Director's Corner: September

It's officially fall!! That means a lot of busy bees around WFCM, since that is our busiest season of the year. In September, we begin the Help the Homeless Walkathons, through the Fannie Mae Foundation. Several schools and churches will host a mini walk and all proceeds from registered walkers go back to WFCM. Please check with your local school, church, or business to see if a walk is scheduled, or perhaps you would like to organize one yourself (we will help you!). Our own walkathon will be held Saturday, October 29th, at a local park and we hope you will join us for an hour. Details will follow soon.

 

Following the walks will be our Annual Fellowship Dinner on Friday, October 14th. No other event is as significant as this one the past four years. As always, you may enjoy a nice dinner at the Marriott, followed by client testimonies, music, our video and our keynote speaker, Brett Fuller. Visit our website for more information and to register for the dinner. There is no cost and no ticket.

 

In addition, we will start in October to get requests from clients and local families (through the schools) for holiday assistance. Our part in holiday assistance is to provide holiday food baskets at Thanksgiving and Christmas and we need your help to do this. Donors are encouraged to provide one or more "baskets" (meals) for our clients and to drop them off during November and December, or if you are unable to provide food, gift cards to local grocery stores will be accepted.

 

Finally, on November 12, we will be partnering with the Sully District Boy Scouts for a full workday, as recipients of their Scouting for Food Drive. In the past, the scouts have given over 50,000 pounds of food to WFCM to support our food pantry and serve our clients. As you can imagine, this huge project requires hundreds of volunteers at both the scout location as well as our office. Please mark November 12 on your calendar if you can help, and contact us to let us know you will be here.

We really appreciate your prayers, in-kind donations and financial support as we enter our 25th year of service to the neediest families in western Fairfax County. Have a great fall!

 

Blessings,

 

 

Melissa M. Jansen

Executive Director 

   

4th  

Annual Fellowship Dinner

Friday, October 14, 2011

Register Online HERE!  

We are still 10 Table Hosts shy of our goal. If interested, please contact Annette Bosley, Table Host Coordinator, for details!

 

Help Prevent Homelessness Through a Walkathon!

WFCM is seeking church groups, schools, local clubs and businesses to participate with us in Fannie Mae "Help the Homeless" walks this fall. Hosting a community walk involves:   

• setting up a date between now and November 6,
• planning a route and
• recruiting walkers! 

Every tax-deductible registration fee will help WFCM make a difference in the lives of families in crisis. The "walk" could instead be a run, a bike-a-thon or most any physical activity the host group desires. Registrants are given commemorative t-shirts and will join in a 30-minute educational presentation given by WFCM to raise awareness of how to help those at risk of homelessness in our community.  

 

To learn more and get involved in this opportunity, please contact Terri Kelly, WFCM Community Liaison.   

 

 

 

 

Praise and Thanksgiving!

• A special thank you to a group of young adults (teenagers) from Community Services and Fairfax County Neighborhood for volunteering in the Thrift Store on August 25.    
• We are so very thankful for ALL our other volunteers, whether they have served for a day or a decade.
• We are thankful for such a loving and hard-working staff and board of directors.
• We are thankful for the continued healing of several of our volunteers, staff and their loved ones.  

Prayers

• We pray for a smooth transition from Centreville to Chantilly at the end of the month. 
• We pray that more clients will make use of our free financial training and budget counseling.
• We pray for all staff, board and volunteers' health, families and walk with God.
• We continue to pray for all who are suffering physically, emotionally and/or financially.       

MOST URGENT Volunteer Needs 

While we are always in need of volunteer support, the needs expressed here are those that are most critical only.

For a printable flyer of these needs, please click  HERE!
 
LIMITED TERM VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

There are one-day and short-term volunteer opportunities in our Thrift Store for groups (i.e., church, corporate) and for students to fulfill academic requirements.

LONG TERM VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

FOOD PANTRY

Wednesday pick up - BLOOM - 10:15-10:30am.

  

Baggers needed 1st & 3rd Thursdays from 11:00am to 2:30pm.

 

THRIFT STORE
Regular weekly volunteers needed Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 9:00am to 6:00pm, Thursdays from 1:00pm to 6:00pm and Saturdays from 9:00am to 5:00pm.

FURNITURE MINISTRY
One volunteer needed to help move furniture that will be given to clients in need.

For more information, please contact our Volunteer Manager, Annette Bosley, or please feel free to visit our website.  Click here for a volunteer application.



Volunteer Tai and friends celebrated her birthday in August by dedicating a full day of service at our Thrift Store.

We love our volunteers!

Most Urgent Food Pantry Needs 

These items are listed in order of need (greatest being at the top, least being at the bottom).

Click HERE for printable shopping lists for you and two friends!

Food/Beverages

• Jelly or Jam
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Spaghetti
• Canned Vegetables (Except Green Beans)    
• Canned Meats
• Canned Fruits
• Juice
• Pancake Mix 
• Pancake Syrup
• Cereal
• Oil (48 oz. or smaller)
• Sugar        

Toiletries (NOTE: toiletry items cannot be purchased by our clients with their food stamps) 

• Deodorant
• Toilet Paper        

Most Urgent Thrift Store Needs

Our current most pressing needs are the donations of baby clothes and coats, all for re-sale in our Thrift Store.

 

Thank you and God bless you!

 

Thrift Store Sales Calendar

There were some excellent sales this summer and the deals will continue into fall.  Please stop in and see us...you can always find a great deal at the WFCM Thrift Store!  Here is the sales calendar for the month of OCTOBER (which is also on our website):