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Fellowship Square provides affordable housing and services for older adults.
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Lake Anne Project
Hunters Woods Project
Community Partners in Action
Volunteers Needed to Call Seniors
Resident Resiliency
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Christy's Corner
Welcome New Staff
Congratulations to Staff Graduates
COVID-19 Resources
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FELLOWSHIP SQUARE PROJECTS ARE MOVING FORWARD
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Lake Anne House Project Begins
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Architectural rendering from Grimm + Parker
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More than five years after the first discussions about redeveloping
Lake Anne Fellowship House
, construction has finally begun!
“We are very excited we will soon be seeing the work on this long-awaited project commence,” said Walter Alcorn, Supervisor at Fairfax County’s Hunter Mill District. “The Fellowship House has been a valuable institution in the Reston area in providing homes for low-income seniors, allowing them to age in place in our community.”
All 240 units will serve low income senior residents. The project’s timeline includes a groundbreaking ceremony later in the year, and a ribbon cutting ceremony
featuring all project partners and residents
to celebrate construction completion (anticipated by June 2022).
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Hunters Woods Project Continues to Safely Make Progress
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Work continues on the
Hunters Woods Preservation Project,
though in a more limited scope than we had originally planned. After the project kick-off event in February, it was full steam ahead knowing we only had 12 months to complete Phase I per HUD requirements. Once the pandemic hit our region, the Board of Directors voted in late March to suspend all work.
Our General Contractor,
Southway Builders
, and the whole project team worked to devise a plan that would keep work going but limit any exposure or interaction between residents, staff and contractors. In early April, the Board approved an isolated scope of work which includes parking lot repairs and interior work not accessible by residents. We are pleased to have a creative project team that can develop a plan that keeps everyone safe.
We are keeping the momentum going and improving this building for benefit of the 300 residents who call it home.
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Community Partners in Action
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Since May 5,
Hidden Creek Country Club
in Reston has been providing 100 meals per week for residents at
Lake Anne Fellowship House
.
The meals are delivered twice weekly and feature both a dinner and a lunch option. Residents are exceedingly appreciative of these delicious and nutritious meal donations.
Thank You!
At left, Volunteer Carol Molesky delivers Hidden Creek Country Club meals to Ms. Luba at Lake Anne Fellowship House. Photo by Jenny Wang.
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As part of the SHARE Food Network, volunteers from
Heritage Fellowship Church
in Reston showed up in force on Saturday, May 16 to deliver more than 100 grocery bags of food to residents of
Hunters Woods Fellowship House
and
Lake Anne Fellowship House
.
Each bag contained frozen meats as well as fresh produce.
Thank You!
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Volunteers from as far away as Iowa have been making calls to seniors as part of our ‘Check-In and Chat’ program, but more are needed.
We’re seeking adults and high-school-age teens (age 14 +) who are willing to call Fellowship Square residents, many of whom are living alone and may be anxious about the current pandemic or feeling isolated.
Your calls can make a substantial impact on their wellbeing!
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Fellowship Square Residents are Resilient During this Time of Social Isolation
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Mr. Hough has been a resident at
Lake Anne Fellowship House
for more than 13 years. He learned how to play the piano by age six
and has been playing almost every day since. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he has been unable to use the piano in the lobby and has greatly missed ‘tickling the ivories.
’
Fortunately, we were lucky to acquire a keyboard for him to play at home. Thank you to
The Closet in Herndon
– you’ve put music in our hearts once again!
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Largo Landing Fellowship House’s
Gladys Spencer (left), who contributes kind and witty poetry to Largo’s monthly newsletter, gives us an example of social distancing while enjoying the beautiful weather.
Another Largo resident, just a bench away, is Loretta Commodore (right) getting out her gloves and soaking up some sun while patiently awaiting her daughter’s arrival.
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Each day it seems that more and more people are out and about. There’s much talk about plans to reopen businesses and get people back to work.
We all want things to go back to the way that they were
before we first learned of the dangerous plague known as COVID-19 or Coronavirus.
While I look forward to the day that I can join our Fellowship House residents for a luncheon or party or other activity, the bottom line is that we will continue to follow government guidelines for what is best for people over the age of 60 and those with underlying health conditions. I don’t want to say that we will be the last business to “reopen” but it may feel as if that is the case.
We are extremely
grateful for all the valiant volunteers, churches and community partners
that have stepped up to support us – through donations of homemade masks, a tremendous amount of food donations, sorting and delivering individual bags and boxes of food to residents’ doors, and generous donors who have made an important financial contribution to our Annual Fund.
I expect our “new business as usual” to continue for the foreseeable future at Fellowship Square – office staff are working remotely most days and onsite management is holding down the front line for us – responding to residents’ needs as they are able. We have a number of measures in place to keep residents safe and engaged.
If you are looking for something to do – or a way to
give back during this challenging time
– please reach out. We can always use the help.
Thanks again for your ongoing support.
Most sincerely,
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NEW FACES AT THE FELLOWSHIP SQUARE OFFICE
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Welcome to Fellowship Square’s
Newest Team Members!
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Christine Shriner
Service Coordinator, Lake Ridge Fellowship House
One of the newest members of our Fellowship Square team, Christine brings a variety of experience in working with seniors into her new role as the Service Coordinator for
Lake Ridge Fellowship House
. Her lifelong passion is to enrich and enhance the lives of older adults in her community. Prior to earning her degrees in social work, Christine worked as an Activity Director in an assisted living facility, worked as a “Friendly Visitor” with Care Options, and as an Aging Life Care Professional "Care Manager" in Northern Virginia. Christine earned her Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Social Work, with a concentration in Geriatrics and Aging, from George Mason University. She has also earned certifications as a Certified Dementia Practitioner and a Certified Montessori Dementia Care Practitioner.
Originally from New England, Christine resides in Dale City with her husband, Paul, and four wonderful cats. When not advocating for her older adult clients, Christine and Paul enjoy gardening, sailing, dancing, and traveling together. Additionally, she finds joy in using her creative talents in photography, flower arranging, and other various mediums.
Christine looks forward to meeting and being a positive advocate for all the residents of
Lake Ridge Fellowship House
.
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Suhani Sanwar
Finance Manager, Fellowship Square Foundation
Suhani joins the Fellowship Square team as the new Finance Manager. She is a learning-driven professional with more than 12 years of experience in financial operations and planning. Prior to joining Fellowship Square, she was the Director of Accounting at POLITICO where she worked in various senior roles in the organization’s finance department for almost a decade.
Suhani has an undergraduate degree in business and is a CPA candidate. She is passionate about environmental sustainability and protection, and giving back to the community. She is an Arlington, VA, resident and enjoys reading and cooking in her spare time.
Suhani is thrilled to join the organization and looks forward to working with the Fellowship Square team.
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Susan Hoffler
Community Manager, Lake Ridge Fellowship House
B.A. in General Studies with a concentration in Human Resource Management, Southern New Hampshire University
Susan began her quest to obtain a degree at Southern New Hampshire University in the fall of 2012. The online learning atmosphere was new and different, but it allowed her to pursue her studies while working full-time. As with anything in life, there were obstacles along the way, but she was determined to stay focused and reach her goal. After years of hard work, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in General Studies with a concentration in Human Resource Management in April 2020 from Southern New Hampshire University.
Congratulations, Susan!
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April Myers
Community Manager, Largo Landing Fellowship House
Associate's & Bachelor’s degrees in Divinity, New Hope and Life School of Religion
April began her studies at New Hope and Life School of Religion, Theology & Seminary in the fall of 2016. On June 20, 2020, she will be receiving both her Associate's & Bachelor’s degrees in divinity. During her time in school, she was offered the position of registrar of the school and received her teaching certification from The Accrediting Commission International (A.C.I.) on December 30, 2019.
When asked what prompted her to pursue her studies, April said,
“I honestly needed it in my life. I needed to learn all that I could about God, and in doing so it made me a much better person. I’ve grown so much and learned a lot about myself …I needed to grow and to grow up! I will be starting on my Masters in the fall of 2020!”
Congratulations, April!
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Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
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Reminder:
If you have a
Thrivent
account, please designate Fellowship Square
for donations
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Stay in touch with Fellowship Square on
Facebook
!
We post articles, updates on activities and events, our monthly newsletter, and pertinent information regarding our properties.
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