A Vienna nonprofit organization spreading love through education and service in our Northern Virginia community
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide compassionate mentorship to underserved children and youth in our community, sharing God’s love and fostering personal growth, academic achievement and a sense of belonging.
Our Vision
A loving and inclusive community where all belong and have equal opportunities for social, spiritual, educational, and economic success.
Our Programs and Services
News & Events
Belong visits the Fire Department
What a fantastic start to our summer!
We welcomed 31 kids, many parents, and 16 incredible volunteers to the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department for a fun evening of learning, laughter, and community.
A special thank you to the Vienna Fire Department staff for teaching the kids about fire safety and giving them an up-close look at what firefighters do every day. The obstacle course, where kids got to practice what they learned, was a crowd favorite!
A huge thank you to Karen Mokate for organizing such a fun and engaging event from start to finish. We’re also grateful to volunteer Nicole White, who created many of the activities and provided wonderful take-home handouts for the kids.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this such a memorable evening!
Belong Partners with Compass Pro Bono DC
Belong recently launched an exciting new partnership with Compass Pro Bono DC. This partnership brings together a team of experienced business professionals who are volunteering their expertise to help strengthen Belong’s long-term strategy and organizational capacity. This 8-member team of experienced professionals is volunteering their expertise to support Belong in a Technology, Data, and AI Strategy project focused on strengthening how we manage and use data for our elementary school mentoring program.
Thank you, Elena!
For the past two years, Elena (pictured here with her friend) has been a dedicated mentor with Belong, supporting her mentee as she recently completed 6th grade and prepares for middle school.
In June, Elena and her friend organized a bake sale through their nonprofit, Local Leaders, and chose Belong as the beneficiary. In less than four hours, they raised more than $475 to support our mentoring program!
We’re incredibly grateful for this generous gift, but even more inspired by what it represents. Seeing our mentors become advocates for our mission is a powerful reminder that mentoring changes lives on both sides of the relationship.​
​
​
​
​
Giving Tuesday Goal Exceeded $10,000
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, Belong not only met but exceeded the $10,000 Matching Challenge Grant from The Faeder Family Foundation this holiday season! From Monday, November 24 through December 8, 2025, every gift to Belong was matched dollar-for-dollar — and together, our supporters surpassed the challenge goal, unlocking the full match and creating an even greater impact for local youth.
​
​​
“Meet the Employer” Career Event at Belong!
Earlier this month, Belong hosted a “Meet the Employer” Career Event, bringing together 24 incredible young adults, dedicated mentors, and employer partners from McDonald’s, Fairfax County Neighborhood & Community Services, Fairfax County Park Authority, and Virginia Auto & Tire. The day was all about real-world preparation and real opportunities.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Meet Robin and Alison
Meet Robin, one of our incredible College & Career mentors at Belong, and her mentee, Allison. Earlier this year, Robin was matched with Allison, a James Madison High School student who balances school, two jobs, and caring for her family after the loss of her mother. With encouragement and steady support, Robin is helping her build confidence, set goals, and see her own potential — and the impact has been life-changing. Allison is smart, creative, and has a beautiful heart for helping others.
This is the power of mentoring: one caring adult and one amazing student, sharing laughter, conversation, and hope for the future.
See how we put your donations to work
101
K-6th grade students served in the 2025-26 school year
14
Students in our College Career Program as of Fall 2025.
$180k
In-kind donations of time and materials (2024)
103
volunteers served as mentors to K-6th grade students in the 2024-25 school year
Testimonials
--3rd grade student
"I'm thrilled about Thursdays! In school, I start learning new things, but coming here, my mentor teaches me more, and I understand them better. That's why Thursdays are the best!" ​
--Parent of reading clinic student
"I was thrilled to hear her teacher from Cunningham Park say that [my daughter]had made great progress in writing and reading...Thank you for helping our community to progress."
–A Belong Volunteer
I’ve worked with kids through other organizations, but Belong has been the most impactful by far. They are so detailed and thoughtful with the activities they plan and the mentees they match us up with, and there is no limit to both the resources and kindness that Belong provides to kids. While I’ve only been a mentor for a couple of years, I can say that I’ve grown so much mentally and emotionally and it’s truly a delight to see my mentee grow and thrive as well.
