Sunday, October 12, from 10 - 10:50 on the beautiful CHC campus

Join us for our fourth annual Help the Homeless Mini-Walk on Sunday, October 12!  This is a multi-generational event that all adults, youth, and children are encouraged to attend.  All proceeds will be donated to Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington (SMGW), a local organization run by a partnership of Episcopal and other churches in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC.  SMGW provides services to help our area's homeless with housing and employment search guidance, coaching, referrals to partner service providers, and other assistance to assist the homeless and others in need. 

 

All Sunday School classes will be participating.  Registration is encouraged but not required.  Walkers will travel through several activity stations, including answering trivia on homelessness, meeting a SMGW representative, building a shelter, and participating in a food pantry relay race.  Activities will be modified for adults and our youngest children.

 

We will also be privileged to welcome the Rev. David Wolf, Executive Director of SMGW, who will be participating in our program that day and in Sunday services.  Registration details for the mini-walk can be found at the Children & Student Ministries table in the Narthex or by contacting Children's Ministries Director Lisa Arthur.

 

Reach Out International Fund Raising Dinner

Friday, November 21, at 5:30 pm, Vienna Presbyterian Church

Fr. Rick Lord and parishioner Sam Mall cordially invite you to the Annual Fund Raising Dinner of Reach Out International, an interfaith ministry devoted to improving the lives of Pakistani citizens and those who are being persecuted for their Christian faith.  Sam is the Executive Director of this charitable ministry and will share some of the issues that face the Church in Pakistan.  Download a flyer about the event here. Please R.S.V.P. to Sue Hamblen at VPC, or call 703-938-9050.

 

Our Daily Bread

Get ready for deliveries on Sunday, November 9!

Did you know that over the past year Holy Comforter parishioners delivered over 3,000 pounds of groceries to the needy in our area last year through the Our Daily Bread (ODB) ministry?  Our contributions included non-perishable foods, fresh produce and bread, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and grocery gift cards.  Our next deliveries to 30 ODB client families will take place on Sunday, November 9. We have a lot of work to do before then, and all are welcome and invited to participate! We have jobs for everyone, from children and families to teens needing service hours to adults of all ages.  All are invited to help us prepare for the deliveries and to experience the blessing of direct service to our neighbors in need.

 

Getting to Know the FACETS Hot Meals Program Ministry

 Stop by the McGill Hall kitchen on the second Sunday of every month, and you'll see a busy team of folks preparing a healthy and rib-sticking meal of chili, baked potatoes, and sides for local homeless in our area.  Our church has been participating in the FACETS Hot Meals for 25 years.  Volunteers working through faith communities such as Holy Comforter prepare and serve meals every evening of the year, to about 37,000 homeless families and individuals who live outdoors or temporarily in two motels along Lee Highway in Fairfax.  More than 1,000 volunteers participate from 35 faith partners.  The coordinator for the CHC program is Ben Gregg, who has been leading our efforts since the beginning of our program, on Mother's Day 1989.

   

Our second-Sunday meal preparation team meets from 4 - 6 pm in the kitchen, and will meet next on Sunday, October 12.  If you'd like to join the team or get more information about our program, contact Ben.  More information about the FACETS Hot Meals program can be found here.

 

       

 

More from the Outreach Team

Peace & Justice and Outreach teams combining forces

The Peace & Justice and Outreach Teams will work together as one stronger group this year!  Together we will help coordinate our parish's efforts to serve our brothers and sisters in need, and support local, national, and global efforts to fulfill our baptismal covenant to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being."  Look for more information on opportunities and events in our parish's bulletin and e-news, and at the Outreach display in the Narthex. 

 

Our team meets once a month at the church, and we welcome all to join us.  If you would like more information, please contact Susan McGuire or stop by our table at the Parish Ministry Fair.  We look forward to talking to you!

 CHC Community Outreach Grants

Applications due November 3

We will shortly begin evaluating and making decisions on the allocation of funds designated by the Vestry to assist the poor, sick, oppressed, and others in need.  As part of this process, the Outreach Team is accepting applications for grant funding from local and other non-profit organizations that serve those in need.  We are particularly interested in assisting organizations with which members of our congregation work or volunteer. 

 

If you know of an organization that would benefit from our parish's assistance, please feel free to share with them a copy of our short 2014 grant application.  Completed applications are due by November 3.  For further information, please contact Susan McGuire.