The Tin Cup Fund, PO Box 650663, Sterling, VA (2026)

01/28/2026

Tin Cup often finds itself in the right place at the right time. Last week we were in Target’s baby section purchasing essential items for disadvantaged parents in need. We noticed a man trying to maneuver a shopping cart while FaceTiming a woman using sign language. They were communicating about an infant car seat. We stood on the periphery and observed. One by one he showed her options but when he pointed to the price she shook her head no. We approached with a smile using our phones to communicate, “Do you need help?…Is she in the hospital?…Did she just have a baby?” He excitedly shook his head yes and typed, “At INOVA.” The woman gleefully waved at us then panned her phone to the newborn baby boy next to her. He was swaddled in a striped blanket lying in a clear, hospital bassinet with his name above. In between winter storm warning phone dings, we continued typing, “The one she wants is out stock. It has to be cheap.” Together we browsed the selection but each time we pointed out an option the man would extend a flat palm pumping “lower…lower” as if to say they were too expensive. Embarrassment on his face. Another phone ding. Snow approaching. Temps dipping. Shoppers frantically grabbing last minute groceries. We handed him a Tin Cup business card and typed, “We’ll buy it.” We chose a car seat/stroller combo that will get them through toddlerhood. The man hugged us. The new mom first cupped her mouth in shock, tears stinging her eyes then fingertips to her chin signing “thank you.”

New mothers, vulnerable teens, hopeless families. We help them all.

January impact:
• Medically necssary lice treatment for an elementary school girl
• Oil change and tire rotation for a disabled, unhoused woman who resides in her car. Last month we loaded her up with grocery store gift cards and a heavy blanket
• Two-night hotel stay for a set of parents and their baby with special needs; he had life saving surgery at Children’s Hospital in DC yesterday
• Giant gift cards for several clients of Loudoun County Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services (MHSADS)
• New socks for students at Herndon Middle School, new warm gloves for Sterling Middle School students
…and the list goes on…

It’s what we do. It’s who we love.

12/02/2025

It’s Giving Tuesday - the ideal day to support our humanitarian efforts throughout Northern Virginia. The mission has remained the same since our inception. We assist underserved families when there is an essential gap.

Requests run the gamut. From Uber gift cards so folks can get to job interviews to emergency car repair for struggling parents. Hardworking case managers and social workers detect the needs ensuring that the assistance goes to precisely the right people.

Thank you for considering a monetary donation so that we can continue the work.

https://www.thetincupfund.org

12/01/2025

Tomorrow, December 2nd, is Giving Tuesday. It’s a global movement designed to highlight and support humanitarian work in every corner of the world. Tin Cup opts to assist those closest to home. We help by way of filling essential gaps for NOVA families in crisis. Perhaps you’ll consider a monetary donation to support the work we do.

In November alone we:

• purchased new clothing for a high school student and his little sister
• provided grocery store gift cards to a low-Income family that very recently lost their daughter. Countless hospital visits meant lost wages
• gave Giant gift cards to families who could not afford a Thanksgiving meal
• covered car repair for a single mom who got her car through the Vehicles for Change program. She was once in the foster care system and is working hard to provide for her own children
• food contribution to a free food drive just before the holiday
• diapers for a mentally and physically challenged 3rd grader
• gas gift cards for an unhoused woman who lives in her car despite extreme disabilities. A full tank means she’ll get to crucial doctor’s appointments
• space heaters for a family that cannot afford to repair their system
• new bedding and donated bed for a high school senior and her mom; they’ll now share a twin
• essential items for a man who lives in his car
• specialized formula for an elementary school student who has a G-tube
• new leggings and feminine pads for young girls who have menstrual accidents at school

November referral partners: Hutchison ES, Herndon MS, Loudoun County Area on Aging, Creighton’s Corner ES, Cedar Lane ES, Loudoun Cares, Sterling Middle School, Don’t Go Alone, Loudoun County Dept of MHSADS (Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services), William Robey HS

You can donate via our website or Venmo. Checks should be made payable to Tin Cup Fund, PO Box 650663, Sterling, VA 20165.

https://www.thetincupfund.org

10/31/2025

The best part about October? Tin Cup’s Annual Family Fall Fest. Together we nourished 150+ deserving community members thanks to our amazing referral partners. It was an afternoon of unity and pure joy.

Thanks to our incredibly hardworking volunteers and delicious food provided by Mookie's BBQ.

Trivia players, your participation makes this event possible year after year. We thank you wholeheartedly. 💞

10/17/2025

Cooler temperatures bring additional community needs. From gloves and coats to hats and leggings. We’ve distributed these items to several local schools that have a high percentage of disadvantaged students. Credit to the observant family liaisons who often detect the needs.

Thanks to brothers Matthew and Nathan for spearheading a clothing drive in their neighborhood. Their collected items have already landed in the right hands.

Our most rewarding effort this month? Assisting one mother with several emergency needs on the heels of domestic violence.

09/17/2025

Join us in welcoming our new treasurer! 🎉

Dedicated to making a difference, Teresa Demangos has leveraged her financial expertise as a volunteer treasurer to support organizations vital to our community. Teresa believes that sound financial management is key to the success of any organization, allowing the entity to focus on their mission and maximize impact. Teresa believes it is a privilege to give back in a way that truly strengths our collective well-being.

Teresa has served in a volunteer capacity since 2010. Prior to joining Tin Cup Fund, she served on the board of the Dominion High School Parent Teacher Organization for four years, two of those years as treasurer, and on the board of the Horizon Elementary School Parent Teacher Association as the treasurer for two years and Corresponding Secretary for two years, as well as two years as the Treasurer of the Junior League of Northern Virginia. Teresa has also served as treasurer for her neighborhood swim team since 2010.

As a volunteer treasurer, Teresa is driven by a desire to contribute meaningfully to the community, applying financial acumen to ensure transparency, accountability and sustainable growth for the organizations she serves.

Many thanks to Linda Mescall, our former treasurer, who is enjoying retirement with her wonderful family. Linda’s expertise and professionalism were beyond compare.

We’re now thrilled to have you, Teresa!

08/07/2025

Essential back-to-school drives are happening all over our nation. Tin Cup contributed to several worthy organizations this week. Items will be disseminated to the most vulnerable students.

The Family One - school supplies/snacks
Northwest Federal Credit Union Foundation - socks
Cornerstones - healthy snacks

Give where you live!

07/28/2025

The summer of ‘25 has brought challenges to many local families. We have helped to fill countless gaps, just some of which are listed below.

We felt particularly gratified to assist a 67-year-old man who lives in his 2007 minivan. The car needs extensive repair which he’s able to do himself. Today we purchased necessary car parts that’ll help get the car up to speed. Thanks to Michael at Sterling Advance Auto Parts for extending compassion and grace without judgment. Our client is exhausted from heat and achy with back pain yet he showered us in thanks and gratitude.

Summer ‘25

- covered the cost of an MRI for a middle-aged mother after exhibiting concerning symptoms

- grocery gift cards to a single mom of an 11-year-old boy who are starting life anew

- school supplies and home essentials for five siblings whose parents are financially struggling (see below - more on this)

- summer camp for two siblings so their single mother can work

- grocery and gas cards to a family who has been hit by several tragedies including a recent leukemia diagnosis among one of their young sons. They must travel to and from Charlottesville for aggressive treatment

- school cafeteria balance for an underprivileged Dominion High School student

- Uber Eats gift cards, diapers and wipes to a new mom in need

- new underwear and leggings to William O. Robey high school for female students who have menstrual accidents at school

- paid an entry fee. A remarkable NOVA student will now compete in National American Miss which focuses on building confidence and leadership skills. We actually linked her with the Tin Cup siblings noted above who needed the school supplies. They shopped together swapping stories about hardship and resilience

- essential clothing for a young mom and Target gift cards to a mom of two young daughters in the face of crisis.

A few more weeks left of summer. Let’s see what we can do! The needs grow and so does our passion.

05/11/2025

Moms - you’re the caretakers, the educators, the nurses, the listeners, the chauffeurs, the confidants. The lovers. Morherhood also comes with challenges and, sometimes crisis, but mothers always seem to rise.

Today, with the help of Girl Scout Troop #51103, we celebrate YOU and all that you are. 💞 These amazing young women used a portion of their cookie sale profits to purchase and assemble gift bags for some very deserving moms.

Can we just tell you? Surprise, front door deliveries are the absolute BEST. 🎉

Happy Mother’s Day! 🌷☀️

05/10/2025

This Mother’s Day we opted to pamper local school social workers and family liaisons. They’re a segment that often goes unrecognized for their work with the most vulnerable in our community, especially at Title 1 schools. We bounced between Fairfax and Loudoun counties delivering pink-ribboned gift bags to those with whom we work closely. “For me?!,” asked Carmen from Rolling Ridge clutching her chest, “This present is for ME?” Precisely the reason we chose to gift such hardworking people. They’re often forgotten.

Quite poetically Shelby, the social worker at Sterling Middle School, donned a t-shirt that read, “Hold on partner, I’m overstimulated.” You might add overworked, overstressed and overwhelmed if you work in the fields of social work or case management.

To the women who lovingly support children in any capacity we wish you a Happy Mother’s Day. 💞

04/01/2025

March MAGIC!

Tin Cup has been inundated with requests this month. We are able to fulfill such needs thanks to our dedicated donors. Solely. 🎉💪🏼❤️

• grocery gift cards to an Ashburn woman who fled domestic violence
• noise canceling headphones for students Hutchison Elementary School
• Kinderscare summer daycare costs for a single mom at Kenneth Culbert Elementary School
• food delivery to a family who suddenly and tragically lost their Dad earlier this month
• athletic equipment for a Dominion High School student
• flowers and a grocery gift card to a LoCo school parent liaison who lost her mother to cancer
• significant rice contribution to HRTS (Hunger Response Team of Sterling)
• alarm clock and bike lock for a Dominion Titan
• sports equipment for a Riverside High School student and diapers for her youngest sibling
• essential car tune-up and inspection for a Chantilly family. Thank you, Elmwood Auto Care!
• professional lice treatment for a child with special abilities
• diapers for teen mothers at William Robey High School
• personal styling and wardrobe essentials for a Park View High School student + a Target gift card for bras and underwear
• 18-speed bike to a set of amazing brothers who will use it get to/from work and school
• food contribution to Food for Neighbors

…and the list goes on!

03/23/2025

In honor of Women's History Month, we thought it fitting to profile a remarkable single mom who pours her heart and soul into the students at Guilford Elementary School, one of many Title I schools in Loudoun County. Daysi, Guilford's parent liaison, is the kind of teacher who extends herself far beyond the required role, often dipping into her own meager pocket to serve others. She is small statured yet fierce and dedicated.

Last month she asked if Tin Cup would contribute to Guilford's April book fair. Her idea? Allow every single student the opportunity to "buy" a new book of his/her choice. Most of us have the luxury to purchase whatever we want on a whim. Although not unlike many students around the country, most Guilford families do not have the funds for anything extra. Virtually everything is a need not a want.

We agreed to join forces with several other orgs and gift $500 toward Daysi's effort. Unbeknownst to us, Daysi left her ailing mother's bedside to meet us at Guilford knowing we were delivering a gift to benefit her "kids." That's simply how Daysi is wired. Give to others before oneself. Quite shockingly, her mother died during the hour that we were together. We visited Daysi at her humble home a couple of days later. Breath was hard to find in the midst of deep grief. An only child, Daysi shared stories of her beautiful mother, Peta, who moved to Virginia last August to be near her daughter and three grandchildren. She soon fell ill and succumbed to an aggressive cancer. As we held hands, we assured Daysi that her mother would be deeply proud of her constant selflessness.

We were honored to attend Peta's funeral where we met the most beautiful, vibrant Peruvian people. There was a scrolling photo loop of special shared moments with beloved family. Although there was a language barrier, grief and loss sound the same.

The most profound moment came when Daysi shared her mother's final wishes, thoughts and thanks scribbled on a napkin. And then a delicate paper towel discovered in between Bible pages, perhaps days of her completed chemotherapy or Peta's hopeful countdown to health. A poignant reminder that our days are fleeting. Make them count like Daysi.

The Tin Cup Fund

01/28/2026

12/02/2025

12/01/2025

10/31/2025

10/17/2025

09/17/2025

08/07/2025

07/28/2025

05/11/2025

05/10/2025

04/01/2025

03/23/2025

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