September 2022

Monthly Update

Join us in the observance of Patriot Day as we collect First-Aid kits for local families on September 17.   Please consider dropping off some much-needed groceries for the food pantry at one of 3 locations this fall (pantry, Giant, police station)! 

Food Pantry Donations at Giant, Mason District Police Station, and the Pantry


The shelves at the ACCA food pantry need to be refilled and there is a new convenient drop off point at the Giant at 7137 Columbia Pike in Annandale. A shopping cart with an ACCA sign on it is available near the checkout and you can place food there as you exit the store. The donations will be collected and taken to the food pantry each week through mid-October. 


A list of our most needed items is here. https://accacares.org/foodpantry/  Many thanks to our partners at Giant Food! 


On the first Thursday for the next 3 months,  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.


We continue to accept food donations on Tuesday-Friday from 1:30-4 pm at the Food Pantry, 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.

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 kits from the local community for distribution to our food pantry clients. Please share this information with your friends and neighbors.


The first step is to collect the items which you can start anytime. We will collect the full kits on September 17 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the ACCA Child Development Center at 7200 Columbia Pike.



 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, 


Get all of the details and register here

Helping our Neighbors in Need


Following are a few examples of recent clients who were helped through ACCA.


  • A new client with a small child needed assistance with the security deposit for her new apartment. She has a low paying job and was previously renting a room for about 8 months. ACCA assisted with the security deposit of $500.
  • A senior client who recently lost her mother used her funds to pay for the funeral and now needs assistance with her rent. ACCA assisted with 1.5 months of rent.
  • An Afghani immigrant extended family of 11 people (8 adults) rented a 3 BR house for $2,700 per month and is having difficulty paying the rent. They received assistance for several months but now are on their own financially. ACCA assisted with the maximum per our guidelines. 



Donate to ACCA

In Memoriam


We are sad to share news of the recent loss of two dedicated women who volunteered their time and used their many talents to make life a little easier for our needy neighbors through their work with ACCA.  


Eileen Garnett, who volunteered with ACCA for many years died on May 25, 2022. She took every opportunity to help others, devoting countless hours to farmers’ markets, library book sales, neighborhood watch, election polling centers, meals on wheels, clothing drives, and food pantries. She also volunteered in the schools, served as PTA president, and was an active member of the Broyhill Crest Community Association. Eileen received several honors for her exceptional volunteerism and impact. These awards included Lady Fairfax honoree (1986, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors), Citizen of the Year (1991, 1998, 2002, Annandale Chamber of Commerce), and Community Champion (2007, Volunteer Fairfax). Eileen and her husband Stan delivered for the ACCA food pantry beginning in 2011 and switched to stocking and packing food during the pandemic.

 

Ann Hudson, who volunteered as a food captain, food packer, and driver for the pantry since 2019, died on August 23, 2022. Ann delivered food regularly, even through the early stages of the pandemic in 2020. At that time when the pantry was overwhelmed, she sometimes delivered food three times per week before her health issues forced her to cut back. Ann served as a food captain and packed food every week in the pantry when ACCA most needed her hard work and dedication.  She also helped with other projects including fundraising campaigns. She succeeded her father, Dick Stewart, as the Organization Representative (OR) for Hope Lutheran in 2019. 

Volunteers perform all of the work that you've read about here, our critical needs right now are for food captains and for drivers transporting seniors.


Food Captains - ACCA is looking for food captains to coordinate emergency requests for food with drivers who deliver groceries to needy clients within its service area.

Food captains receive requests from County and Inova social workers and then schedule drivers to deliver food to homes, coordinating with the food pantry. Tasks can be done from home but require use of a computer. Training is provided. Food captains are asked to work one week per quarter. Please contact us and we'll give you the details.


Drivers - We partner with the Shepherd Center of Annandale/Springfield to provide critical transportation. We urgently need volunteer drivers who drive local seniors in Annandale, Springfield, and sections of Alexandria to medical appointments during the week and grocery shopping on weekends. Even if you have a limited amount of time to volunteer, this is a wonderful way to touch the lives of people who desperately need this service. You determine when, where, and how often you drive.

Telephone: 703-941-1419        Hours: 10 AM – 1 PM, M-F

Email: shepherdscas@vacoxmail.com


Find out more about volunteering with ACCA.


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Annandale Christian Community for Action
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