students have complained about for years. Thanks to our new partnership with Brigaid, Chef Ben is reinventing our school meals while building the foundation for one of our first social enterprises, SpringForward Feeds.

Working out of our commercial kitchen in Annandale, he and the Culinary Arts staff and students have taken on the challenge of developing recipes that not only satisfy USDA nutritional requirements but satisfy young taste buds. It doesn’t matter how healthy something is if kids won’t eat it.

So the process of creating better meals for PHILLIPS students started with the kids themselves. We did tasting sessions to get their reactions to various kinds of foods. In addition to exposing them to some flavors they might never have encountered before, this gave them a sense of ownership in the project.      

The initial reviews from the kids are overwhelmingly positive.

SpringForward Feeds will expand to all of our campuses and eventually will contract with other schools in the near future as it grows into an employee-owned company that will hire PHILLIPS graduates and others like them who are ready and eager to work.

5 Pounds of 3D-Printed Octopus To-Go

Our Designing Futures students were as busy as elves in their high-tech workshop before the winter break. Program Supervisor Sam Son says the kids were inspired by a video about ways 3D printing improves our world. They used their skills to make the holidays a little brighter for other children by printing more than 100 plastic octopi and donating 5 pounds of them to Toys for Tots at their warehouse in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The gadgets come off the printer fully assembled with tiny articulated tentacles that wiggle – and they make great fidget toys.    

Supplies Needed

PHILLIPS Family Partners needs gently used (all pieces, please) puzzles, games, manipulatives and art supplies for staff to use while working with families in their homes. If you have something to donate, please contact Family Partners Program Director Karin Kelley at karin.kelley@phillipsprograms.org or call 703-941-8810.

Looking to Make a Bigger Impact?

Look no further. PHILLIPS is always on the lookout for applicants who share our passion for special education. Right now, we have many exciting opportunities available, such as high school teachers, instructional support assistants and behavior support assistants. We also need family counselors who can receive licensing supervision while working, Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) and Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) for PHILLIPS Family Partners.

If you or someone you know wants to find out why being part of the PHILLIPS team is so rewarding, visit our Careers page to explore all open positions and apply.

PHILLIPS held a two-day Virtual Career Event in January, attracting both current career professionals looking for a change as well as 2023 college graduates seeking opportunities in special education. Attendees met with talent management and were connected with hiring managers in Maryland and Virginia. Each candidate was attracted to the PHILLIPS culture and mission. Without exception, attendees were impressive; mission-oriented and interested in an organization where they could make a bigger impact.  

Given the success of this month’s events, we plan to host more of them throughout the year.

Goodbye AmazonSmile

Amazon is ending the program which let you select a charitable organization to receive a small portion of the amount you spend on Amazon purchases. We’re grateful to everyone who has given to PHILLIPS through AmazonSmile and we encourage you to continue supporting us by donating directly online. Click the button below to make a one-time gift or sign up for automatic monthly donations. 

PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families
7010 Braddock Rd | Annandale, Virginia 22003
703-941-8810 | piper.phillips@phillipsprograms.org

PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families is a private, non-profit organization serving the complex needs of children and youth living with cognitive, emotional and/or behavioral challenges in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. Through excellence in specialized education, community programs and individualized support services, we provide our children and families every advantage to ensure they develop to achieve their greatest individual success. Their potential is our commitment.