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During February, ACCA was able to support 38 households, including 117 men, women and children, with financial assistance. Most of this help (74 percent) was for rent to avoid evictions or to move from homeless shelters to affordable housing. The rest was for paying utility bills or medical and miscellaneous expenses (such as gas to enable the single mother of an infant to drive to her internship).  

Last month ACCA volunteers made 45 deliveries of food and other essentials to households that included 145 of our needy neighbors. In spite of support from ACCA churches and community organizations, the Pantry remains low on jelly, cooking oil, and paper products such as towels and toilet paper.

Special thanks to all of the students and youth groups that assisted in stocking the Pantry shelves.

During February, ACCA volunteers made furniture deliveries to 26 households which included 109 men, women and children. We also completed 17 pick-ups of donated furniture, with an average crew of 9 volunteers during the month.

Praise and thanks to the teams from the following churches for their participation in February: St Alban's, Annandale United Methodist, St. Anthony of Padua, Annandale Rotary Club, Providence, John Calvin Presbyterian, St. Michael's, and Immanuel Methodist.

The Fairfax County Alliance for Human Services, an all-volunteer group that advocates for human services in Fairfax County and in the Commonwealth, offers in-depth analysis of the county's Advertised Budget for the next fiscal year. The proposed FY 2013 Budget provides ample evidence that the weak economy has increased the demand for services and that many needs are not being met, as these examples show:

• Demand for public assistance has more than a doubled since 2000.
• The County's employment centers assisted more than 30,000 job seekers in FY 2011, an increase of more than 14 percent over FY 2010.
• The number of families Child Protective Services worked with increased 25 percent From FY 2007 to FY 2011.
• Calls to the domestic and sexual violence hotline increased 37 percent from FY 2008 to FY 2011.
• In FY 2011, the Community Health Care Network (CHCN) enrolled 26,588 patients; in March 2011, CHCN initiated a wait list for enrollment for the first time in five years.
• There are over 3,100 children on the waiting list for child care subsidies.
• Head Start has a waiting list of 1,326 children.

Visit the Alliance website for more information about how the County Executive's recommendations for FY2013 will affect social services for needy residents and organizations like ACCA that assist with delivery of services through the Consolidated Community Funding Pool.

ACCA participated in the 7th Just World Festival at Annandale High School on February 24, along with dozens of representatives of local, national and international organizations serving the needy. Andy Shallal, founder of Bus Boys and Poets, gave the keynote address about social justice.

Seamstresses and knitters - the ACCA Child Development Center would like volunteers to knit/sew clothes for 12" and 16" dolls. Anyone interested should contact Betsy Powers at bpowers@accacdc.org or call 703-256-0100 for details.

Spring is a busy time at the Child Development Center. Read the CDC newsletter for additional news and learn how ACCA is caring for infants, toddlers, and preschool children while preparing them for success in school and in life.

Here's What's Happening
Mark your calendar for these upcoming events:  

Dialogue to Action: Next Steps, Wednesday, March 21, 6:30 - 9 pm at Annandale High School, a process of civic engagement to protect and enrich the quality of life in Annandale. This gathering is intended to celebrate and work on the suggested solutions from the dialogues on diversity held in Annandale last year. Participants will take part in an exercise which will facilitate the civic engagement process. Translators will be available on site. Download a flyer with additional information in English, Korean or Spanish.  

Mega Job Fair Saturday, March 24, 10 am - 2 pm at the Fairfax County Government Center. Free admission for job seekers. See flyer for more details.

Concert at Peace Lutheran, March 25, featuring world- renowned artist Pamela Whitman playing flutes from around the world. Donations will benefit ACCA. See flyer for more details.

ESL, Citizenship Prep and Computer Lab classes at St. Mark's in Vienna. Registration on March 20 and April 3. See flyer in English/Spanish and English/Korean for more details.

Culmore Multicultural Day, April 14, sponsored by the Fairfax County Park Authority at the Woodrow Wilson library. See flyers in English and Spanish for more details. 

NOVA's Adult Career Pathways program is for underemployed or unemployed workers, low-wage workers, work-eligible immigrants comfortable reading and writing English, and young career starters with a high school diploma or GED.

Thursday, March 29, 6 - 8  pm, NOVA Reston Center

Wednesday, April 11, 6 - 8 pm, Pitney Bowes Bldg., Annandale

Thursday, April 19, 11 am - 1 pm, Mott Community Center, Fairfax

See flyer for additional details.

Help Wanted: Journalism Students

Anyone with an interest in journalism, communications, and/or photography is invited to join ACCA's communications team to help with our monthly e-newsletter.  If you are interested, contact Martha Romans to learn more.