Fellowship Square provides affordable housing and services for older adults.
|
|
Help Us Fight Food Insecurity
Malnutrition is a serious condition among older adults. As people age, they have trouble getting to and from a grocery store with heavy bags; they have difficulty standing for long periods of time to cook; and because dental procedures are not fully covered by Medicaid or Medicare, they can have trouble chewing. On top of this, many residents at Fellowship House struggle to come up with funds to help alleviate these issues.
At Fellowship Square, we work tirelessly to build relationships with partners that can provide much needed food and grocery items, and we raise funds to help cover emergency food, transportation and dental needs for any resident. Through our community partners like Cornerstones, Panera Bread, Wawa, Trader Joe’s, Meals-on-Wheels, the USDA Brown Bag and others, residents can receive a variety of staples throughout the month. We also host many resident events each month that include snacks and meals. And for residents that experience an emergency food shortage, dental issue or other crisis, our Resident Service Coordinator provides them with grocery gift cards, a trip to our on-site pantry for canned goods and other staples, and helps coordinate emergency care and services.
Nutrition is a top priority for adults as we age. It’s a critical component of good health and wellness – both physically and mentally. I encourage you to
support our efforts
by considering how you or your company can help us keep the cabinets full and crisis at bay for Fellowship House residents.
|
|
DID YOU KNOW …
… the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the Washington, DC Metro area is $1,561?
|
|
Did you know that the average monthly income of a Fellowship House resident is only
$640?
Daily necessities like
food, medication and transportation
are virtually unaffordable for residents
with such limited means
.
We pride ourselves on being more than just a housing provider –
we fill an important gap
by helping residents meet these most basic needs when their families and the government are not able to do so.
We provide peace of mind to residents – they ask for help and we respond.
Please, take a moment right now to
help us continue to provide valuable services
to Fellowship House residents by making a
tax-deductible donation
to our annual fund. Your gift ensures that we will have the resources to answer their calls for help.
|
|
Education and Donations for Residents
|
|
"Health is Wealth"
In partnership with Cornerstones in Reston,
Hunters Woods Fellowship House
residents participated in a “Health is Wealth" program and received fresh vegetables including onions, potatoes and celery, as well as fresh cut fruit.
|
|
|
Our thanks to Trader Joe's for their weekly donations. They have made Tuesday mornings at
Lake Ridge Fellowship House
an incredible way to start the day. Trader Joe's supplies our residents with food donations that include multiple breads, salads, sandwiches, fruits, vegetables, desserts, flowers and so much more.
|
|
We are grateful to our community partners
,
Cornerstones and Trader Joe’s, for enhancing the quality of life for our residents.
|
|
FELLOWSHIP CHRONICLES … STORIES OF OUR RESIDENTS
Meet Joanne from
Lake Ridge Fellowship House!
|
|
Where did you grow up and what are your fondest memories of childhood?
I grew up in Boston. Some of my fondest memories were of summer Sundays spent at Salem Willows in Salem, MA or Whalom Park in Lunenberg, MA.
Tell me about your parents, siblings and family.
My parents are both deceased. They were born in Boston. I have three sisters, including my identical twin. My twin and I are the youngest. I am divorced. I have a son and a daughter. I have four granddaughters. My son lives in Dayton Beach, FL with his three girls and my daughter lives here with her daughter.
How has the world changed from when you were in your 20s?
When I was 20, there were still pay phones. There were no personal computers. The world seemed like a safer place.
What has been the best thing about getting older?
Because I no longer work, I don’t need to get up early most mornings.
What do you enjoy most about living at Fellowship House?
I enjoy having my own apartment that I can afford. I enjoy having neighbors that I can choose to see or not.
What are some of your current hobbies?
I love to read. I enjoy growing plants. I love my church.
What are some of your guiding principles on life?
I try to treat others as I want to be treated. I try to learn my neighbors’ names – I know about one third of them by name.
|
|
On Saturday, September 22, board members from all FOUR of Fellowship Square’s housing communities came together for a half-day workshop on how to better serve the needs of our residents. This resulted in a unique opportunity for members to share experiences, stories and solutions in a face-to-face setting, and allowed board members to work collaboratively on goal setting activities. Board members came away feeling energized for the work ahead, and are looking forward to improving programs and services for our residents.
“There was a lot of energy in the room as House Board members gave some intentional thought to their goals for the upcoming year and how to build stronger connections in the community in support of our residents. I think bringing together House Board members from all of our properties, along with FSF staff, allowed everyone to share ideas and best practices to better accomplish our mission of serving low-income seniors with quality housing and services.”
-
Jill Norcross
, FS Board Member and workshop facilitator
|
|
“…one of the things I am most proud of is the fact that I helped a resident get a new set of teeth before her visit to her home in France, despite several obstacles that forced me to appeal to our member of the County Board of Supervisors Ruth Anderson.”
Kathleen Harding
-
Resident Service Coordinator | Lake Ridge Fellowship House
|
|
“I feel proud when I am successfully able to establish a relationship with a resident which is based on trust and respect. I believe that when relationships are strong, positive changes can be made. I feel proud when I receive positive feedback from residents about the programs and services that I offer at Lake Anne. When residents come to me and report they feel empowered and connected to the community because of a particular program that was introduced by me, I feel proud. When my administrator gives me a review and reports that residents are happy, I feel proud. I am in a job which has the power to change resident's lives and empower them. Therefore, I feel proud knowing that I am able to make a positive difference.”
Garima Apan, MSW
- Resident Service Coordinator | Lake Anne Fellowship House
|
|
Fellowship Square welcomes our newest intern, Madeline Hart!
|
|
Originally from Alpharetta, Georgia,
Madeline Hart
graduated from the College of Charleston in South Carolina with an Arts Management degree, nonprofit focus. After building a tiny house and getting married, Madeline and her husband moved up to Virginia. Madeline is excited to be working with Fellowship Square
to help build a more extensive volunteer program.
She is passionate about volunteers not only feeling comfortable but also feeling that their talents are appreciated and employed well. In the future, Madeline plans to run a branch of the nationwide nonprofit called Youth Volunteer Corp. In the short term she is looking for a full-time Volunteer Coordinator position at a local nonprofit.
|
|
Congratulations to our Fellowship Square Board Member Michael Scheurer!
|
|
On Thursday, September 27, 2018,
The Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance will honor
Mike Scheurer
with its Housing Hall of Fame award at its
2018 Regional Housing Leaders Reception and Awards Ceremony.
This is a Housing Hall of Fame Award for those in our community who have been exceptional in advancing the principles of creating inclusive, sustainable communities through affordable housing choices. Mike has a 30+ year career as a community leader, building valued partnerships with a diverse cross-section of organizations across the region.
|
|
Call for Volunteers!
Do you speak Chinese, Farsi, Korean or Russian?
Volunteers are needed at our Reston communities to help with translation services for our residents! We need your help to translate documents into other languages, or to assist with resident questionnaires and surveys in group settings.
|
|
Reminder:
If you have a Thrivent account, please designate Fellowship Square
for donations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
