A HEARTFELT THANK YOU

As we embark on the holidays and New Year, we want to take a break  from the hustle and bustle of holiday preparation, and take the opportunity  to  thank you for your continued support. Your commitment really does make  a  difference in the lives of the families we serve each and every day.  On behalf of everyone at Shelter House, thank you for all that you do and Happy Holidays!

THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION HIGHLIGHTS

Thank you to everyone who made this year's Thanksgiving extra special for the families at our shelters. The support we received ranged from Thanksgiving Food Drives from organizations like Kiddie Academy of South Riding and hCentive, Inc., turkey meal donations from our friends at Paisano's Pizza, to individuals in the community coming together to serve food to our families. Without your support, our families would not have been able to have a Thanksgiving meal and celebration. We are grateful for all your support!

MAKE SPIRITS BRIGHT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

As you continue to cross presents off your holiday shopping list, remember those who are in need of your time and generosity, but may not be able to ask for your help. At a time when warm homes and family gatherings are common, the families experiencing homelessness at Shelter House are not as fortunate. 

This year, we are asking all of our supporters to expand beyond the gift of toys to include other useful items from our Holiday Giving Flyer such as gift cards (gas/metro/grocery store/Target), sheets, towels, flatware, glasses, pots, pans, to give to our families as they are preparing to move from shelter into permanent housing. 

Your gifts will truly make this holiday a dream come true for all of our families!

HELP US MAKE HOMELESSNESS A PRIORITY IN CONGRESS 

The  National Alliance to End Homelessness launched an advocacy campaign this fall  to ensure Congress makes ending homelessness a priority in any deal that is made, but they need our help to execute it. 

Congress has until December 8th to pass a budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, or face a government shutdown. By increasing funding to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants, 40,000 more people can be housed nationally.

How can you help? 

• Starting today - e-mail your Members of Congress. We want to get it in Congress's mind now how important federal funding is to ending homelessness.Click here to begin your e-mail.
• By December 8th - Submit a Community-wide letter to Congress. Gather the stakeholders in your community (elected officials, business leaders, religious leaders, and partners) to sign on to a community-wide letter to submit to Congress before the December 8th deadline for them to take action. If you would like to take the lead in organizing sign-on's for your community, contact Rashida at [email protected] today.

Thank  you in advance for your advocacy to make homelessness a top priority in Congress! 

29 DINER TO HOST A HOLIDAY CELEBRATION FOR OUR FAMILIES 

BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT - STACEY PIPER

Stacey Piper has been on Shelter House's Board of Directors for 4 years and brings great value to our organization. As Principal of her own business, Stacey Piper Consulting, Stacey brings a deep understanding of government clients and how to position companies who work with the public sector to increase awareness, enhance reputation in order to increase favorability. She is an accomplished, results-driven, business development and marketing professional with more than 20 years of experience. Her network is robust and she can bring in the right subcontractors to team with her to deliver any project related to marketing and business development! 

Board members bring experience, wisdom and strategic thinking - can you elaborate on yours?

My professional background and community involvement helps me bring a unique perspective to the Board. Whether it is areas of attracting, retaining, motivating volunteers, to getting business professionals from the community engaged and involved, to mentoring staff on technical areas like brand equity and marketing strategy - I strive to contribute actively to the mission and vision of the organization and its leadership. 

What interests you most about Shelter House and our mission? 

The issue that first attracted me to Shelter House was homeless families and the staggering number of children in Fairfax County public schools, who face homelessness. When I learned that there were working parents living in shelter because they could not afford housing in our community, it was a wake-up call. Since becoming involved, when I hear stories from families already in shelter and general community supporters about their own struggles with homelessness, I become even more committed to the mission of Shelter House. 

What are your dreams for the community?

I hope that the community can become more involved in what the social and health issues are around them and they are willing to give of their gifts to help. I wish for a day when a homeless mother panhandling near a shopping mall will accept counsel and guidance of Shelter House's supportive services or shelters. I pray for a day when women and children suffering abuse at home can be confident to leave the security of their village and come to a Shelter House facility and know they will be taken care of and given the tools and support they need to succeed independently. 

DONOR SPOTLIGHT - FLEXPROFESSIONALS, LLC

Recently, FlexProfessionals, LLC, held their Second Annual Back-to-Work Charity Drive. Through their collaborative efforts in the community, FlexProfessionals collected over 2,000 articles of clothing! The Team organized  donated suits, jackets, skirts, dresses, blouses, pants and accessories at Women Giving Back that will give confidence to women at Shelter House as they pursue new work opportunities toward an independent life.  

What does FlexProfessionals want its gifts to accomplish and why is that important to your organization?

We hope that our donations of professional clothing to Shelter House help give women in need the confidence to go into a job interview and feel good about themselves. Confidence walking into an interview is essential and can literally affect if the person is hired or not. We hope that these donated clothes will help women feel good about themselves and remind them that they have a lot to offer to prospective employers.