August 2022
Monthly Update
As local students prepare for the new school year, ACCA is planning another year of providing needed services to local families. Hunger doesn't take a summer vacation so please consider dropping off some much-needed groceries to help get us through the summer! Remember to use the Amazon Smile program when you shop to benefit ACCA and to tie your Harris Teeter card to the ACCA Child Development Center.
Food Pantry Needs and Donation Schedules

Our food pantry team delivers much-needed groceries to clients referred to ACCA by social workers at Fairfax County. Our generous community donates non-perishable food and hygiene products which are then supplemented by a team of shoppers. Our bargain-hunters visit several stores to get what is needed at the lowest price.

Please consider donating non-perishable foods to ACCA. We will be collecting food donations each week on Tuesday-Friday from 1:30-4 p.m., with the exception of County Holidays and other scheduled closings.

The ACCA food pantry is located at 7200 Columbia Pike (trailer separate from the day care center) in Annandale. Please do not drop off food if a volunteer is not available.

Right now we especially need soups, canned fruit, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter and jelly. We can always use BAGS! A complete list of pantry needs is listed on our website.

On the first Thursday of each month in the fall you can also drop food off at the Mason District Police Station at 6507 Columbia Pike in the lower parking lot. The dates for the collections are September 8, October 6, and November 3. Many thanks to our sponsoring partners at the Fairfax County Mason District Police and the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) Chapter 1159.
Your Grocery Purchases Benefit the Child Development Center 
  
Harris Teeter shoppers, you can make a donation to the ACCA Child Development Center (CDC) every time you shop by linking your VIC card to the CDC. Harris Teeter makes a donation to participating schools when you purchase participating Harris Teeter brand products.

To link your card (or update your selections), visit the site at Together in Education, or ask the cashier next time you are in the store. Use the enrollment code 8684 for the CDC.
VolunteerFest

The annual VolunteerFest in Fairfax County is scheduled for September 17. VolunteerFest is an opportunity for local organizations to recruit volunteers to fulfill some of their needs. ACCA will be collecting first aid kids from the local community for distribution to our food pantry clients.

The first step is to collect the items which you can start anytime. We will collect on September 17.

You can be a bit creative with the items that you use. Items that are perfect for these first aid kits are listed below:
  • Gauze Pads
  • Bandages (all sizes)
  • Gauze Roller Bandage
  • Triple Antibiotic Ointment
  • Tweezers
  • Adhesive Tape
  • Latex Gloves
  • Saline Wash
  • Alcohol Pad
  • Eye Wash 
  • Eye Pads
  • Q-Tips
  • Ear Plugs
  • Sunscreen

 Another option is to purchase a first aid kit and deliver to the pantry. Since we are all volunteers, we don’t recommend ordering items for delivery to the pantry, 

Details and registration information will be coming soon.
 Amazon Smile program

ACCA participates in the Amazon Smile program. When you designate ACCA as your charity of choice, Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of all your eligible purchases to ACCA — at no additional cost to you.

How to use AmazonSmile on a web browser:
  1. Visit smile.amazon.com.
  2. Sign in with the same account you use for Amazon.com.
  3. Select your charity. The listing for ACCA says this: ACCA, Inc. - Annandale Christian Community for Action
  4. Start shopping! Remember to checkout at smile.amazon.com to generate donations for your chosen charity. Tip: Add a bookmark to make it easier to shop at smile.amazon.com.
Support ACCA Child Development Center and Kisima Academy
 
What: Race or Volunteer at the Charity Triathlon Family Event
Time: 7:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Sunday August 28
The race is at Sleepy Hollow Recreation Association, but you will park at Sleepy Hollow Bath and Racquet (The 2 side by side pools on Sleepy Hollow Road). 
Sign up today to guarantee shirt size. Register or Volunteer here! Every racer gets a medal, tech shirt, ice cream and...beer for adults!  Volunteers get it all, too (except for the medal). 100% of proceeds support kids - locally at the ACCA Child Development Center and globally at Kisima Academy in rural Kenya. We have raised an average of $10k to donate in the past and hoping to exceed that this year. Find out more about FTKI.
Critical Volunteer Needs
Volunteers perform all of the work that you've read about here, our critical needs right now are for drivers transporting seniors. Please contact us and we'll give you the details.

Annandale Christian Community for Action