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November 2015 News   

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Next Meeting
The next Board meeting will be 
December 1
Warner Baptist Church
3613 Lacy BlvdFalls Church, VA
22041

(703) 820-6633
  

Refreshments and fellowship 
7:30 p.m.
Meeting
7:45 p.m. 
Open to all visitors.   
  


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 Our Benefactors Include:  
Contact Information 
Mailing Address
7200 Columbia Pike
Annandale, VA 22003

 
Information
 
703-256-0100

 
Emergency
Assistance

(Fairfax County)
703-222-0880

 
Donations
(except furniture)
703-256-0100

 
Furniture Donations 
703-256-9513


Email
accacares@verizon.net

ACCA Website www.accacares.org

About ACCA
ACCA is a church-related voluntary organization providing day care,  financial assistance, food, furniture, and other support to needy families in the Annandale/Bailey's Crossroads area, regardless of religion, race or ethnicity. Except for the child development center, all ACCA services are provided by volunteers. To learn more about ACCA, visit our website at www.accacares.org.  

ACCA Members
Annandale United Methodist

Braddock Baptist

Calvary Church of the Nazarene

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Annandale Ward
and
Little River Ward

Cornerstone Evangelical Free

Culmore United Methodist

First Presbyterian

Friendship United Methodist

Holy Spirit Catholic

Hope Lutheran

John Calvin Presbyterian

Lincolnia United Methodist 

Mt. Pleasant Baptist

Peace Lutheran

Providence Presbyterian

Queen of the Apostles Catholic

Ravenworth Baptist

Sleepy Hollow United Methodist

St. Alban's Episcopal

St. Anthony Catholic

St. Barnabas Episcopal

St. Michael's Catholic

St. Paul's Episcopal

United Baptist

Warner Baptist    

Scouts Deliver to ACCA Pantry
Scouts group shot 
Members of Troop 150 surround two pickup trucks full of food donations to deliver to the ACCA Food Pantry. See more photos online.  
 
Thanks to the generosity of Annandale-area residents,  several local Boy Scout troops held a very successful food drive for the ACCA Food Pantry this month. More than 65 Scouts from Troop 150 based at Annandale United Methodist and their parents participated in the campaign. They distributed empty bags to 3,250 area households and returned a week later to pick up donations. Also participating were Troop 1789, based at Knox Presbyterian, and Troop 1147, based at the Annandale Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

The Scouts collected and delivered the food to the Pantry where volunteers, including Annandale High School students, helped sort and shelve it. Thanks to all who organized and participated in Scouting for Food.
Challenge Campaign Launches  
ACCA is seeking to raise $120,000 between now and January 31st during our annual Challenge Campaign. This represents $3 for every dollar of the $40,000 base, which was pledged by the Washington Forrest Foundation and several anonymous donors.

Please consider a monetary gift this year. ACCA relies heavily on individual donations to support its ministries, including emergency food, financial help, furniture and high quality child care to local families in need. Please mail your check to ACCA, 7200 Columbia Pike, Annandale, Virginia 22003 noting "Challenge" in the memo line.

ACCA also partners with the Catalogue for Philanthropy to receive online donations and with PayPal. Both allow you to make a one-time or regular monthly contributions. Thank you for helping us achieve our goal this year!
New Video About ACCA  
 
A new 5-minute video showcases ACCA's many ministries and its impact on our community. We are extremely grateful to all who participated in creating the video. You had an important role in telling the ACCA story. Most significantly, we could not have done it without the assistance of Nestor Bravo of Carpe Media Creations, LLC. Thank you, Nestor. Enjoy the show, everyone.
Holiday Baskets
Food basket Give a local family a holiday they will never forget by adopting them for Christmas. Donors provide food for a holiday meals and gifts for the children. Download a flyer for details or contact Mary Lee Di Spirito, ddmld@verizon.net. At this time, we are no longer seeking help for Thanksgiving baskets.  
Winter Clothing Drive     
coat ACCA is collecting winter jackets, hooded sweatshirts, heavy sweaters, wool and baseball hats, and gloves during the week of December 6 - 13. The clothing donations will be distributed to day labors, residents of the Bailey's Community Shelter and to children at the ACCA Child Development Center.
 
Church representatives can contact Don and Mary Lee Di Spirito, ddmld@verizon.net, to schedule a pickup. In addition, an ACCA truck will be located in the church parking lot at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 3305 Glen Carlyn Road, Falls Church, on Saturday, December 12 from 2 - 4 p.m. to receive donated clothing.
Update on ACCA Ministries
Here's a snapshot of how ACCA served our community in October:
  • Family Emergency provided $21,550 in assistance, including rental assistance to 26 households, utilities for four households, and assistance with medical issues to two households. Among those served was a single mother who had surgery and could not afford the rent due to lost wages. In another case, a woman with four small children could not afford the rent because of lost child support when the father was incarcerated.
  • The Pantry made 58 deliveries of food and hygiene items, assisting 168 people.
  • The Furniture program made 30 pickups and delivered furniture to 30 households. Among those served were a single mother and child moving into a small basement apartment and a single mother who was moving from a shelter to a subsidized apartment. We also served two veterans, one of whom was disabled.
  • Transportation served six clients with rides to medical appointments
  • Meals on Wheels served 23 clients with two meals per day.
Thank you to all the ACCA volunteers who made these services possible. 
Giving Tuesday Logo

Many people are aware of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but do you know about #GivingTuesday? #Giving Tuesday is a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 1, ACCA will join other nonprofits in our local area to encourage donors to "Give Where You Live." Donations made on Giving Tuesday will count toward our Challenge Campaign Goal. See our giving page on the Catalogue for Philanthropy website. 
annual report cover
Download our new report
Annual Report Online   
Maybe you know ACCA through the Child Development Center or the Food Pantry. Maybe you help with the Furniture Ministry or Meals on Wheels. ACCA is all of this and more. Learn about all that ACCA does by downloading our colorful new report, available on the ACCA website. Thanks to Scott Bach-Hansen and Sharp USA for donating the printing of the annual report for distribution at the ACCA Pastors and Partners Luncheon last month.
Hypothermia Season and You
December 1 is the start of hypothermia season, a time of year when people who lack permanent shelter are at increased risk. Through a coordinated effort, homeless individuals in our area can receive dinner at the Bailey's Crossroads Community Shelter,  transportation to an off-site location for the night, and a bagged meal for the next day. Various local churches provide the overnight space.
 
How you can help:
  • Groups are needed to prepare a meal to serve 50 - 60 persons. The meal can be dropped off at the Shelter by 4:30 p.m. ready to serve, or your group can stay and serve the meal and meet some of the guests.
  • Prepare bagged meals to be distributed to the guests as they leave the overnight sites.
  • Provide personal care kits of soap, washcloth, tooth brush, tooth paste, comb and a razor for the men.
  •  Clothing such as socks, underwear, gloves, hats and coats are always welcome
Please contact Mary Lee Di Spirito, ACCA's liaison with the Bailey's Shelter, if you have questions or need suggestions for meal items that do not require food preparation or making sandwiches. Call (703) 256-9513 or email ddmld@verizon.net
Thanksgiving Service
There will not be an ecumenical Thanksgiving Service  benefiting ACCA this year, as in the past. Please enjoy the holiday and consider other opportunities for supporting ACCA this year. 
Amazon Smile for the Holidays
If you plan to shop online at Amazon for the holidays, please consider bookmarking ACCA's Amazon Smile page.
You will enjoy the convenience of shopping at Amazon, including free shipping for Prime members, and the Amazon Foundation will donate 0.5 percent of your total purchase to ACCA. There is no cost to you, and your information is not shared with ACCA. Bookmark Amazon Smile today.