June 2020

IN THIS ISSUE All Saints Preschool - A Different Kind of Celebration Providing Fresh Food to those in Need Voices from the Parish Meet Zach & Emily Bayonne Kingdom Moments! About the Newsletter

This is the second of our new monthly digital newsletters highlighting the stories of our parish, and celebrating God's work in our midst. Enjoy!

All Saints Preschool A Different Kind of Celebration

While it was a different and bittersweet ending to the 2019-20 school year for All Saints Preschool , the drive-thru parade was a joyous and festive occasion to say “good-bye” and “thank you,” to all of our families and to congratulate the 2020 graduating class of Dragonflies.  The teachers and staff of All Saints Preschool lined the parking lot to wave, use noise makers, blow bubbles, play music, and express cheerful messages of love. The parents and children drove through displaying their posters of appreciation. Cars were adorned with encouraging messages, balloons, streamers, huge stuffed animals, lights, inflatables, beeping horns, and more. The graduates responded with joy from their car windows and through the roof-tops while proudly wearing their caps and gowns. It was an incredibly uplifting end-of-year celebration! The day was a true testament to the commitment and strength of this school family and church community in supporting each other during this unprecedented time!   Sending Much Love and Appreciation to the Families of All Saints and ASP 2020, Lisa Hollingsworth, Director Sara Tobin, Assistant Director Teachers and Staff of ASP

Providing Fresh Food to those in Need by Shireen David, Director of Mission & Outreach

It is my joy to tell you about a recent opportunity to provide fresh produce to families in the  Little Lights (LL)  community. Present conditions have made it difficult for many to get fresh and nutritious food, especially families who live in public housing with a limited income. When I was contacted by All Saints parishioner Shaye Simms a few weeks ago with an introduction to an organization called  Greg Gannon Canned Food Drive (GGCFD),  I was intrigued. I soon learned from my conversations with Shaye, and with Rick, founder of  GGCFD , that they act as a conduit for  SHARE , a community-based food network sponsored by  Catholic Charities . I discovered that  SHARE  is dedicated to moving healthy groceries at roughly a 50% discount into homes in the DC area, via  high-volume purchasing and thousands of volunteer hours, strengthening the community for all. Thousands of families rely on them to help stretch their food budgets each month. Every  SHARE  box has approximately 4-5 pounds of frozen meat, and 8-12 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables, often with a grocery item such as beans, dessert, rice, or another staple - all for $25 per box.  Last week, Shaye and a friend delivered twenty  SHARE  boxes of fresh groceries to  Little Lights . Each box was pre-packed and is enough to serve a family of four with meals for about 3 days. Those twenty boxes went a long way! Our partners at  LL  were thrilled to receive them! Here’s what they had to say:  “the food was a huge hit with the families! It was all gone by the end of the day. Thank you so much for making this connection possible! It was such a great help.”  Praise God for helping us connect and become part of a supply chain to get healthy, fresh groceries to families in need! The non-perishable goods that we have been collecting for LL will also continue, and we will combine those donations with the SHARE boxes since families will always need pantry items to prepare meals. With the help from  GGCFD , we plan to begin delivering 25 boxes (@$25/box) per month to LL.  If you would like to learn more about how to be a part of this new endeavor by sponsoring a box and/or help deliver them, please email me at  shireen.david@allsaintschurch.net . What a great example of using the resources, networks, and connections we have been blessed with to serve our neighbors! God bless you! Shireen

Voices from the Parish by Peggy Eastman, Poet-in-Residence

Whether parishioners find their way to All Saints as infants from Chevy Chase or as adults from other parts of the country, their presence enriches us and brings us many blessings. For  Zach Bayonne  and  Emily Cruikshank , their journey to All Saints began in Orlando, Florida, even though Emily is a life-long Marylander.  Zach and Emily, who now live in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, started attending All Saints last fall. “We began attending All Saints with the recommendation of the Rev. Dr. Justin Holcomb, the Canon of Vocations from the Diocese of Central Florida in Orlando,” said Zach. “He had wonderful insights about All Saints’ love for the Lord, commitment to the Gospel and serving the community, and theological commitments.” Holcomb connected Zach and Emily to Associate Rector BJ Buracker, who in turn introduced Zach and Emily to Family Pastor Gary Wieder – “and the rest was history,” said Zach. Finding a church home at All Saints last fall proved especially helpful to the couple in 2020. Emily recently had ankle reconstruction surgery, and they say it has been incredibly wonderful for the clergy reach out to check in on them – especially during a pandemic. Emily adds, “We do thoroughly enjoy being at All Saints, and it feels great to find such a welcoming and close-knit church home, especially in an area where it’s so easy to never quite set roots anywhere in particular.”  The couple has been staying in touch with the church virtually. “All Saints’ digital content has been very helpful to us,” Zach noted.  “We’ve been immensely blessed by the content on  YouTube  and by partaking in Evening Prayer with Fr. BJ when we can.”

We are hoping to have Voices from the Parish each month, and are grateful to Family Pastor Gary Wieder for suggesting some weeks ago that we "meet" Zach and Emily. What a blessing to get to know each other - even during a time of physical distance. Do you have someone you'd like the parish to "meet?" Please contact Teri Ballou , All Saints Communications Manager. We'd love to hear from you!

Kingdom Moments! ASP Graduation Parade

This Newsletter is FOR YOU! We hope you enjoy this new monthly digital publication of All Saints. Please join us in celebrating the good news of God working in our midst - ideas are always welcome! You may submit possible topics, photos, or short (1 - 3 paragraph) articles to Communications Manager Teri Ballou at  teri.ballou@allsaintschurch.net .

How may we help?

We are here for you. If you need help,  please call (301) 654-2488 or email info@allsaintschurch.net . All inquiries confidential.

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