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Coat Drive Yields Ample Harvest
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ACCA Volunteers distributed winter coats to day laborers at two sites. Click the photo to view additional images on the ACCA Facebook page.
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ACCA's fifth annual outerwear clothing drive yielded a great harvest of brand new and gently used coats for distribution to day laborers on Friday, December 7. Emma Cleveland of the Legal Aid Justice Center helped organize the giveaway at the day laborer sites on Little River Turnpike and Culmore Shopping Center. Each worker provided his name and was given a number. As the names were called, each stepped forward to claim his new apparel. More than 100 men were served between the two sites. Don Di Spirito and Ron Novak drove the truck and sorted the coats. Volunteers from the ACCA Furniture Program organized the clothing drive, working with St. Mark's Catholic Church in Vienna, and ACCA churches including Providence Presbyterian, Queen of Apostles Catholic, Lincolnia United Methodist, John Calvin Presbyterian, Ravensworth Baptist, St. Barnabas' Episcopal, and St. Michael's Catholic.
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ACCA Seeks to Meet Challenge Please consider a generous contribution to ACCA in your end-of-year giving plans. ACCA has a 45-year history of serving our needy neighbors. Nearly 97 percent of donations go to services, because more than 700 volunteers do the work.
For the 11th year, the Washington Forrest Foundation has awarded ACCA a challenge grant -- $18,000 this year -- augmented by other donors for a total of $30,000 in seed money. Our goal is to raise $120,00 in response to this challenge.
You can send a check to ACCA, 7200 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003 (write "Challenge Grant" on the memo line) or make your donation online through the Catalogue of Philanthropy. The Catalogue has named ACCA "One of the Best" nonprofits in the metro area. Thank you for your support.
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Child Development Center
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A young child tries out the new playground equipment at the Child Development Center. Support for the new equipment came from the Gannett Foundation, ACCA and the CDC. Volunteers organized by the Points of Light Foundation, Volunteer Fairfax and USA Today helped to install it. Click the image to view more photos on the CDC Facebook page.
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The Child Development Center received a $7,000 grant from the Wolftap Foundation to support arts education in the classrooms next year. Talented professionals will visit the CDC to help teachers lead fine arts, music and movement activities with their classes.
The uncertainty regarding the fiscal cliff is of great concern to low-income families at the Child Development Center, most of whom rely on federal childcare subsidies that are allocated to the states by the federal government. ACCA leaders are also concerned about newly revised state regulations which limit parents' eligibility for the subsidies, eliminate the subsidies when parents lose their jobs or have their work hours reduced, or if children are too sick to attend. Without the subsidies, neither the parents nor the Center can afford to keep the children enrolled. The gravity of these issues is being shared with our elected representatives at the federal, state and local levels.
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Know of a Needy Homeowner?
 Since 1990, ACCA has participated in Rebuilding Together(formerly Christmas in April), helping to repair and rehabilitate more than 107 homes and non-profit housing facilities. ACCA volunteers have contributed more than 30,000 volunteer hours to insure that low-income seniors, persons with disabilities and families with children have a safe and decent place to live.
While it is only December, the Rebuilding Together organizers are already thinking about April 2013. If you know a struggling homeowner who might benefit from our help, please encourage them to contact Patti Klein at (703) 528-1999. ACCA also needs sponsors to underwrite the cost of repairs. The cost of sponsoring a house is $3,500. Churches and individuals can share this cost, as needed. For more information, contact Marie Monsen, (703) 354-9408 or mamonsen@verizon.net.
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Family Emergency Assistance
 In November, ACCA provided more than $26,500 to 49 households. By far, the largest single expense was to provide rent assistance, nearly $21,000. In one example, a family of five was being evicted the day their request was made. With the help of ACCA assistance, the family was able to secure housing that same day. A more satisfactory outcome is when ACCA is able to prevent evictions from occurring. ACCA helped a family of four in which the father lost his job; although he quickly found another one, the loss of a week's pay left the family unable to pay the rent. ACCA paid a significant portion of the rent so the family would not be evicted.
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Food Pantry The Food Pantry was operating in high gear in November with the Thanksgiving holiday. In addition to its usual deliveries to 74 households, volunteers assembled 100 Thanksgiving baskets. The Knights of Columbus, Calvary Church of the Nazarene, and Baileys Elementary School, delivered these. Additionally, the Food Pantry provided food for a complete dinner (except the meat) for another 75 - 100 at the Bailey's Shelter. Members of Calvary Church cooked the meal. At this time, the pantry is low on rice, dried red and black beans, cookies, canned fruit and canned meats. Your generous donations are appreciated!
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Furniture Ministry  The Furniture Ministry made deliveries to 26 households including 118 people in November. In one instance, ACCA volunteers delivered furniture to a family of five adults (two generations) and four children, the youngest just two years old. The family had moved into a rented home in Arlington with the barest essentials - a few plastic chairs, a folding table and two beds. The ACCA furniture team equipped them with two single beds, two double beds, linens, blankets and pillows, two chests of drawers, a dining table with six chairs, two living room chairs, a sofa, coffee table and two end tables, three lamps and a small refrigerator.
This one delivery dramatically transformed this family's home and quality of life. It exemplified the spirit of "Doing what Jesus would do" which has been the guiding principle of ACCA for over 45 years. Many thanks to the following churches for providing volunteers in November: St. Michael Catholic, the Sambo Group, Providence Presbyterian, John Calvin Presbyterian, St.Barnabas's Episcopal and Cornerstone Evangelical.
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Meals on Wheels and Transportation
Meals on Wheels volunteers made 354 deliveries in November, each consisting of two meals, one hot meal and one cold lunch. The Transportation team provided 28 rides for 14 clients.
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Parenting Classes Offered
The Fairfax County Department of Family Services, Parenting Education Programs is enrolling families for several upcoming parenting classes. These programs are special in that both parents and children attend the classes, although children are taught in different classrooms than parents. Classes are for Fairfax County residents; meet from 5:30 to 8 p.m.; are free; and include dinner and childcare. Classes meet once a week for 12, 13, or 21 weeks depending on the curriculum.
You can download a list of all Parenting Education Program classes, which includes dates and locations and the curriculum topics. Click here for more information, including enrollment forms, online.
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CROP Hunger Walk
As of December 1, participants in the 2012 CROP Hunger walk raised more than $19,179 in donations for Church World Services to combat poverty and hunger here and abroad. A portion of the funds will be returned to ACCA to support missions such as the Food Pantry and Emergency Assistance. Many thanks to the participating churches, donors, walkers, and volunteers for their support of the walk. Pictures from the walk are posted on the ACCA Facebook page.
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