ARIN's 2025 Holiday Food and Toy Drives Bring Joy to Local Families
This holiday season, ARIN employees once again demonstrated the power of community and generosity through two meaningful initiatives: our annual Holiday Toy Drive and a Thanksgiving food drive. Building on last year’s successful relaunch of our holiday giving tradition, the 2025 campaigns brought together staff members to support families in need across Northern Virginia.
Thanksgiving Food Drive: Nourishing Our Neighbors
In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, ARIN hosted a food drive benefitting Food for Others, a Fairfax-based nonprofit dedicated to alleviating hunger in Northern Virginia. For two weeks, employees contributed non-perishable food items, and ARIN also shared a QR code for those wishing to make direct monetary contributions to Food for Others or Haymarket Regional Food Pantry, a community-based nonprofit dedicated to providing food to individuals and families in the Haymarket and Gainesville, Virginia, areas.
The timing of the food drive was intentional, recognizing that many families in the region were facing heightened food insecurity.
“We saw an opportunity to make a real difference for families experiencing hardship during an especially challenging time,” explained Meeting Manager Melissa Goodwin and Communications Manager Ashley Perks, who spearheaded the initiative. “Food insecurity doesn’t take a holiday, and we wanted to make sure our neighbors could focus on being together rather than worrying about putting food on the table.”
Food for Others serves as a critical resource for local families facing food insecurity, distributing millions of pounds of food annually to those in need. ARIN’s contribution in November helped support this mission during a time of particular need.
Toy Drive: Partnership Makes an Impact
On Tuesday, 9 December, the ARIN team delivered an impressive collection of toys and gifts to Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS), continuing our partnership with this vital community organization. The festive holiday tree in our reception area once again served as a gathering point for donations, filling up with gifts for children of all ages throughout the collection period.
This year’s toy drive featured a particularly inspiring contribution that significantly amplified our impact. One ARIN staff member — who wishes to remain anonymous — went above and beyond by securing a grant from Year Up United, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young adults to cross the opportunity divide and build meaningful careers. This generous donation enabled the staff member to purchase dozens of additional gifts, dramatically boosting our collection and ensuring even more local children would experience the magic of the holiday season.
“This staff member’s outreach and Year Up United’s generosity made it possible to reach so many more children this year,” said Chief Human Resources Officer Erin Alligood. “Knowing that these extra gifts will help brighten the holidays for families in our community truly brings the season’s spirit of giving and gratitude to life for us all.”
The range of donations reflected the diverse needs identified by NVFS, including toys for babies and toddlers, board games and science kits for school-age children, and gift cards and other items for teenagers. The enthusiasm and generosity from ARIN staff matched —and exceeded — last year’s impressive participation.
A Tradition of Service
These initiatives reflect ARIN’s commitment to being not just a leader in the regional and global Internet communities, but also a responsible and engaged member of our local community.
“Seeing the tree fill up with gifts was a reminder of how much we can accomplish together, especially for a good cause,” said Receptionist Mindy Engstrom. “Knowing these toys will bring joy to children and families in our area makes it that much more special.”
Looking Ahead
The success of this year’s food and toy drives reinforces ARIN’s dedication to fostering a culture where giving back is a shared priority. These campaigns brought employees together around a common purpose, strengthening our team while making a tangible difference in the lives of local families.
Thank you to everyone who participated in making these initiatives a success. Special recognition goes to the staff member who made an exceptional effort in securing additional support, and to all the ARIN employees whose contributions — whether toys, food, or funding — helped spread holiday cheer to those who need it most.
Here’s to continuing and growing these meaningful traditions in the years to come!
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