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Greetings!
In a recent op-ed piece entitled "Caring For The Faces On The Corner" that appeared in the January 19 edition of the Times-Dispatch, Tom Allen asks the question, "What's a person of faith to do" with "down-on-their-luck people panhandling at traffic lights"? Many of us struggle with this question as we attempt to model behavior that is both compassionate and responsible for our children, our neighbors, and ourselves, and there are many possible responses.
Perhaps one of the most meaningful gestures we can make in the face of desperate need is to volunteer. Volunteering gives us an opportunity to make a connection with others and to demonstrate our care and concern for their struggles through action. Virginia Supportive Housing offers many opportunities throughout the year for individuals, families, congregations, and service groups to connect with, support, and stabilize the most vulnerable members of our community.
How you can get involved? For Richmond opportunities, please plan to attend the next general volunteer orientation on Monday February 11 at 5:30 at our new headquarters (5008 Monument Avenue, 2nd floor) or RSVP for one of the upcoming sessions listed below! For opportunities in Charlottesville and Hampton Roads, just click on the links below! |
| Thanks To MLK Day Of Service Volunteers! |  Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" On January 21, thirty-six volunteers answered that question by participating in VSH's MLK Day of Service activity. Teams of community supporters, VSH clients, and UMFS teens worked side-by-side to cheer on each other's accomplishments, explore personal strengths and challenges, and identify goals for 2013. Then they created personal "vision boards" to capture these goals through words & images. It was a great way to kick off the new year, and a great opportunity to inspire and be inspired! What are YOU doing for others in 2013? To find out more about how you can serve our formerly homeless clients, just reply to this message or send an e-mail! |
| Upcoming Opportunity: Lenten Meals |  Meals are one of the easiest service opportunities available and they provide so much more than food for our formerly homeless clients. Can your group commit to this simple & rewarding opportunity between February 13 and March 31? Your group can provide a breakfast meal, a lunch, or a dinner. Menus can be simple or fancy, and examples of successful past dinners include fried chicken, chili or stew, spaghetti, lasagna, tacos, casseroles, pizza, hot dogs and hamburgers, and barbeque. Multiple locations are available, and population sizes vary from 6 - 60. The larger properties are perfect for congregations and service clubs, while the smaller properties are perfect for families and small scout troops. To find out more about this opportunity or sign your group up for a meal, just reply to this message or send an e-mail! |
Everyone Likes To Feel Special On Their Birthday....
|  And YOU can make the day feel even more special by joining the celebration! Are you looking for an opportunity that combines fun with service and is suitable for families with kids as young as five? Virginia Supportive Housing needs volunteers who can help our clients celebrate their special days with creative crafts, yummy birthday treats, singing, games, and silliness!
Volunteers will spend the first hour making birthday cards, decorating the party space, and baking tasty treats. Then the second hour will be PARTY TIME! Volunteers and clients will celebrate with food, games, music, fun...and of course we'll sing Happy Birthday! This opportunity is designed for family volunteers (one or more parents/ caregivers plus one or more children ages 5-15)!
2013 Birthday Party opportunities are available on:
February 23 from 10:00 - 12:00
March 23 from 10:00 - 12:00
April 20 from 10:00 - 12:00
May 18 from 10:00 - 12:00
(Please note: Specific address, parking information, and other special details will be included with the RSVP confirmation.)
To view the photos from our most recent birthday party, click here!
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| 2013 Internship Opportunities |  Meet Gerlissa Bryson, VSH's spring 2013 PR intern! Gerlissa, a native of New Jersey, is a junior at Virginia Union University and working toward a degree in communications. Her ambition upon graduation is to work in the field of broadcast journalism. This semester, she will receive academic credit for completing 120 hours of service by interviewing clients and assembling our newsletters. "Coming from New Jersey, I've seen a lot of homelessness and I am very interested in the issue. Working with Virginia Supportive Housing will give me an opportunity to help change the outcome of individuals that are sleeping out on the street. VSH is a very exciting organization accomplishing amazing things, and I am glad to be a part of it!" We still have internship opportunities for mature and hard-working students who would like to help with our 25th Anniversary campaign. To find out more about these opportunities and receive an internship application, please click here. |
| Opportunities With VSH Hampton Roads |  According to a recent article in the Virginia Pilot, chronic homelessness is down in Hampton Roads by 36%. Virginia Supportive Housing is very proud to be a part of the region's collaborative efforts to end homelessness, and community volunteers are a big part of this effort! In fact, we are about to hire additional volunteer program staff in order to provide more opportunities for volunteer support at our properties in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake! To find out more about our opportunities or get a schedule of upcoming orientations, send an e-mail to Hampton Roads Mission Advancement Director Esther Robert or call 757-394-3077 x 307! |
| Opportunities With VSH Charlottesville |  Multiple service opportunities are available for community volunteers in the Charlottesville area who would like to support the tenants at the Crossings at Fourth & Preston! Pictured at left, volunteers and Crossings staff engage in an ornament making and tree decorating party. A holiday party and meal also took place in December and included a gift for each of our 60 residents. These and other activities like movie night support the tenants in their efforts to stabilize and reintegrate with the community. To find out more about these opportunities or get the schedule of upcoming orientations, send an e-mail resource coordinator Anne Deery or call 434-227-4251 x 310! |
| Please Share Your Thoughts! |  If you volunteered for VSH within the past year, then we want to hear from you! Please take just a moment to answer a few quick questions about your experience as a VSH volunteer. Your feedback will help us to build a better, more effective, and more responsive program! To complete the survey, please click on this link! The deadline is February 28. Thank you for being a part of our proven, permanent solutions to homelessness! |
| WANTED: Your Gently Used Donations! |  As long as there are homeless individuals living unsheltered on the streets, VSH will continue expanding to get these individuals off the streets and into housing before it's too late. When the people we serve transition into housing, they typically lack many common household items needed to stabilize . Can you provide any of the items listed below for a new VSH tenant?
BEDDING: Pillow, sheets, blankets
BATH ITEMS: Towels, shower curtains, trash cans, bath mats
KITCHEN ITEMS: Pots & pans, dishes & cups, cooking & eating utensils, tupperware, can opener
TOILETRIES: Shampoo, soap, deoderant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouth wash, body wash, shave cream, disposable razors, hand sanitizer
PAPER PRODUCTS: Paper towels, toilet paper
CLEANING PRODUCTS: Dish detergent, laundry detergent, bleach, all-purpose cleaner, broom, bucket, trash bags
FOOD: Canned tuna, canned vegetables & fruits, canned soup, peanut butter, boxed cereal, instant oatmeal, pasta, pasta sauce, macaroni & cheese
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| Thanks to December & January Volunteers! |  VSH volunteers completed more than 600 hours of service during the months of December and January supporting activities throughout the organization. Volunteers provided general administrative support at the HQ; helped to address appeal letters; celebrated MLK Day of Service; celebrated birthdays; supported our annual holiday party; decorated for the holidays; made holiday cards, ornaments, and cookies; cut hair; built a basement enclosure; taught computer skills; hosted an XBox party; conducted AA meetings; did routine maintenance; baked casseroles & cookies; served hot meals; played games; offered GED & adult literacy tutoring; and conducted Bible study. Many thanks to these volunteers for giving the gift of their time so that VSH can fulfill its mission in our community!
INDIVIDUALS: Nadine Abney, Dale & Rayanna Alexander, Ben Allen, Rick Bartlett, Debra & Jessica Beaudet, Audrey & Wayne Blanks, Ivy Chen, Tim & Kelly Christensen, Kathy Clark, Nick Coile, Combs family, Matt DiCerbo, Samantha Donals, Diane Enroughty, Shontell Giles, Nicki Godwin, Pam Goggins, Brooke & Brenda Guerrero, Michelle & Milissa Harris, Linda Landry, Sydney Lester, Debbie Lewis-Taylor, Phoebe Nassar, Chelsea O'Brien, Hannah Pace, Abbey & Shea Pennington, Terry Pierce, Sandy Plummer, Don Powell, Roger & Katherine Price, Tarah & Sadiraa Pryor, Rakim Reid, John & Madison Rosatos, Andrew Ryan, Bill Sharkey, Singh Family, Rebecca Smith, Kevin Svenson, Joni Teague, Shannon Thomas, Kathleen Turman, Judy Turner, Katie Tyson, Amanda Velez, Michelle Webb, Nakia Williams, Yerian family
GROUPS: Capital One, Commonwealth Chapel, Foursquare Life Center, Girl Scout troop 411, Grove Avenue Baptist, Spring Creek Baptist, UMFS teens |
| 2013 Orientation Schedule |  VSH has a need RIGHT NOW for volunteers who can help with administrative needs, routine maintenance, computer tutoring, and mentoring activities. And all kinds of opportunities are available for volunteers who want to help paint, clean, serve food, celebrate holidays & birthdays, and support the efforts of our clients to get back on their feet!
NOW is the perfect time to get training requirements out of the way so that you can be a part of the action! To RSVP for an orientation session below, just click here!
Richmond sessions:
Monday February 11, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Monday March 11, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Monday April 15, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Monday May 13, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Charlottesville sessions: To express interest, click here or call 434-227-4251 x 310. Hampton Roads sessions: To request a schedule of dates & times, click here or call 757-394-3077 ext. 307! |
| Reminder About Sensitivity Training |  Due to New VSH liability regulations, ALL VSH volunteers involved in direct interaction opportunities MUST complete annual sensitivity training! This training provides important information on client rights, volunteer liability, policy violations, and other reminders. If you have not had sensitivity training within the last 12 months or are unsure, please respond to this message!
Richmond sessions:
Tuesday February 26, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday March 26, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday April 30, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday May 28, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Charlottesville sessions:
To express interest, click here or call 434-227-4251 x 310.
Hampton Roads sessions:
To request a schedule of dates & times, click here or call 757-394-3077 ext. 307!
To RSVP for one of the sessions listed above or to schedule a special session for your group, just click here! |
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I look forward to working with you in the coming year!
Sincerely,
Alison Jones-Nassar, Volunteer Resources Manager
Virginia Supportive Housing
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| SAVE THE DATE! |  | |
2012 was an amazing year for VSH's volunteer program! More than 850 volunteers supported VSH with administrative, property beautification, and client interaction activities of all kinds, providing 15% MORE hours of service in Richmond alone than in the previous year!
We can never thank you enough for all you do to support our mission to end homelessness....but we can try!
Mark your calendars right now and make plans to attend our Annual Volunteer Appreciation Awards Ceremony and Dinner on Tuesday May 21 at 6:00 p.m.!
Stay tuned for more details and we can't wait to see you there! |
| Download Our Most Recent Annual Report! |  |
"Thank all of you so much for all that you do." When VSH found Craig Thompson (above), he had been homeless for more than a year. He was living in a makeshift tent in the woods and sleeping under a tarp. Now he's in his own apartment and getting back on his feet. To read Craig's full story and view our 2011 annual report, just click on this link!
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| Invite Us In! |  |
Do you belong to a congregation, service club, civic group, or scout troop that is seeking meaningful service opportunities that make a difference in the community? Why not introduce your group members to the great work of VSH? We'd love to share our mission, vision, and goals for ending homelessness among our most vulnerable citizens! There are many opportunities throughout the year for groups to support our work through service and advocacy. To find out more, request a presentation!
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| Cleaning Supplies Needed! |  | |
Cleaning supplies
such as mops, brooms,
buckets, and general cleaning products are needed by VSH tenants at The Crossings in Charlottesville! If you can help with this need, please send an e-mail to Charlottesville resource coordinator Anne Deery or call 434-227-4251 x 310!
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