ALEXANDRIA, Va. (WDVM) — The Campagna Center is a nonprofit organization that serves over 2,000 children from Alexandria City Public Schools and the City of Alexandria. Many of them are essential workers’, including some of Goodwin House’s 900 team members, kids. Goodwin House is a senior living and wellness community in Alexandria and Bailey’s Crossroads. 

Last summer, Goodwin House teamed up with a small, local lab called Resource Path to make COVID-19 tests available for its staff members. Since the need for childcare never stops, Goodwin House extended the resources to the Campagna Center, which helped them reopen their doors last fall for hybrid learning programs. Nurses from the Goodwin House team assisted in monthly testing.

“The more that we can see our ability to help others, I think that’s one of the gifts that COVID has brought to us this time of year,” said Rob Liebreich, CEO of Goodwin House Incorporated. 

On Monday, the Campagna Center prepared to reopen its head start and early head start programs with a staff development day: another opportunity to test over 75 staff members for COVID-19.

Amina Assadi, a child development specialist at the Campagna Center, says testing at her place of work is more convenient than waiting an hour at a pharmacy. Plus, it makes the families smile. 

“We give them a peace of mind that not only are their children being cared for, but they’re being cared for by people who are really looking at the health and safety of their children,” Assadi said. “And who cared for them as human beings, not just somebody we’re providing a service to.”