|
|
Want more ACCA news?
Follow us on Facebook for regular updates and pictures of ACCA volunteers. Use the "Like" and "Follow" buttons to get your ACCA news delivered to you.
|
|
| Next Meeting |
The next ACCA board meeting will be
June 4 at
Cornerstone
Evangelical Free Church, 3901 Gallows Road, Annandale, Virginia
Refreshments and fellowship
7:30 p.m.
Meeting
7:45 p.m.
Open to all visitors.
|
|
Please share this newsletter via a link on your website, email or social media.
If you are not on our mailing list and want to continue receiving updates from ACCA, please
|
| 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
[email protected]
ACCA Website www.accacares.org
|
|
|
Rebuilding Together 
Thank you to everyone who volunteered, provided food, and supported our work through their donations for our 31st annual Rebuilding Together. ACCA has now repaired 125 homes over these past 31 years. On Saturday, April 27, 61 volunteers came together to improve the safety and quality of life for a retired couple and the residents of a group home.
24 volunteers from Annandale United Methodist, St. Barnabas Episcopal, Annandale Ward - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Mt. Pleasant Baptist churches worked at the home of a couple who had arrived in the U.S. from Vietnam as refugees in the late 1970s. This group was led by Ken Mittelholtz, Frank Spink, Dale Ruhter & John Clarke. Camille Mittelholtz provided safety support. Lunch was provided by Lincolnia Methodist. Inside the home, volunteers painted, made repairs to improve accessibility and safety, installed new LED light fixtures, repaired a shower, and improved ventilation. Outside, team members painted and installed a new door to the garage. Others mowed the lawn and did yard cleanup. The homeowners were grateful for all of the work and are thrilled to be able to enjoy living safely in their home again.
At the Pathway Home for homeless adults with  mental and physical impairments, 37 volunteers from John Calvin and Providence Presbyterian, Ravensworth Baptist, and Holy Spirit Catholic churches, led by Brian Meli and Laurie Lewis, performed a variety of tasks. One large task that was completed included installation of a large French drain to alleviate considerable flooding in the front of the house. Others repaired and painted a ramp and picnic table, replaced window wells, and seeded and mulched the lawn. Inside, volunteers painted the kitchen, hall, and a handrail. They also installed and repaired bathroom fixtures, replaced the dryer vent, cleaned the heat vents, and installed a new shower head, fan, and grab bar in the shower. Wonderful lunches and snacks were provided by Queen of Apostles, led by Karen Barnoski.
Rebuilding Together is a very special ministry and blesses the volunteers as much as the recipients of our help.
|
Child Development Center News 
Family Day at the Child Development Center (CDC) on May 18 featured games, music, art, and visits from some special friends. Summer is a busy time at the CDC as preparations are being made for next school year. Registrations are currently being accepted for children ages 0-5 while the summer camp and school age programs continue.
Our secure facilities, which offer peace of mind to parents, include 2 buildings, 12 classrooms, 5 age-specific outdoor playgrounds, 4 indoor play areas, a preschool garden, and a comprehensive library. Our teachers are trained in health, safety, education, music, STEM, and the arts, as well as in the implementation of The Creative Curriculum. The classroom settings are warm, inspiring, and dynamic, thus giving each child the opportunity to discover the world and truly flourish.
We invite you to schedule a tour by calling 703-256-0100 or sending an email to [email protected].
|
Save the Date
Panel Discussion on the Opioid Epidemic
Sunday, May 26 - 7 p.m. - Church of Latter Day Saints, 3900 Howard Street, Annandale. With news headlines consistently covering the Opioid Epidemic, many wonder how their own neighborhoods and communities are being effected. In partnership with Fairfax County, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is hosting a community panel discussion, Discussing the Opioid Epidemic in Fairfax County and How the Faith Community can Help. Our distinguished panelists include Dr. John Hunsaker (Board Certified Addiction Psychiatrist), Sarah Bolton White (Fairfax County Opioid Task Force Coordinator), and Nick Jacob (Certified Peer Recovery Specialist). For more information regarding this event please contact Rachel Brough, [email protected]
Triathlon to Benefit ACCA
Sunday, September 15 at 7 a.m. - The Lincolnia Park Charity Triathlon will be held from 7 - 9:30 a.m. Register to participate or volunteer online. Proceeds support the ACCA Child Development Center and the Kisima Academy in Kenya. |
Homework Club News
ACCA is continuing its Good Neighbor project with Lutheran Social Services and we are enjoying providing homework help to children from refugee families in the area. The Homework Club has continued to meet two Saturdays each month at Peace Lutheran. However, we will not meet on Memorial Day Weekend, and our final session for this school year will be on June 8 when we will close with a picnic after the Homework Club.
As we look ahead to the fall, we are planning to hold a training session for volunteers on teaching English as a Second Language on September 7. It will be led by Karen Kleiber, ESOL Coordinator for Fairfax County Public Schools, who attends Little River United Church of Christ. There will also be a brief orientation that day for new volunteers prior to the ESL training. Details will be provided as the date nears. Then, on September 14 we will kick-off our fall sessions which will be the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month.
One of our biggest issue remains recruiting volunteer drivers. There are three additional families with 10 children interested in attending, but right now we do not have drivers to pick them up as the families do not have their own transportation.
For further information or to volunteer, please contact Nadia Fitzcharles ([email protected]) or Carol Weber ([email protected]).
|
Cream of the CROP 
In April, we received information that the 2018 Annandale CROP Hunger Walk was ranked 90th nationally in funds raised in 2018. This is the first time that the Annandale Walk has been listed in the "Cream of the CROP" list of the top 100 CROP Hunger Walks in the country. There were more than 800 CROP Hunger Walks in 2018. The 2018 Annandale CROP Hunger Walk raised a total of $20,785.23. Also, United Baptist Church was ranked #62 nationally in the 2018 list of the "Cream of the CROP" top fund-raising teams, with a total of $7,183.23 raised by member Sally Norris. Congratulations to United Baptist Church, Sally Norris, and all who helped to make the 2018 Annandale Walk a success.
In 2019, CWS is celebrating fifty years of CROP Hunger Walks. Since 1969, millions of people have committed to ending hunger through the CROP Hunger Walk, bringing food, clean water and other help to people around the world.
Mark your calendars for the 2019 Annandale CROP Hunger Walk, which is scheduled for October 19 at Lake Accotink Park. This fall, we will celebrate the Annandale CROP Hunger Walk's 40th anniversary. The first Annandale CROP Walk was held in 1979 under the leadership of Nancy and Jim Boxall.
|
|
Food Pantry Help Wanted
The ACCA Food Pantry needs your help.
Volunteers are needed to fulfill positions such as grocery buyer, pantry stocker, pantry cleaner, grant reporter, and scheduler. Time commitments begin with just a couple of hours on a weekend. To volunteer or for more information on positions and scheduling, please contact
[email protected]
.
Donations to the program are collected through the ACCA churches and other local organizations who provide nonperishable food for the food pantry. The ACCA Food and Nutrition program provides groceries to needy families who are referred through Fairfax County's Health and Human Services office.
Drivers Needed
Drivers are needed for the Shepherd's Center of Annandale Springfield-ACCA transportation program, to provide rides to medical and therapy appointments for persons age 50 or older who cannot drive themselves. If interested, please contact the Shepherd's Center at 703-941-1419 between 10 am and 1 pm Monday through Friday or
[email protected].
In addition, ACCA receives referrals for rides for persons under age 50. If you are interested in assisting in providing these rides, contact Gail Coleman at [email protected].
Visit the Shepherd's Center homepage for information about other Shepherd's Center events for senior citizens at
shepherdscenter-annandale.org.
|
|
Ministry Updates
Family Emergency Assistance served 27 households including 83 clients in April, providing $14,856 in emergency aid for rent, utilities, medical and other assistance. Many families had employment, immigration, and health issues.
The Food Pantry made 46 deliveries in April, assisting 133 individuals. Twenty-five families at Bailey's Elementary received a supply of food to help them over the weekends when their school breakfasts and lunches are not available. The Post Office drive was May 11 and the pantry ramp was recently repaired thanks to an Eagle Scout project.
The Furniture Ministry made deliveries to 15 households and completed 15 pickups along with 5 warehouse donations in March. Thirty-seven volunteers helped these families which included several with single mothers, children, senior citizens, and people with special needs. We also delivered many freshly laundered towels to the Baileys Shelter and twelve large bags of donated clothes to the Wellness Center that serves the homeless.
Annandale Meals on Wheels delivered a total of 1237 meals to 27 clients over 4 routes. This program provides meals to homebound elderly, disabled, or convalescing individuals unable to cook for themselves.
Transportation (Shepherd's Center-ACCA transportation program) provided 52 two-way rides and one one-way ride. It provided rides to 2 former ACCA clients.
|
|
| |
|
