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Hilton Volunteers Give Back at the CDC
 | | Hilton Worldwide kicked off a Global Week of Service at the ACCA Child Development Center (CDC) on Veterans Day. Volunteer Fairfax and the Points of Light Foundation coordinated the event. Taking part were State Del. Vivian Watts (D-39), holding banner, second from left, Points of Light Foundation Chairman Neil Bush, center, with CDC Director Isabel Ballivian, Christopher Nassetta of Hilton, and Jeanne Sanders, Executive Director of Volunteer Fairfax. More than 100 Hilton Worldwide volunteers worked with children and parents on art projects and on improvements to the CDC facility. |
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Challenge Grant Campaign Underway
 November marks the beginning of ACCA's annual fund drive. The Washington Forrest Foundation has awarded ACCA a Challenge Grant of $18,000 this year. Combined with funds from anonymous donors, $30,000 has been pledged. ACCA's goal is to raise $120,000 through this campaign.
Our success will help ACCA to provide emergency assistance and other critical services for thousands of struggling households and high-quality day care for 183 infants and preschool children each day, enabling their parents to work and to give their young ones a fair start in school and in life.
Please consider a generous contribution to ACCA by January 31, 2013. Note "Challenge Grant" in the memo line on your check. Donations can also be made online at the Catalogue for Philanthropy.
ACCA was named "One of the best small non-profits in the Washington Metro Area" by the Catalogue for Philanthropy. Nearly 97 percent of donations go to services because more than 700 volunteers do most of our work.
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Mark Your Calendar
 Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2 - 4 p.m., Faith Communities in Action Network meeting on vulnerable and chronically homeless individuals in Fairfax County, Conference Rooms 2 & 3, Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway. RSVP to NCSInterfaith@fairfaxcounty.gov. Sunday, Nov. 18, 1:30 p.m., Interfaith Communities for Dialogue discussion of "Words That Hurt, Words That Heal" by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, at Ravensworth Baptist Church, 5100 Ravensworth Rd., Annandale. Tuesday, Nov. 20, 7 p.m., Annual Community Ecumenical Thanksgiving Worship Service hosted by John Calvin Presbyterian Church, 6531 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA. Participating churches include Annandale United Methodist, Lincolnia United Methodist, Mount Pleasant Baptist and Peace Lutheran. All are welcome. The offering will be donated to ACCA. Click for flyer. Wednesday, November 21, 7 p.m., Ravensworth Road Ecumenical Thanksgiving Worship Service, hosted by Ravensworth Baptist Church, 5100 Ravensworth Road, Annandale, VA. Participating churches include Hope Lutheran, First Presbyterian and St. Barnabas' Episcopal. |
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Pastors and Partners Luncheon
 | | The Rev. Cayce Rayme, curate at St. Alban's, and ACCA Finance Chair Norman Hicks. Click the photo for more pictures from the 2012 Pastors & Partners Luncheon. |
More than 75 people attended this year's annual Pastors and Partners luncheon on October 18, including clergy from 14 ACCA churches and a similar number of partners. Supervisor Penny Gross also attended.
The program focused on various ACCA ministries. Thank you to Don Di Spirito, Richard Maglesby, Lori Shepp, and Caroline Morgan for sharing their personal stories about volunteering with ACCA, which highlighted the different ways ACCA serves those in need in our community.
ACCA is extremely grateful to Annandale United Methodist Church for hosting the annual luncheon and for the hospitality they accorded the ACCA board members, clergy, partners and special guests. Thanks also to Giant Foods (Annandale) for providing the food and lovely table decoration again this year. ACCA appreciates your support over multiple years.
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Make a Difference Day
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Employees from Gannett on Make A Difference Day at the CDC. Click the image for more photos of the volunteers in action.
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Through a Volunteer Fairfax initiative,more than 100 Gannett employees took part in Make A Difference Day at the Child Development Center on October 27. They installed new playground equipment, painted the classrooms in the infant/toddler building, and got a good start on removing sod in preparation for resurfacing playgrounds around the infant/toddler building.
Gannett has contributed $20,000 toward the purchase of the new playground equipment. See more photos of the volunteers in action on the CDC Facebook page.
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Family Emergency Assistance
 In October, ACCA provided nearly $16,000 to 30 families for rent, utilities and medical assistance. Eighteen families were single female-headed households; five included elderly persons, and three involved family members with disabilities. For a single mother with seven children, loss of her second job meant she couldn't pay the utility bill. For another single mother, paying for car repairs forced her family to go without electricity for a month. ACCA also served a pregnant mom who was unable to work her normal 40-hour workweek and a mother of three who was hospitalized because of domestic abuse. In each case, ACCA was able to help in part because of your donations. Remember: "Whatever you do for the least of these..."
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Furniture Ministry
 During October, the furniture ministry made deliveries to 24 households, including 90 individuals; of these, 15 had children under age 18. The team completed 31 pickups of donated furniture. The following churches provided the volunteer support for in October: St. Alban Episcopal, Annandale United Methodist, Immanuel Methodist, St. Michael Catholic, St. Anthony Catholic, Rotary, and the Sambo Group. We were especially pleased to welcome the Sambo Group, a Bolivian cultural group associated with the Child Development Center, to the ACCA Furniture Ministry Team. To make a furniture donation, call 703-256-9513 or email ddmld@verizon.net.
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Food Pantry
 Donations remain high and the pantry received 30 bags from a special drive done by the youth group of Annandale Methodist Church. The Boy Scout Drive took place on November 10. Thank you to both groups for your generous donations!
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2012 CROP Walk a Success
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Walkers on the trail around Lake Accotink Park. Click the photo to see more pictures of the 2012 CROP Walk including the children's posters.
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Nearly 75 walkers participated in the Annandale CROP Hunger Walk at Lake Accotink Park on October 13. The walk raises money for Church World Services (CWS) to fight hunger and poverty throughout the world, including providing relief to Hurricane Sandy victims. A portion of the funds will be returned to ACCA.
Fairfax County Board Chairman Sharon Bulova and Supervisors Penny Gross (Mason District) and John Cook (Braddock District) participated in the opening ceremony. They praised ACCA for our strong partnership with Fairfax County and thanked the walkers. Also present was John Javed, the Regional CWS Coordinator at the Richmond Office.
Donations are still being accepted online at http://www.cropwalkonline.org/annandaleva.
About 25 children participated in the CROP Walk poster contest. The artists of the winning posters include:
Fourth Grade and up: First place (tie) - Jewel Mootz and Sophie E, John Calvin Presbyterian; second place - Lindsay Gradowski, Ravensworth Baptist; third place, Jacob Yoseph, Peace Lutheran.
Second and Third Grade: First place- Jameson Smith, Ravensworth Baptist; second place - Xochi Tamanaha, St. Barnabas; third place - Taran Janek, Ravensworth Baptist.
First grade and younger: First Place - Emma Howard, St. Barnabas; second place, Dylan Brockmeyer, Ravensworth Baptist.
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Mission: Holiday Cheer
 Thanksgiving and Christmas offer unique opportunities for friends of ACCA to make the holidays a bit happier by helping those who live "on the edge." ACCA will be coordinating two programs to benefit our less fortunate neighbors. Can you help?
Thanksgiving - You and your family, a small group or a group of neighbors can provide the makings for a Thanksgiving meal, which the family will prepare for themselves. You can either put together what you think will be needed to prepare the meal and deliver to the family a day or so before Thanksgiving, or provide grocery gift cards for a family to make their own selection for the Thanksgiving meal.
Christmas - Provide groceries for the same or a different family for the Christmas meal. Gifts for the children would be included with the delivery. Information about the family will be provided.
To learn more, contact Mary Lee Di Spirito, ddmld@verizon.net or 703-256-9513 and provide your name, address, phone number and email address if you have one. She will then match you with a family referred to the Holiday Basket/Adopt a Family Program.
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Transportation and Meals on Wheels
 ACCA volunteers provided 29 rides for 18 clients and delivered 708 meals to home bound individuals in October.
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December Outerwear Clothing Drive
 ACCA's fifth annual outerwear clothing drive for day laborers, shelter residents and Child Development Center children takes place December 5 - 6. Items sought include jackets, hooded sweatshirts, sweaters, gloves and winter hats for men, women and children. Parishes that wish to participate should contact Don Di Spirito, dondispirito@verizon.net or 703-256-9513, for more information.
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