April 29, 2026
What if you couldn’t tell a doctor what hurts… or understand a note from your child’s teacher? In this powerful episode of the We’re Good Podcast, host Lee Ann Necessary Brownlee learns about the largely unknown phenomenon and struggle of linguistic isolation—a reality facing thousands of immigrants across Northern Virginia. Through deeply human stories shared by the Executive Director of the English Empowerment Center, Roopal Mehta Saran and Volunteer Teacher, Kathleen McCleary– this episode reveals what’s truly at stake when language becomes a barrier—not just to communication, but to safety, purpose, and belonging.
April 15, 2026
In this inspiring on-location episode of the We’re Good Podcast, host Lee Ann Necessary Brownlee visits Earth Sangha in Springfield, Virginia to explore why native plants, habitat restoration, and invasive species removal matter so deeply in Northern Virginia. Executive Director Maddie Bright, longtime volunteer and Master Naturalist Caroline Haynes, and student conservation leader Brooke Ehmann-Jones share how Earth Sangha is helping restore local ecosystems while building a powerful, multigenerational community around environmental stewardship.
March 4, 2026
In this moving, deeply human episode of the We’re Good Podcast, presented in partnership with the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, we step inside a conversation that many families are living—but too few are talking about. Recorded on location in Fairfax, Virginia, this episode centers on Formed Families Forward, a nonprofit born out of love, struggle, and an unshakable belief that no family should have to navigate foster care, adoption, or kinship caregiving alone.
February 4, 2026
In this uplifting episode of the We’re Good Podcast, host Lee Ann Necessary Brownlee spotlights Community Foundation for Northern Virginia 2025 grantee, the Shepherd Center of Fairfax-Burke, a vital community organization helping older adults remain independent, connected, and safe. Joined by Shepherd’s Center Executive Director Beth Kilgore-Robinson and longtime volunteer and Board of Directors Vice-Chair Barry Wickersham, this heartfelt and fun conversation explores independence, purpose, human connection, and the quiet power of community-driven care—the kind of good that often goes unseen, but changes lives every day.
January 7, 2026
In this uplifting episode of the We’re Good Podcast, host Lee Ann Necessary Brownlee spotlights a Community Foundation for Northern Virginia 2025 grantee, Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia — “much more than running” program blends movement with powerful life lessons for 3rd–8th grade girls. Jaimi Taylor and Sammy Carr reveal how the intentionally designed, evidence-based curriculum builds a “Go-To Toolbox” of social-emotional skills—star power, happy pace, breathe-and-reset—that girls carry far beyond the track. With research showing girls’ self-belief dips sharply around age nine, GOTR meets them right then, wrapping goal-setting, empathy, and voice-finding into games, journaling, and team rituals that make character feel fun—and stick.
August 13, 2025
In a powerful new collaboration, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia (CFNOVA) and the We’re Good Podcast have joined forces to amplify the voices of changemakers across the region. This partnership is more than a media initiative—it’s a celebration of the everyday brilliance of individuals and organizations working to build a more inclusive, compassionate, and resilient Northern Virginia.
June 18, 2025
In a powerful episode of the We’re Good podcast, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia (CFNOVA) takes center stage as a philanthropic changemaker driving meaningful impacts across the region. Host Lee Ann Necessary Brownlee sits down with CFNOVA President & CEO, Renée Byng Yancey and fund partner, Benton Fisher to explore how the Foundation responds to both urgent crises and long-term community needs.
June 9, 2025
The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia and our incredible community of supporters, nonprofit grantees, and students came together at the 2025 Community Impact Celebration on Thursday, June 5, to recognize a major milestone—over $1 million in grants and scholarships awarded this cycle to local nonprofits and students. 
