Making a Difference:
One Family at a Time
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Family PASS Launches
Sock It To Me!
Drive
It’s all about recycling. All that "spare" change that winds up at the bottom of your purse or in your pants pockets adds up. I throw mine into large socks and at the end of a year it can total nearly $300.
Our
Sock It To Me!
campaign asks you to count that change every month and consider donating it to help working families facing homelessness in Fairfax by converting it into a monthly recurring year pledge for one year – of any amount you can.
Our goal:
if we can get 500 people to pledge an average of $25 a month for one year, we can help 33 additional families avoid homelessness. 500 people x $25 a month x 12 months = $150,000. It does add up!
You will be receiving
Sock It To Me!
information in the mail in this week. Please consider joining our campaign by mail or register online at:
Thank You!
Special thanks to our volunteer, graphic artist Truc Phan, for our Sock It To Me! logo!
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Current Client Needs
We welcome donations of non-food household goods such as laundry detergent, paper towels, sponges, toilet paper, and cleaning liquids. If you would like to donate any of these items, please call the office at 703-242-6474. Thanks!
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Fairfax Volunteer Opportunity - October 28th
St. Mark is partnering with a mosque, MakeSpace, and a synagogue, Olam Tikvah, for a Day to Serve project.
Let's come together to help create "Power Packs" - packages of non-perishable foods and drinks that are sent home each weekend with school-age children who have been identified as needing for food assistance. For children in food insecure families, weekend meals are not always guaranteed due to limited finances. These "Power Packs" will help keep our children nourished. Donations of non-perishable food items are welcome.
Where: Congregation Olam Tikvah, 3800 Glenbrook Road, Fairfax, VA 22031
When: Sunday, 10/28, from 2 to 4 pm
Who: All are welcome!
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Client Updates
Family PASS has been helping families find housing stability since 2006. The key is not just to find housing, but to help these families develop the tools that can lead to
earning a living wage
. All of our families are employed but at minimum to low-end wages, many holding down multiple jobs that, despite their efforts, still leave them living below the poverty line and struggling to keep their families housed.
The key to breaking the cycle of financial crisis is through education and/or increased job skills training which lead to higher wages. We are encouraged that so many of our clients are taking advantage of Family PASS's education support to secure their futures. We try to share as many stories as possible with you to show how your donations make a difference in people's lives.
Here is one story
Ms. "C" is a BA client (with a 4-year-old son) who found herself in a shelter and homeless due to domestic violence. Ms. C is determined and highly motivated. Her goal: a nursing degree. She has already earned her associate's degree in nursing in Puerto Rico, but an abusive relationship prevented her from plans to pursue her nursing career. The first step in getting her degree credentialed in the U.S. is for her to obtain a Credentials Evaluation Service report (CES), which requires verification of English proficiency. Ms. C recently completed the 3-week prep course to prepare her for the exam and will take the exam in November. A passing score on this exam will meet the English proficiency requirement so she can move forward. She is doing all this while being employed full-time and being a single parent.
What was it Ginger Rogers said? Something like: I do everything Fred Astaire does except I do it backwards and in high heels.
After she earns her passing score, Ms. C will submit her LPN examination application to the Virginia Board of Nursing. Once the application is submitted and approved by the Board, Ms. C may sit for the LPN exam. Family PASS will assist her with prep courses to prepare her for the exam.
As a bilingual LPN in Northern Virginia, Ms. C earnings' potential is between $62,000 and $79,000 a year.
Family PASS's assistance to Ms. C is under $4500 - a small investment that is making a huge difference in the lives of Ms. C and her son.
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October was a very busy month
for our amazing Family PASS volunteers
.
Thank You!
Our volunteers got slammed in October!
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On October 6
th
over 50 Family PASS volunteers helped pour Caboose beer at Vienna’s annual Oktoberfest, raising just over $3000 for Family PASS families in need. Thanks to volunteers Sandy Fazackerly, Rita Perre-Davis, Bethany and Leslie Reisinger, Stephanie Granlund, Bill Grossman, Jaclyn Koger, Stacey Thornburg, Pilar and Tokuo Oishi, Phoebe Jones, Brad Fisher, Lee Ellis, David & Elisse Brunori, Ariana & Michael Murphy, Christine & Hans Williams, Jodi Bentley, Kathe King, Gabrielle Bezou & Avery Austin, Lauri Rustand, John Hanton, Barb & Tom Michels, Julie & Ray McGraw, Betsy & Ken Rock, Roger & Kerry Jetton, Lisa Jenkins, Maria & Tom Barba, Patti & Cliff Cooksey, Gail & Tom Magnani, Mary Valder, Lindsey & Paul Iacovino, Kim Stackman, Diane & Sheina Bronfman, Tara & Istvan Gyenis, Amy & Jim Rothey, Jackie & Dan Hoyle, and Sharon & Bernie Kellett, Mark Sweeney and Vienna Mayor Laurie DiRocco.
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On October 10
th
:
Family PASS 3
rd
Annual Golf Benefit
Players caught a break in the weather on October 10th for the Family PASS 3
rd
Annual Golf Benefit, which raises funds to help families in Fairfax County facing homelessness. Dave Lucas, news anchor on NewsChannel8 served as Honorary Chair with event chair and Family PASS President, Mike Waddell.
Special thanks to our Golf Committee of Ann Cole, Sandy Springs Bank; Jim Nelson, Freedom Bank; Debbie Ziegler; Joe Celio; Paul Kohlenberger, McLean Chamber; and Board Directors Mark Sweeney, Prudential; Jodi Bentley, Weichert; Patti Cooksey; and Mike Waddell of IntegrityOne Partners who all worked to make it a success.
And once again, our amazing volunteers responded by helping to make it a smooth event, providing gifts for the hole-in-one, organizing the goodie bags, registering guests, and providing photos Thank you Sandy Fazackerly, Susan Wrigley, Evelyn Heitman, Karen Zelnick, Lee Ellis, Priscilla Bezdek, Michelle Fisher, and to our Board Director/Volunteer Coordinator Patti Cooksey who could probably use a well-deserved break after this October's events!
Speaking of our amazing Volunteers -- A special thanks to Diane Bronfman for hosting a fundraiser to benefit Family PASS at Kendra Scott Mosaic this summer! And a shout out to the Kendra Scott company and Kendra Scott the philanthropist who donates both money and jewelry in support of women and children in need.
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Thanks to our Golf sponsors:
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Family PASS
2740 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 123
Vienna, VA 22181
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