Background & Qualifications:
Helen Zurita is a longtime Manassas community advocate whose work has focused heavily on helping families who are struggling with housing, hunger, and access to community resources.
Her community involvement became especially visible through her advocacy for residents of the East End Mobile Home Park. When the park faced closure, Helen worked alongside residents and community partners during the effort that ultimately preserved the 58-home community. She organized residents, advocated before local leaders, and helped connect families with organizations working to preserve the property.
When COVID-19 arrived in 2020, Helen began helping distribute food to families experiencing food insecurity. What began as an emergency response grew into a continuing community food-pantry operation. Helen began as the community liaison managing the food pantry at CFH, helping thousands of people.
Her work has expanded beyond food assistance. Helen helps residents with housing resources, clothing, school supplies, toy drives, emergency assistance, and navigating community and government services. In 2022, she received the Powerful Partner Award from the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth.
Today, Helen continues this work professionally as a Community Liaison with Creating Foundations for Hope. She continues to work at East End, including food and school-supply assistance, community events, resident communication, and property improvements.
For 15 years, Helen has called the City of Manassas home, where she lives with her husband of 25 years and their three adopted dogs. Outside of her professional work, much of Helen’s time has been spent in the community helping families connect with food, housing, clothing, and other resources.
Priorities & Values:
Working Families & Affordability: Helen has publicly emphasized putting working families and neighborhoods first. Her community work has centered on practical issues including food insecurity, housing stability, utility assistance, and connecting families with resources when they are struggling.
Responsible Growth & Neighborhoods: Helen has said Manassas should accommodate growth while protecting the character of existing neighborhoods and ensuring residents have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their communities.
Responsive & Accessible Local Government: A recurring theme of Helen’s public work has been helping residents navigate institutions when they do not know where to turn. Her stated approach to local government emphasizes listening to residents, improving communication, and strengthening trust between residents and City Hall.
Regional Coordination & Practical Government: Helen has publicly advocated for better coordination between Manassas and surrounding jurisdictions on issues such as school calendars, government holidays, and scheduling decisions that affect working parents, employers, childcare providers, and businesses operating across jurisdictional lines.
Why Vote for Helen Zurita:
Community Experience: Helen brings nearly a decade of community-advocacy experience in Manassas, beginning prominently with her work alongside East End residents and continuing through food assistance, housing advocacy, resource coordination, and other direct services to families.
Service-Oriented Approach: A common thread throughout Helen’s work has been hands-on involvement, directly connecting residents experiencing difficult circumstances with resources and organizations capable of helping them address immediate problems.
Community Partnerships: Helen’s work has involved collaboration with nonprofits, businesses, faith communities, volunteers, local government, and other community organizations.
Resident Engagement: Helen maintains that listening to residents and ensuring people feel heard is central to her approach to community service and local government.
.
