Our partner St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School is offering its "Learn & Play'' program designed specifically for our K-5 refugee children for a third year, beginning Saturday, November 18, Noon to 2:00 p.m., on the beautiful grounds of their lower school (400 Fontaine Street, Alexandria). When the program began, the emphasis was on library time, and reading with high school student mentors. Because so many of our children are approaching English fluency, the emphasis this year will be on sports activities and friendship building and will have a slightly different theme each month. It kicks off with "The World of Sports”, to include a wide variety including soccer, jump rope, whiffle ball, and basketball, but library reading and art, too, with a sports theme! What our refugee kids always enjoy the most is bonding time with the school's impressive high school mentors.

A HUGE incentive for families to attend the first session: every child can sign up to receive a new winter jacket in the color of choice, gifted by the generous SSSAS community, to be distributed at the December session.

There will be cheese pizza each month, and Afghan tea and culturally-appropriate snacks for parents in attendance. Another benefit of the program: while kids are on the playing fields, parents meet and socialize, and a number of friendships have been made.

CARE TEAMS: In case you are wondering, we intentionally have “Learn & Play” and “Refugee Thanksgiving Giveaway” on the same day, at slightly different times. For our families that have moved further out in Northern Virginia, they can much more easily attend both events.

The Christ Church staff scrambled and successfully applied for a special and generous food grant from ACT for Alexandria, totaling $42000. Nineteen families living in the City of Alexandria are recipients and will receive $85 per person each month, for a five-month period, dramatically helping household budgets. In a surprise announcement by Zoom to families, they expressed deep gratitude, and in some cases where no government benefits are being received, much relief. Families were able to choose gift cards at grocery stores of their choice. Pickup will occur at Christ Church on the second Monday and Friday of each month, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Partnering with the Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Ministry began on Oct. 30 a free six-week evening course on financial literacy hosted by Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill. Sessions include critical subjects for financial health such as budgeting, building credit, avoiding predatory practices, and debt management. An impressive 14 refugees registered for the program, many of whom are women taking advantage of the childcare offered. Participants will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with a financial coach to build a budget. CCRM hopes to continue to offer this program to all families in our Ministry.