When a night already packed with milestones — a doubled fundraising goal and a state senator’s formal tribute — still finds its most memorable moment in the voices of a dozen young girls, you know something special happened. That was the scene at BetterALife’s 10th anniversary gala, where a newly formed children’s choir emerged as the evening’s breakout star.
BetterALife founder and CEO Elizabeth Ford embraces members of the Voices of Hope children’s choir after their emotional performance, which left few dry eyes in the room, at the nonprofit’s 10th anniversary gala on September 26, 2026 in Reston, Virginia.
Matt Berthot, founder of Voice By Matt, and his partner, leadership coach and author Angela Goodman, at BetterALife’s 10th anniversary gala.
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Nonprofit doubles its fundraising goal, raising over $100,000, as state senator honors a decade of community impact
RESTON, VA, UNITED STATES, October 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Matt Berthot, a voice coach, speaker, and the founder of Voice By Matt, left an indelible mark on one of Northern Virginia’s most talked-about nonprofit galas this year. He debuted his new children’s choir, Voices of Hope, at BetterALife’s 10th anniversary celebration on September 26, 2026, held at the AC Hotel Marriott in Reston Town Center.
The evening was a triumph for BetterALife, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to ending childhood hunger while fostering confidence through education and mentorship across Northern Virginia. The gala shattered its $50,000 target, pulling in more than $100,000 for local children. Adding to the night’s significance, Virginia State Senator Russet Perry (31st District) presented Senate Joint Resolution 200, a formal recognition of BetterALife’s decade-long commitment to the community.
Yet amid these impressive achievements, it was Berthot’s choir that truly captivated the audience. Voices of Hope, composed of local girls aged 10 to 11 — spanning third grade through middle school — who participate in BetterALife’s after-school programs, delivered what many called the performance of the night. BetterALife Founder and CEO Elizabeth Ford, who launched the organization with a modest $75 check to settle a child’s school lunch debt, described the young performers as having “stole the show with their little smiles and beautiful voices.”
Berthot, whose career began shaping young voices in Kansas before he established Voice By Matt, volunteered to create the choir a year earlier at BetterALife’s previous anniversary celebration. The girls briefly toyed with the name “Elizabeth’s Minions” before ultimately choosing Voices of Hope, a tribute to the organization’s core mission. The choir now rehearses weekly and has a slate of winter performances lined up at nursing homes, local businesses, and community gatherings in both Purcellville and Reston.
For those looking to support BetterALife’s mission of ending childhood hunger or to help Voices of Hope continue to grow, donations can be made directly at betteralife.org/donate.
“Working with these girls has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done,” said Berthot. “Watching them find their voice, literally and figuratively, and give that gift back to a community that’s given so much to them, that’s exactly why I do this work.”
This initiative mirrors the philosophy at the heart of Berthot’s coaching practice: helping people “find, keep, share, and connect their voice, so their soul can come out and say hello.” Through Voice By Matt, he works with business professionals, speakers, and students, applying three core pillars — Craft, Artistry, and Performance Magic — to cultivate confidence, clarity, communication, presence, and courage. Berthot holds certification as an Estill Figure Eight Protocol (EFP) practitioner and is currently an Estill Master Trainer (EMT) candidate.
To book Matt Berthot for voice lessons, media interviews, or speaking and emcee engagements, contact his publicist, Jasmine Bloemhof of Bloom Into The Spotlight™, at jasminebloemhof@outlook.com.
About Voice By Matt
Voice By Matt, founded by Matt Berthot, empowers business professionals, speakers, and students to sharpen their vocal abilities and public speaking skills through coaching programs, workshops, and MC/speaking services for corporate events and conferences. Berthot’s mission is to help clients find, keep, share, and connect their voice, bringing the same principles he teaches in the boardroom to community initiatives like Voices of Hope.
About BetterALife
BetterALife is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving Northern Virginia with the mission of ending childhood hunger while building confidence through education and mentorship. In FY2025 alone, the organization served more than 10,000 households, distributed 75,000 pounds of food, and provided 8,000 weekend food bags to local children in need. Founded by Elizabeth Ford, BetterALife operates distribution sites in Purcellville and Reston Va, with program support from partners including Wegmans, Bank of Clarke, and Koniag-GS.
Jasmine Bloemhof
Bloom Into The Spotlight
+1 310-722-5861
Why it matters: This story underscores how grassroots arts initiatives can amplify a nonprofit’s impact far beyond its core services. By pairing hunger relief with confidence-building programs like Voices of Hope, BetterALife demonstrates a holistic approach to community support that other organizations might look to emulate — and the overwhelming fundraising response shows donors are paying attention.
