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| Next Meeting |
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The next ACCA board meeting will be September 6 at
6477 Lincolnia Road,
Alexandria, VA 22312
Refreshments and fellowship
7:30 p.m.
Meeting
7:45 p.m.
Open to all visitors.
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If you are not on our mailing list and want to continue receiving updates from ACCA, please
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| 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
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About ACCA
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Get our 2015 annual report.
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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.
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Ruffing Scholars Introduced
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Donald Thorson congratulates Katherine Laura Cespedes Escalera, the 2016 Ruffing Scholarship winner. Mrs. Emily Ruffing is in the foreground.
Click here to see additional photos of the Ruffing Scholars.
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Six exceptional young adults, each a recipient of a Fred and Emily Ruffing Scholarship from ACCA, were presented at the July ACCA meeting at Queen of Apostles Church. The students spoke about their academic goals and how the ACCA scholarship has made a difference in their lives.
Katherine Laura Cespedes Escalera, a 2016 graduate of Falls Church High School, received her first Ruffing Scholarship. Continuing recipients include Esraa Mahran, Darling Lievano-Perez and Raymond Phung. All four will be attending George Mason University this fall.
Also present were Genesis Andia and Cassandra Dahlke, both recent college graduates and previous Ruffing Scholarship recipients. Each received a small stipend for her continued studies. These stipends were made possible by generous memorial donations in honor of George Davis, an ACCA founder who recently passed away. We know he would be proud of these young scholars.
The Emily and Fred Ruffing Scholarship program was established by ACCA in 1979 in honor of Fred and Emily Ruffing, who were leaders of group that founded ACCA. The scholarship is renewable for four years and is awarded to a gradating high school student who has overcome disabilities to succeed in school and life.
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ACCA Honors Teen Volunteer
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| Mary Lee Di Spirito with Julia Quizon, recipient of the 2016 ACCA Making a Difference Award. |
Julia Kezia Diokno Quizon is the recipient of ACCA's 2016 Annandale High School Volunteer Making a Difference Award. Julia was honored at the Annandale High School Awards Night in June, when she received a plaque, a stipend, and had her name added to a plaque on permanent display at the school. ACCA presents the award annually to a graduating senior who has made significant contributions to our community by volunteering. Ms. Jina Kim of Evergreen Title Company in Annandale underwrites the award.
As a sophomore, Julia began tutoring younger students with the Growth and Inspiration through Volunteering and Education (GIVE) Tutoring Program. Designed and managed by high school students, GIVE provides extra academic help to elementary and middle school students. She fell in love with the program and trained to become a Center Manager at the GIVE center located at the Lincolnia Community Center. For two hours on most Saturdays during the school year, Julia managed a group of about twenty high school students and forty younger students.
A member of the ACCA member LDS Church, Julia has also volunteered at the ACCA Food Pantry by helping to shelve donations collected by the Boy Scouts and with the ACCA Furniture Ministry.
Julia plans to attend Brigham Young University this fall to study English literature and Spanish, with the goal of becoming a bi-lingual book editor. We wish her well in her studies and continued volunteer service.
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Update on ACCA Ministries
The ACCA Furniture Program made deliveries to 24 households and completed 31 pickups in June. Among those served were a disabled veteran and a family of four who had been living in one room before moving into a subsidized apartment that was transformed with furniture delivered by ACCA.
The George Washington University made a donation of two truckloads of furniture, including 32 mattresses, 43 chairs, 13 dressers and 8 assorted tables. A crew of retirees who volunteer during the week picked up these items. We also received a large donation from the KEYS for the Homeless Foundation, which included 200 stackable upholstered dining chairs.
The Furniture Ministry will hold its annual meeting and provide the duty schedule for the 2016-2017 year on August 27, 10 a.m. - noon, at Annandale United Methodist Church, Room 210. Anyone who wants to learn more about the furniture ministry is invited to attend.
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Because spending by
Family Emergency Assistance was down this year thanks to improvements in the economy, we were able to serve out-of-area clients in the last months of the fiscal year.
This was particularly helpful to community-based organizations in other areas who were out of funds as their fiscal year ended. These same organizations have been serving ACCA clients throughout the recession when demand in our area was extremely high.
Requests for assistance have dropped since the end of the recession, allowing us to better serve those experiencing short term financial difficulty. ACCA is collaborating closely with Fairfax County to streamline the request process and shorten the wait time until the request is approved. This will be a winning situation for all involved in the screening and request process.
Looking over the needs of those who were served in June, one notices that an accident, illness, or pregnancy complications, plus the need to care for family members with disabilities or a job loss, often result in families falling behind on the rent or utilities. Your generosity helps resolve the debt, allowing them a fresh start. Thank you for your support.
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The Food Pantry volunteers made 69 regular deliveries assisting 177 individuals, plus 30 deliveries to Bailey's Elementary School, which helped 126 individuals. Volunteers also completed the annual inventory. Thank to our volunteers for all your hard work!
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ACCA Child Development Center
Congratulations to Donita McCreary and Gail Coleman who have been approved to serve on the ACCA Child Development Center Board. They replace board members Nancy Hall and Cathlene Williams, who completed their terms. John Shortfall was selected to serve as Board Chair in FY 2017, replacing Chuck Woods, who remains on the CDC Board.
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Meals on Wheels Coordinator Needed
Please spread the word via your parish newsletters or weekly bulletins, as well as to friends and family, that ACCA is searching for a new coordinator for the Annandale Meals on Wheels program. The coordinator serves as a liaison between Meals on Wheels of Eastern Fairfax, the caterer, and clients. Volunteers from ACCA member churches deliver the meals. We estimate you will spend about 5-6 hours per week and need access to a computer and telephone. Meals on Wheels serves people who are elderly, disabled, or convalescing and unable to shop and cook for themselves. It is a wonderful way to serve these "unseen" neighbors. Please contact Mary Lee Di Spirito at (703) 256-9513, or
ddmld@verizon.net
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Drivers Needed for Medical Appts.
The ACCA/Shepherd's Center Transportation program needs additional drivers to take non-drivers to their weekday medical appointments. You can set your own schedule and drive as often as you want and only on the days you are available. Many of us take driving for granted, but for those who cannot drive due to age or infirmity, assistance in getting to their medical appointments is greatly appreciated. To learn more or to sign up, please call the Shepherd's Center of Annandale/Springfield at (703) 941-1419 or email
shepherdscas@coxmail.com
or contact Gail Coleman, ACCA Transportation chair, at
703-354-0656
,
gv.coleman@verizon.net
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CROP Walk 2016 Now Organizing
 Now, while temperatures are unseasonably warm, is the time to think ahead to ACCA's annual CROP Hunger Walk on
October 15. The day is typically cool, and walkers often wear light jackets as they complete the 10K circuit around Lake Accotink, enjoying the fall colors.
The walk raises funds for Church World Service, a portion of which are returned to ACCA. There is also a poster contest for children to raise awareness about hunger. A recruiter is needed from each participating church to publicize the walk, coordinate with walkers and turn in cash and checks collected. A recruiters' meeting is scheduled for
Saturday, August 27, 11:30 a.m., at St. Barnabas' Episcopal Church, 4801 Ravensworth Road Annandale. Walk materials will also be available from Camille Mittelholtz,
kcmittelholtz@gmail.com.
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Upcoming Events
August 11 - The Shepherd's Center of Annandale/Springfield is sponsoring a Lunch-n-Life on "Wind Power for Mid-Atlantic States," with speaker Dan Ancona. The cost is $10 at the door, which includes food, fellowship, lecture, and a chance to win a door prize. From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Greenspring Retirement Community, Accotink Room, 7470 Spring Village Drive, Springfield, VA. Participants are encouraged to bring non-perishable food donations for the ACCA Pantry. Call (703) 941-1419 for reservations.
For further information about activities at the Shepherd's Center, see their newsletter.
August 27 - Local sponsors will hold a
family friendly triathlon to benefit disadvantaged youth, including the ACCA Child Development Center and the Kisima Child Care Academy and Orphanage in Naitiri, Kenya.
Friends of Kisima began as a project of John Calvin Presbyterian, which is inviting other congregations to get involved. Contact Bonnie Lefbom at
triforthekidsLPRC@gmail.com for additional information.
October 15 - ACCA's
CROP Hunger Walk
at Lake Accotink. Details here.
October 20 -
Pastors and Partners Luncheon
Wright Hall, Annandale United Methodist. Contact Mary Lee Di Spirito at ddmld@verizon.net.
November 22 -
Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service.
Help us kick-off ACCA's 50th Anniversary year-long celebration. Watch for more details. If you are interested in helping with our year-long celebration, contact Diane McEldowney at didmc_19@msn.com.
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