2026 Beacon of Hope Breakfast
Thank you for joining us for this special event!
There’s still time to show your support by making a donation.
This is our only fundraising event of the year.
All contributions go directly to our programs.
2026 Beacon of Hope Breakfast
Thursday, October 15, 2026 | 8:00-9:00 AM
Westwood Country Club | Vienna, VA
Join us for our annual fundraising breakfast!
Registration is closing soon. You’ll receive additional details after registering.
What to Expect
Together, we're helping hold the door open for hope for local youth and families who need it most.
Youth homelessness often looks different than what people expect. It can be hidden, complicated, and underreported. Young people need more than a safe place to stay; they need trusted adults who recognize what they’re going through and can help them build a path toward independent living.
For 54 years, Second Story has been a resource for our community, stepping into the hidden stories that require creativity, compassion, and experience. We help young people who might be couch-surfing while attending high school, holding down jobs, and carrying unimaginable stress behind closed doors, or those experiencing another crisis.
Our community gathered together on October 15 for the Beacon of Hope Breakfast to hear inspiring stories from program participants, staff, and volunteers, and discover how we can ensure every young person who reaches out for help finds an open door.
It was a morning to remember! Thank you for joining us. It’s not too late to show your support through a financial gift. And please help us continue to spread the word about our mission and our programs.
We invite you to join us on October 15.
Help hold the door open for hope for local youth and families who need it most.
For 54 years, Second Story has worked alongside our community to open doors for young people experiencing homelessness, families in crisis, survivors of violence, and neighbors living at or below the poverty line.
Today, nonprofits across the country are navigating a changing landscape, making it more important than ever to sustain and strengthen the key programs that ensure our region’s most vulnerable youth and families continue to have access to critical support.
Join us on October 15 from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. for the Beacon of Hope Breakfast to hear inspiring stories from program participants, staff, and volunteers, and discover how, together, we can ensure every young person who reaches out for help finds an open door.
Your presence matters. Your generosity makes a difference. Let’s keep hope within reach.
This is our only fundraising event of the year.
Your time is valuable, so we host just one fundraising event each year. Our Beacon of Hope Breakfast is a great opportunity to join your fellow neighbors in ensuring our programs are available for those who need us. Funds raised go directly to our programs. Local youth and families have so few options to turn to for help. Let’s be sure our doors remain open. By donating locally, you make our community stronger and our future brighter. When you give to Second Story, you can give with confidence because we’ve proudly earned the highest ratings from the major charity-vetting organizations, including a 100% from Charity Navigator!
Experience This Year's Breakfast
Chef Chauncy's Story
Celebrity Chef Chauncy Yarngo recorded a special message for our Beacon of Hope attendees. He describes the impact Second Story’s Culmore Teen Center had on his life. He grew up in the Culmore neighborhood of Falls Church where gangs were prevalent. At the Teen Center, he found a safe place to gather with friends, learn, grow, debate, and even to make mistakes. There he also learned to cook. Today, he’s a celebrity chef who gives back to his community and has lots of lessons to share with teens who might be experiencing similar to challenges to those he faced as a young person.
This is our only fundraising event of the year.
Your time is valuable, so we host just one fundraising event each year. Our Beacon of Hope Breakfast is a great opportunity to join your fellow neighbors in ensuring our programs are available for those who need us. Funds raised go directly to our programs. Local youth and families have so few options to turn to for help. Let’s be sure our doors remain open. By donating locally, you make our community stronger and our future brighter. When you give to Second Story, you can give with confidence because we’ve proudly earned the highest ratings from the major charity-vetting organizations, including a 100% from Charity Navigator!
How else can you support the event?
Share the Invitation
Many want to make a difference, but don’t know where to start. Help spread the word by sharing the invitation or hosting a table. Follow us on social media for updates.
Become a Sponsor
Consider sponsoring our event to help set an example and inspire others. Sponsors help ensure the success of our event and receive special recognition.
Make a Gift
If you’re unable to attend, that’s okay. Please consider making a donation today to help hold the door open for a young mother seeking safety, a teen experiencing homelessness, a young person balancing school while helping put food on their family’s table, or a teenager in crisis with nowhere else to turn. We cannot afford to let another door close.
Register for Beacon of Hope
Registration is required and is now open! You’ll receive additional details after registering. If you need to make changes to your registration, contact our Volunteer and Outreach Manager, Alex Villegas.
We look forward to seeing you!
Give With Confidence:
Want to learn more about what it's like to attend a Beacon of Hope Breakfast?
Thank you!
- Thank you to all of our community members who attended our annual Beacon of Hope Breakfast Fundraiser!
- Thanks to your enthusiasm, we packed the house!
- It’s not too late to show your support for our mission. We invite you to donate now.
- Follow us on social media @secondstoryorg to view more photos and videos from the big event.
- And again, thank you for showing up to support your community! We’re grateful.
Shaylah's Story
Second Story for Young Mothers is a Transitional Living Program that helps pregnant and parenting moms ages 16 to 24 attain safety, stability, and independence by assisting with housing, counseling, parenting supplies, and training. Many of these young mothers are fleeing dangerous situations in hopes of creating a brighter future for their children.
Shaylah is one of those courageous moms. She left home at just 15, determined to break cycles and create opportunities. She made difficult choices so she could stay in school and protect herself and her sister. At 19, she became pregnant and even more determined to achieve her goals. Despite the challenges, she always believed in herself and her family’s ability to rise above the challenges they faced.
With support from Second Story, Shaylah moved into a safe space with her daughter and began learning skills that would help her build the future she dreamed of. After graduating from the program, she earned a scholarship that allows her to continue her education while working and caring for her little girl.
Today, she’s a mom, student, provider, dreamer, fighter, and a believer. Her story reminds us that strength often grows from struggle, that it’s okay to make difficult choices in search of stability, and that we’re stronger than the unfair challenges we face.