Holy Comfort
Making a Difference
Holy Comforter Outreach Opportunities
Winter 2014
"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." (Isaiah 6:8)

"Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone."
 (Charles Schulz)
 
In this Advent season of waiting, our parish has many opportunities to be the hands of Christ to a world in desperate need of His good news. Please read on for information on how to become involved in these ministries during Advent and beyond.  Note in particular that we'll be holding our annual Hypothermia Prevention Shelter in in early January, shortly after our joyful celebration of Christmas.  We will need many volunteers and prayers for this project!  Please read on, and don't hesitate to get in touch with us with ideas or questions. 
News and Opportunities
ECW Giving Table

Donations due December 7!

This Advent the ECW is again operating its annual Christmas projects program, the Giving Table.  This important outreach ministry offers CHC parishioners opportunities to share some of our blessings by donating to others in need.  A number of carefully vetted local charities will be the recipients of our donations. They are: Committee for Helping Others (CHO), The Lamb Center, Polaris Project, the Salvation Army, and Alternative House.

 

Most donations are due by this Sunday, December 7, so please don't forget to fill that Salvation Army stocking you picked up, or bring in your donations! And, don't forget to involve the kids - its' a great way to reinforce the concept of sharing. Many thanks to the ECW for making these opportunities available to our parish.

 

The 8th Annual Alternative Gift Fair

Saturday, December 6, 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 7 from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

It's time to shop and do some good as well at the Alternative Giving Fair!  At this popular annual event, we will offer products from Fair Trade Winds in Fairfax, including jewelry, games and toys, scarves, household goods, Christmas ornaments, and other unique handmade gifts by artisans from around the world.  Fair Trade Winds sells only fair trade items, which means the artisans receive a fair portion of the sales price, and their work promotes a strong local economy.  You will also have the option of buying gifts in the name of your loved one by donating to Episcopal Relief & Development or International Justice MissionGet all your Christmas shopping done in one weekend, without going to the mall, and know that you will make life better for someone who could use a hand up.  If you have any questions or would like to help out at this event, please contact Kathy Brown

 

Special Offering for Outreach Ministries at all Christmas Services  Poinsettia

Much of the funding for our parish's outreach work, including donations to local and international organizations such as FACETS, Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington, Five Talents, and others, comes from special offerings collected at services on holy days and major feast days.  If you would like to contribute to our shared work by making a donation to our Outreach ministries during our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day liturgies - or if you have family, neighbors, or friends who will be worshiping with us this Christmas and would like to help - we would be most grateful!  To contribute, please place your donation in a green envelope and put it in the collection plate at any of the Christmas Eve or Christmas Day services.  You can also simply make a note on your check that the funds should go to "Outreach." Thank you in advance, and please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions!

 

Next Outreach Team meeting on December 17

If you'd like to join the Outreach team or just sit in on a meeting to see what we're all about, you are most welcome!  Our next meeting is on Wednesday, December 17, at 7 pm in the Lillian Croy room.  Please join us for some holiday cheer and information on our plans for 2015!  For more information, contact Susan McGuire.

Focus on the Hypothermia Prevention Shelter

January 4 - 11, 2015

 Holy Comforter is busy gearing up to host our third annual one-week Hypothermia Prevention Shelter on January 4 - 11, 2015.  We operate our shelter in partnership with FACETS, which works with faith communities throughout the area to provide a safe haven from the bitter winter weather for individuals living on the streets, in cars, and abandoned buildings.  Last year, FACETS and its faith partners offered nutritious meals and safe places to sleep to 244 guests.  Approximately half of those guests participated in case management services, leading to ten individuals moving off the streets and into housing.  The FACETS program is one of five operated in Fairfax and Falls Church in partnership with the Fairfax County government.

 

The CHC hypothermia shelter will take place right after the New Year, during the season of Epiphany, when we will be providing warmth and hospitality to 22 overnight unsheltered guests.  We are working closely with a FACETS facilitator who will be on-site with us during this week of ministry, but we'll need many CHC volunteers to support our efforts.  Aside from providing warm smiles, helping hands, and listening ears, volunteers will be needed to greet our guests, serve meals, and help keep the shelter operating smoothly.  We also need volunteers to provide off-site prepared meals for dinner, breakfast, and bagged lunches.  We are always in particular need of folks to spend the night along with the FACETS facilitator. 

 

Families with children, groups of friends, and ministry groups are welcome to sign up and volunteer together.  And please note that you are welcome to sign up for more than one slot!  Lots of wonderful experiences occur during this week, so please take a look through the volunteer signup sheets that will be available in the Narthex throughout the month of December.  We'll also be preparing an on-line signup that will be available within the next few days, or you can e-mail Philene Ware Dunn with any questions or to volunteer.  Thank you in advance for your support!           

 

November Outreach Report      

Habitat for Humanity Build Day a great success!

On November 15, a group of eleven Holy Comforter volunteers participated in a local Habitat for Humanity Build Day.  The group helped renovate a townhouse in Annandale for a local family.  The volunteers had a great time -  learning how to hang drywall, helping a family in need and experiencing wonderful fellowship with other Holy Comforter

volunteers!  We are tentatively planning to participate in another HFH build day in the spring.  If you are interested in participating in the future (no special construction skills necessary!) please contact Kathy Brown.  

 

Our Daily Bread  Our Daily Bread

November 9 deliveries to ODB families 

Many thanks to all of the dedicated volunteers who helped us with our parish's Our Daily Bread client deliveries on Sunday, November 9.  We delivered groceries and gift cards to 26 families and gift cards to two additional families.  We are very grateful for your generous help with this undertaking!  We were blessed to have folks volunteer to make deliveries on Sunday after we made our last-minute plea for additional drivers, and for the many volunteers who delivered to more than one family.  Several other volunteers did additional shopping for grocery items we needed over the weekend, and we were amazed by our ever-efficient team of packers who spent part of a beautiful Saturday packing groceries in the undercroft.  To each and every volunteer who made it possible for us to deliver over 1,500 pounds of groceries to families in need - you are the best!  And if you stop by Great Harvest Bread  of Vienna over the next few weeks, tell them thanks as well - they donate fresh bread for our deliveries. 

 

Our next deliveries will be here before we know it - on March 8, 2015.  We'll be collecting donations at our Narthex display.  Particularly welcome are paper grocery bags needed for our deliveries, donations of cleaning supplies and toiletries (which are not covered by food stamps), and monetary donations so that ODB clients can purchase fresh foods.  If you would like to participate in our March deliveries or would like further information about our ministry, please contact Susan McGuire or Chris Ostendorff. 

A small gesture, a tremendous gift.

We couldn't end without sharing this story of one parish family's contribution to our outreach work. 

Coins, coins, coins!  Do you have a jar or box of coins that you talk about using on a rainy day?  A member of our church family, Claudyne Brown, had two shoe box-sized containers filled with coins and decided it was time to donate the loose change collected over the years.  She thought our parish's Our Daily Bread ministry, and called Peggy Miller to see how she could help.  Peggy got in touch with us pronto!  We asked Claudyne if she could get the boxes to church, and we would take care of exchanging the coins and purchasing the grocery gift cards for ODB.  We retrieved the boxes of coins from the church and took them to a coin machine.  Claudyne and Bruce had collected and donated $220.00!  Their generous spirit touched us and proved to be a significant contribution towards 28 gift cards we donated to Our Daily Bread families in November.  We are blessed!
 
Each of us has unique gifts to share with a world in need.  Here is hoping that you find a way to share your gifts and make your light shine during these holy days!  God bless you and your loved ones at this special time of year.

Church of the Holy Comforter, 543 Beulah Road, NE Vienna, VA 22180-3510
Phone: (703) 938-6521 Fax: (703) 281-1360
Web: www.holycomforter.com

 

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