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July/August 2010 News 
Contact Information 
Mailing Address
7200 Columbia Pike
Annandale, VA 22003

Information 703-256-0100

Emergency
Assistance

(Fairfax County)
703-222-0880

Donations
(except furniture) 703-256-0100

Furniture Donations 703-256-9513

Email
[email protected]

ACCA Website www.accacares.org


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How  to Support ACCA
Catalogue of Philanthropy
Catalogue for Philanthropy

Combined Federal Campaign
CFC #58934

United Way
#8058
Food Donations Needed

The  ACCA Food Pantry is in need of donated
  • jelly
  • peanut butter
  • spaghetti
  • sauce
  • canned fruit
  • jello
  • pudding
  • coffee
  • bags of
  • rice
  • paper products
  • diapers
Hunger does not take a summer vacation, so please remember to pick up items for the ACCA Food Pantry when you shop.

Donations to the Food Pantry can be left at ACCA member church collection boxes. Collected food may be delivered to ACCA at 7200 Columbia Pike.

Next Meeting
Tuesday, Sept. 7
7:30 pm Fellowship
7:45 pm Meeting
Annandale Ward, Church of Latter Day Saints, 3900 Howard Street, Annandale VA 22003


Furniture Warehouse Closed in August
There will be no furniture pickups or deliveries the month of August. Pickups and deliveries will resume in September. The annual meeting for furniture volunteers will be August 28 at St. Albans.


2010 CROP Walk and Poster Contest

CROP Hunger WalkACCA 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].
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
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.
 
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.  
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.