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December 2014 News   


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Contact Information 
Mailing Address
7200 Columbia Pike
Annandale, VA 22003

 
Information
 
703-256-0100

 
Emergency
Assistance

(Fairfax County)
703-222-0880

 
Donations
(except furniture)
703-256-0100

 
Furniture Donations 
703-256-9513


Email
[email protected]

ACCA Website www.accacares.org

About ACCA
ACCA is a church-related voluntary organization providing day care,  financial assistance, food, furniture, and other support to needy families in the Annandale/Bailey's Crossroads area, regardless of religion, race or ethnicity. Except for the child development center, all ACCA services are provided by volunteers. To learn more about ACCA, visit our website at www.accacares.org.  

Next Meeting
The next meeting will be 

February 3   

at the ACCA Child Development Center

7200 Columbia Pike

Annandale, VA 22003

 
Refreshments and fellowship 
7:30 p.m.
Meeting
7:45 p.m. 
Open to all visitors.   
  

ACCA Members
Annandale United Methodist

Braddock Baptist

Calvary Church of the Nazarene

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Annandale Ward
and
Little River Ward

Cornerstone Evangelical Free

Culmore United Methodist

First Presbyterian

Friendship United Methodist

Holy Spirit Catholic

Hope Lutheran

John Calvin Presbyterian

Lincolnia United Methodist 

Mt. Pleasant Baptist

Peace Lutheran

Providence Presbyterian

Queen of the Apostles Catholic

Ravenworth Baptist

Sleepy Hollow United Methodist

St. Alban's Episcopal

St. Anthony Catholic

St. Barnabas Episcopal

St. Michael's Catholic

St. Paul's Episcopal

United Baptist

Warner Baptist    

Food Drive Saturday Dec. 13

The ACCA Food Pantry is holding a special food collection at the Pantry on Saturday, December 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event is part of the United Way's Give Goods: Holiday Drive. Food donations are needed to replenish empty shelves. The Pantry is struggling to keep pace with increased requests for emergency food assistance.  

 

When you shop this week, please pick up a few extra items to drop off at the Food Pantry or at your ACCA member church. Currently, the pantry needs canned fruits, meat (no tuna) Jell-O and Jell-O pudding mix, cereals, soup, crackers, juice, tea and milk. No green beans or spaghetti/noodles.

 

In November, volunteers made 100 food deliveries, assisting 311 individuals. The Pantry also contributed to 30 Thanksgiving baskets distributed by Calvary Church.

Thanksgiving Service 
 
Rev. Raymond Max-Jones offers a prayer of Thanksgiving at the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service. Click above to see more photos of the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service.
Eight ACCA congregations co-hosted an Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service that included music, prayer and fellowship on November 25. Among the participating guest clergy were the Rev. Dr. Clarence Brown, Jr., of Annandale United Methodist, Rev. Dr. Carl Johnson of Mt. Pleasant Baptist, Rev. Raymond Max-Jones of Lincolnia United Methodist and Rev. Linda Wofford Hawkins of St. Barnabas' Episcopal. The Rev. Dr. Lisa Rzepka welcomed all to the host church, John Calvin Presbyterian.

More than $3,520 was collected for ACCA ministries. Thanks to all who made the annual ecumenical service such a success. 
  

Election of Officers

ACCA, Inc. held its annual election of officers on December 2 at the meeting hosted by Warner Baptist. All current officers were reelected, including Gail V. Coleman, President; Neal Mohlmann, Vice President; Sue Meekins, Corresponding Secretary; Joy Savage, Recording Secretary; Homer Christiansen, Treasurer; Linda Budhinata, Assistant Treasurer; and Stella Godbolt, Assistant Corresponding Secretary. We appreciate their service.

Volunteers Needed  

Given the increased demand at the food pantry, we need  additional food captains and drivers. Food captains receive referrals from social workers and arrange for volunteer drivers to pick up and deliver the food. The time commitment is one week every three months, with the actual time needed varying from nothing to an hour or two a day. A computer and access to the Internet are needed.   

 

Food drivers go to the pantry, put an order together and deliver it to the family. It can take up to one hour or more depending on where the home is located. Drivers do not volunteer on a set schedule, but are contacted as the need arises and make deliveries only if they are available.    

 

Please email Jean Rackowski [email protected] if you are interested in either opportunity.

Challenge Grant Update 

Have you receive a Dear Friend of ACCA letter in the mail? If so, we hope you will respond generously. Your donation will be used to provide safe, affordable child care, food, furniture and financial assistance to those in our local community who are struggling.The Washington Forrest Foundation and several anonymous donors have kicked off the campaign with a starting base of $43,000. Our challenge is to raise at least $3 in additional donations for every $1 of our starting base, or an additional $129,000.

 

To donate by check, write "Challenge Grant" in the memo line and mail your check to ACCA, 7200 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003. You can also donate online through the ACCA website or the Catalogue for Philanthropy. In this 47th year of service, please help ACCA continue to serve our needy neighbors. Donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.  

Winter Coat Collection 

Donated coats and warm winter outerwear will be distributed to day laborers and others on Monday, December 15. Many thanks to all who cleaned out their closets and donated their surplus winter gear. Watch this newsletter for a second collection effort in late winter.

Child Development Center App

The ACCA Child Development Center (CDC) has launched a new app for smart phones with basic information about the CDC, including hours and location. The app will allow  parents and staff to better communicate about the school schedule, weather related events, closing times, and other issues. The app is available for both Android and iOS phones.

Amazon Smile  

Click to get started!

Whether you order online once a year or several time a week,  you can support ACCA with your Amazon purchase and it won't cost you a dime. Sign up for the Amazon Smile program and select ACCA as your charity. The Amazon Foundation will donate a half percent of your eligible purchase to ACCA. That's something we can all smile about!

Furniture Ministry

The Furniture Program made deliveries to 32 households and picked up furniture from 27 households in November. Among those served was a former homeless man who is now living in a subsidized apartment in Culmore. His apartment was empty of furniture and ACCA was able to completely furnish it for him. Imagine the transformation in his home life! We thank our furniture donors and the delivery teams for making this possible.

Family Emergency Assistance 

During November, ACCA provided $17,840 for rent, utilities and other expenses to local families. A grant from United Way enabled us to serve 16 additional households for a total of 46 households served.  

 

Thanks to ACCA, a single mother was able to move out of a domestic violence shelter and into her own apartment. Another mother was able to pay her utility bill, despite incurring large immigration expenses for her mother. And a family of five was able to pay the rent, despite a reduction in the mother's work hours and the resulting loss of income. On behalf of all the families who will have a place to call "home" this Christmas because of your support, thank you.

Meals on Wheels and Transportation 

During the month of November 2014, the Annandale Meals on Wheels delivered a total of 670 meals to 20 clients. Transportation volunteers provided 5 rides for 5 clients.

Hypothermia Prevention & Response   

The 2014-15 hypothermia season started on December 1 and will end on March 31, 2015. Each night many of our homeless neighbors living on the streets will gather at the Baileys Community Shelter for dinner and then be transported to off-site overnight shelters. Various ACCA churches, including Annandale United Methodist, Calvary Church of the Nazarene, Peace Lutheran, Sleepy Hollow United Methodist, St. Alban's Episcopal, and United Baptist, are hosting these off-site shelters.

 

The sheltering program needs lots of support during the hypothermia season. Items needed include food, personal care items, cleaning supplies and clothing.

 

Groups can sign up to prepare and serve dinner for 25 to 50 guests, prepare bag lunches to be given out, and serve breakfast at the off-site shelters.

 

Donations may be taken directly to the Baileys Community Shelter, 3525 Moncure Avenue, Falls Church, VA  22041 (just off Columbia Pike). Call Johnese Bullock at 703-820-7621 to arrange to prepare and serve a meal or provide bag lunches. Now is the time to remember our homeless neighbors and help them through the cold winter days ahead.