Rustic Love's quarterly update

A note from our Executive Director...

After a quiet winter, we had an exciting spring helping to plan the inaugural Longest Table Vienna event! Thank you to everyone who signed up to attend this potluck event - it was a beautiful day of sunshine, community, music and good food; and any donations received benefited our mission. This event sold out so quickly and we received such wonderful feedback that we are already planning next year's Longest Table!

We also had our first sign build of the 2025 earlier this month with Argent Bridge Advisors - the second time they have done a client and team-building event in support of our mission! It was another beautiful May day of community and philanthropy. Our inventory is updated online - here's your chance to add to your heart sign collection or order a sign for a friend!

Thank you so much to all of you for your continued support of Rustic Love and our mission to help the food-insecure.

Michelle Connors

Founder & Executive Director

Four hundred people enjoyed a potluck lunch on Mill Street earlier this month at the Longest Table Vienna. Modeled after the New York City event, the event brought Vienna residents together for conversation, connection and a wonderful sunny afternoon of community-building. Thank you to the Longest Table planning committee for including Rustic Love as the philanthropic designee, and to the amazing sponsors who made the event a reality - Compass Realty, Modera Wealth Management and United Bank. Join us next spring for another Longest Table Vienna!

Thank you to Argent Bridge Advisors for an amazing effort at our first sign build of the season earlier this month!

This was our second time building with them as a client/team-building event and the group was spectacular with their ingenuity, enthusiasm and hard work at our build.

We really enjoyed working with Argent again and appreciate their efforts and heart for our mission to help the food-insecure.

For the third consecutive year, Rustic Love supported Poe Middle School with a grant for their "Raven's Nest" Food Pantry. Seventy-six percent of Poe's students qualify for the Fairfax County Free and Reduced Lunch Program, one of the highest rates in the county. Pantry staff observed a significant uptick in pantry usage in 2025, and the pantry has recently increased its access hours to accommodate rising need. The school's Family Engagement Representative, Marissel Miranda, manages the pantry in a trailer outside the school, dedicating additional hours each week to help individual families who need food, as well as coming in on her own time to operate the pantry in the summer. We are proud to financially assist this amazing pantry and are grateful to the support of our donors to help the families at this local school.

The Rustic Love Hearts and Home Mural - and prom!

We love that residents of Vienna and beyond include the Rustic Love Hearts and Home Mural in their special occasions! Thank you to the Schulenburgs for sending this special picture from their Madison High School prom photos this year. We hope prom night was magical!

Partner Spotlight: Achikian Goldsmiths

Achikian Goldsmiths' beautiful Rustic Love pendant makes a perfect gift for many special occasions! Available in sterling silver, 14K white or yellow gold and 14K rose gold, the pendant can be used on a necklace or bracelet and can be customized with engraving or diamonds.

Ken Achikian is a talented master artist and goldsmith, and his family business generously donates the proceeds from the sales of these pendants to the Rustic Love mission. The pendant can be shipped worldwide and makes a lovely gift benefitting our very meaningful mission!