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2010 CROP Walk and
Poster Contest ACCA
received a check in June from Church World Service (CWS) for $5,873.50 to fight
hunger and poverty in our local community. This year's local share is the largest ever received, due to the record $21,969
raised by the 2009 Annandale Walk. The
2010 Annandale CROP Hunger Walk will be held Saturday, October 16, at 8 a.m., Lake Accotink
Park.
Youth
through grade 12 are invited to submit posters to the CROP Hunger Walk poster
contest. Posters should be about hunger and should list the Annandale CROP
Walk date, time and place. Please use paper 14" x 22" or smaller and
write the artist's name, grade and church on the back. Submit posters to the ACCA Child
Development Center
by October 6. ACCA sponsors the annual CROP Hunger Walk in conjunction with CWS to raise
money for world hunger, disaster and refugee relief and development projects For
more information about the CROP Hunger Walk or the poster contest, please
contact Camille Mittelholtz at [email protected].
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Fred Ruffing Scholarship Awarded We congratulate Cassandra Dahlke, the new recipient of
the Fred Ruffing Memorial Scholarship. Cassandra graduated from Woodson High School
and will study at Northern
Virginia Community
College in the fall.
Scholarship Committee chair AnnMarie Hicks
presented checks at the July meeting to Cassandra and to continuing recipients
Josh Anton (NVCC) and Garrett Girmus (William and Mary). Cassandra, Josh and Garrett told the group
about their studies and plans, and told us how grateful they are for the
assistance. Julie Shayaka (NYU) also continues
to receive the scholarship, but was not able to attend the meeting.
The scholarship is a tribute to ACCA's
founder Fred Ruffing and is given to a student who is challenged by a disability and needs financial assistance. Contributions to the Ruffing Scholarship fund are needed to sustain the
program. Checks payable to ACCA should
designate the Ruffing Scholarship and be sent to ACCA at 7200 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA
22003
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Making a Difference Award Announced Congratulations to Ellie Holcombe, the 2010 recipient of
ACCA's Volunteer Making a Difference Award. This award recognizes a graduating senior at Annandale High School
for volunteer service. This year the
award included a cash award given by Mrs. Gina Kim of the Evergreen Title
Company and the Grace and Kelli Consignment shop.
Ellie's name will be
added to the award plaque on display at Annandale High School
and she received a plaque to keep. Ellie's essay described what volunteering
means to her, and mentioned some of her experiences including working with
children at the ACCA
Child Development
Center, home repair
through the Appalachia Service Project at her church, and organizing the
consignment store at the Hermitage retirement home. She will study at West Chester University
in the fall. ACCA thanks Mrs. Kim for sponsoring the award.
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Child Development Center News Sixty-three children graduated from the Child Development Center preschool program and
will be attending kindergarten in the fall. The children in the Virginia Preschool Initiative Classroom participated
in a soccer program through June. The same classroom
enjoyed the Wolf Trap residency program, which enhances math and science
learning through music and art experiences.
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Spotlight on Family Emergency Committee
ACCA provides grants to families and individuals who need
immediate financial assistance. Typically, the urgent need results from loss of a job or serious illness
of a
family member. The needs in June were especially strong: a total of
53 families were helped and grants totaled $34,345.
Most of the funding goes toward rent. The
grants often help the families avoid eviction or help people moving from a
shelter into an apartment. Assistance is also given for utilities,
medicine and other urgent needs.
The people assisted are referred by Fairfax County social workers and in some cases
by ACCA pastors. The social workers also help the families find social
services to address longer term needs. A volunteer Family Emergency
Committee "money captain" receives emails or calls from the social
workers. The money captain discusses the case with the social worker and
the committee chair, and ACCA makes a pledge for a specified amount of
assistance. The Family Emergency Committee chair then writes the check to
the landlord or utility company, or authorizes ACCA payment for a
prescription.
If the need is for food, the food pantry
"captain" on duty arranges for a volunteer to deliver a week's
groceries for the household. Nonperishable foods and paper goods are
donated to ACCA's food pantry, and fresh food is purchased with grant funds
from Fairfax County, the CROP Walk and other sources.
To request emergency services, please contact the Fairfax County Coordinated Services office at 703-222-0880.
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