Fellowship Square provides affordable housing and services for older adults.

APRIL 2019

CHRISTY'S CORNER

Support Makes a Comfortable Retirement Possible A  recent report from Bloomberg stated that nearly half of all Americans approaching retirement  have nothing in the bank to support themselves when they stop working – and others who have put money in a 401(K) or other retirement account do not have enough to last them through retirement. The report also said that it's likely that more and more future retirees will rely solely on Social Security for income in their golden years. Social Security was never designed to be the only source of income for the nation’s retirees.  This is a scary situation! While every dollar saved is better than nothing, keep in mind that many Americans, especially in the Washington, DC region, barely make enough to make ends meet  while they are working — so you can see how it would be almost impossible to save enough to ensure a worry-free retirement. Fellowship House is home to some 800 residents. Many worked all of their lives in many fascinating jobs, allowing them to travel the world and meet important leaders and thinkers of their day. However, whether due to divorce, a prolonged illness, death of a bread winner or some other circumstance, they do not have the retirement income to afford the ever-increasing cost of living in this area. In other words, Fellowship House residents have few dollars to live on. It’s comforting to know that we — you and I — are here for the seniors who need our help. At Fellowship Square, we work hard to not only provide quality housing and services but also necessities such as food and clothing to Fellowship House residents. We also provide programs that allow them to enjoy a full life including cultural outings, food delivery and farmer’s market produce, exercise and walking clubs, and plenty of information on healthy aging. Fellowship House residents are similar to half of all current Americans facing retirement — when the work stops, they need our help. Thank you for all you do to support our organization and to help seniors in need every day. With gratitude,

Christy Zeitz Executive Director

Congregational Support

Many thanks to the Knights of Columbus of St. John Neumann Catholic Community in Reston — Fellowship Square was the beneficiary organization for this month's charity pancake breakfast!! Thank you, Knights, for your support! May is Older Americans Month . The Unitarian Universalist Church of Reston will donate a May Sunday offering to Fellowship Square. This month might be a great time to get your own church behind supporting the programs and services our residents need. Contact Judy Singer to find out how you can get involved.

We've Moved! Same Building, Different Floor…

The Fellowship Square main office has a new location, and a new look! Our vibrant new space in Reston is now on the lower level of our building complete with more office space, a conference room and a kitchen! Come visit us in  Suite 20 !

RESIDENT LIFE

Lake Anne Fellowship House

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles program, DMV On The Go, visited  Lake Anne Fellowship House on Thursday, March 28. Residents were able to apply/renew their driver's license, photo ID cards, driving records, obtain license plates, decals, transcripts and much more. About 70 residents were served on this day... we appreciate The DMV On The Go for this exceptional service to our community!

Hunters Woods Fellowship House

In early April, Residents at   Hunters Woods Fellowship House took a trip into Washington, DC to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom!

Join Us for the Hunter Mill District, Board of Supervisors’ Candidates Forum

Affordable housing is a cornerstone of families’ economic security and well-being. Join Cornerstones and the candidates for Hunter Mill Supervisor as they share their ideas on economic growth and the housing affordability crisis for the workforce, returning graduates, seniors, and low-income and vulnerable individuals and families in Fairfax County. Share your questions on this topic: send to [email protected] .  Candidates Forum: 7-8:30pm | Networking Reception: 8:30-9:00pm.    May 13, 2019 | 7-9pm Heritage Fellowship Church, 2501 Fox Mill Drive, Herndon, VA 20190 Registration: You may  follow this link to register for the event Contact:   [email protected] or [email protected]   Welcome: Kerrie Wilson, CEO, Cornerstones Moderator: Rev. Dr. Debra Haffner, Unitarian Universalist Church of Reston Panel: Community and Business Leaders

Welcome to our new Lake Anne Fellowship House Board Member, Lois Ireland

Lois Ireland recently joined the Lake Anne Fellowship Board. She is a member of St. Anne's Episcopal Church, along with her husband Pierre Huggins. She believes if we all give back to our community in even some small way, the impact will be enormous. She served over 10 years on their homeowners association board and is a long-time volunteer at Western Fairfax Christian Ministries in Chantilly.

Largo Landing Fellowship House Gains Three New Staff Members

Fellowship Square is proud to congratulate  Maria Lopez on her promotion from Assistant Community Manager to Community Manager! Maria has been working for SL Nusbaum for 3 years and for Largo Landing Fellowship House since July of 2018. She enjoys working with the senior community and takes pride in helping residents in any way she can.

Welcome to  Nishicka "Nicki" Pearce — the new Assistant Manager at Largo Landing Fellowship House. She joins the staff with over 15 years of property management experience that includes conventional, tax credit, rural and HUD properties. Nicki is a native Washingtonian and enjoys traveling, football (Go Cowboys!!), reading books and watching HGTV . She looks forward to many years to come working with Fellowship Square residents!

David Washington joins Largo Landing Fellowship House's team as its new Maintenance Technician. David has worked as a maintenance tech for 17 years and has been working for senior housing communities for 15 years. He enjoys church, riding his motorcycle and is very happy to be working at Largo Landing Fellowship House!

Sad Departures, New Beginnings   Fellowship Square’s Office Manager,  Kelly Epley , is moving on to new and exciting adventures. We will miss Kelly but thank her for all she has done to support our mission and activities in the past year. We welcome  Maggie Allen to fill that role on our small but mighty staff!

Our Staff, pictured left to right… Christy Zeitz Executive Director Kelly Epley Office Manager (outgoing) Dion Seymour Accountant Judy Singer Director of Development Maggie Allen Office Manager (incoming)

We Need Reviews!

If you love our work, then tell the world! Did you know that just behind recommendations from friends and families, reviews impact volunteering and donation decisions the most?   Won’t you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a review of your experience on GreatNonprofits — a review site like Yelp, but for nonprofits? All reviews will be visible to potential donors and volunteers.   It’s easy and only takes three minutes! Go to GreatNonprofits  to get started! 

Reminder: If you have a Thrivent account, please designate Fellowship Square for donations 

Stay in touch with Fellowship Square on Facebook! We post articles, updates on activities and events, our monthly newsletter, and pertinent information regarding our properties.

Visit our website