| Donate to UCM's
Food Pantry |
Food Served Exceeds 466,000 Pounds
in 11 Months
From July 2008 through May of 2009, UCM's Food Pantry has served 466,391 pounds of food to 9,151 individuals.
There is an incredible need out there for people to be able to put food on the table, and UCM continues to fill that need through its Food Pantry. During the summer months, food donations are especially important because school-aged children are on summer break and not receiving their free or reduced-price breakfasts or lunches at school.
Food donations are always appreciated. For a list of food needs, please click here. |
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Gently Used Items Needed for Back Porch Thrift Store |
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Many of UCM's clients are given vouchers to the Back Porch Thrift Store to buy clothes for work and school. The store has been a mainstay in our community for many years. Now, more than ever, we need your donations of gently used items. Currently, we have a tremendous need for furniture. And we offer free pickup for large items! Items can be dropped off at the Back Porch, Mt. Vernon Crossroads Shopping Center (between WalMart and Gold's Gym), 7838 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA 22306. Please click here for more information. |
| THANK YOU! |
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A special thank you to volunteer Kathleen Brady, who collected and assembled padfolios (folders with notepads in them) for the Workforce Development Center. The padfolios are used to help clients in their job searches. On behalf of UCM and the Workforce Development Center, thank you for all of your hard work! |
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Whiten your teeth and part of the proceeds will go to UCM! It's all a part of "Smiles for Life." To learn more about Smiles for Life, click on the image above. For participating dentists in your area, click here. |
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Forward UCM's Community Connection to a friend! |
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Greetings!
 Eat at The Original Italian Pie today, June 15, and 10% of the proceeds will go to UCM! The fundraiser will last from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
To participate, each patron must present this flyer (or mention the flyer) to the wait staff. Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated by The Original Italian Pie to support UCM's programs. The food is delicious, and the more you eat, the more we receive! Our thanks to The Original Italian Pie for extending their generosity to UCM.
Monday's fundraiser is one in a series of Restaurant Nights. To learn more, and for July's event, please click here. The Original Italian Pie
7475 Richmond Highway
Alexandria, VA 22306
(Safeway Center at Mt Vernon Square)
703-765-7650
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| Father Succeeds Despite the Odds |
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Single parenting is hard. UCM's Healthy Families Fairfax (HFF) is an intensive home visitation program that successfully prevents child abuse and neglect in high-risk families, many of them headed by single mothers. Even when the father of the baby is present in the home, his participation may be limited because he is working long hours to provide for his family. Joe[1] is one such father.
When the mother of Joe's child abandoned the family, Joe called UCM. He wanted to continue the home visitation program in which the mother had been involved because he recognized just how vital the program was to the development of his child. Before calling, he had gained a lot of information through previous conversations with the mother and from pamphlets she had brought home. Now that he was the sole guardian of the child, he possessed the desire and commitment to participate in the program.
Joe now receives intensive home-based parenting education, health information and community support for his child. When the child is ready, he will also receive school readiness information for him. The probabilitly of successful parenting is good, despite the high risk factors. HHF is so successful that, since April, only one case of abuse and neglect has been found by Child Protective Services--out of 564 participants that have been identified as extremely high risk. This is an extraordinary success with life-long positive influences on the lives of the children and adults in these families.
Healthy Families Fairfax is an innovative collaborative project among UCM, Northern Virginia Family Service, Reston Interfaith, and the Fairfax County Departments of Family Services and Health. For many, HHF is the best opportunity to gain and practice good parenting skills.
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Vote for our picture to be featured on the website for Volunteer Fairfax!
UCM submitted the photo below to Volunteer Fairfax's photo competition, which is currently underway. The photo shows UCM volunteers working in UCM's back parking lot preparing grocery bags for our families and individuals who receive emergency food.
Volunteer Fairfax mobilizes people and resources to meet regional and community needs. A diverse mix of corporations and organizations all over Fairfax County go to their website when they are looking for local volunteer opportunities. UCM has a host of volunteer opportunities and is always looking for more volunteers. By voting for UCM's photo, you can ensure that UCM's volunteer opportunities are at the front and center when potential volunteers browse the site. Please take time to participate in the contest! To vote, click here. | |
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