Fellowship Square provides affordable housing and services for older adults.
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More Options for Affordable Housing Needed NOW
Last month, nearly 100 empowered Fellowship Square residents rallied on Capitol Hill to urge Congress to protect and expand affordable housing for older adults. They joined nearly 1,000 other seniors and advocates from across the country as part of the
Senior Housing Now rally
organized by
LeadingAge
.
Older adults with limited income and resources used to be able to stay in their homes or downsize into rental apartments. But today in our area and many others nationwide, real estate taxes and rents have exploded. Housing costs are at an all-time high in our region meaning those without sufficient income often cannot afford to stay in their homes or find affordable rentals.
Sadly, the federal government has not been providing the money needed to help non-profits like Fellowship Square build more affordable senior housing. And that is why there are long waiting lists for the housing that is available.
Here’s one resident’s sentiment about why affordable housing for seniors is so important and why she attended the rally:
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“I’m out here today to show Congress that the funding given to affordable housing for seniors like me has real-world, real-life impact. I’m here to make sure that others can also have access to affordable housing options, without a four-year waitlist.”
-
Sadie McLemore
, 84,
Fellowship Square’s Hunter Woods community in Reston, VA
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I am so proud that Sadie and other Fellowship house residents attended the rally and added their voices to those who believe in expanding affordable housing here and nationwide. Fellowship Square is committed to advocating for this important cause. Earlier this month I presented on becoming an advocacy champion at the annual LeadingAge Virginia conference to encourage others to take action on this issue.
It’s vitally important that we all remind members of Congress about the importance of affordable senior housing and that
THEY
must do more to help us meet the needs of older adults who have limited resources.
We can’t afford to stay silent on this issue. Please join me in bringing the affordable housing issue to the forefront on Capitol Hill and in our local community. Seniors like Sadie need our support.
In gratitude,
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Commonwealth of Virginia Helps Fund Lake Anne Project
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Governor Ralph Northam presented Fellowship Square with a "check" for $700,000 from the Commonwealth’s
Virginia Housing Trust Fund
for the Lake Anne development project!
Pictured above (left to right)
Eddie Byrne
(Fellowship Square Board Member),
Suzanne Welch
(Vice President, Real Estate – CPDC), and
Christy Zeitz (Fellowship Square CEO).
Many thanks to our development partner,
CPDC
, for submitting the application and all of their support for the project.
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Hunters Woods Residents Participate in Community Art Project
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Thank you to artist
Ben Volta
for helping our residents at
Hunters Woods Fellowship House
participate in the Colt’s Neck Road Underpass public artwork project! This is a community-wide project that
Public Art Reston
has taken on to transform and beautify the Colts Neck Road Underpass in Reston, VA.
With help from Hunters Woods Fellowship House, Hunters Woods Elementary School, Dogwood Elementary School, and the Southgate Community Center, the completed work will showcase the combined inter-generational creativity from each of these segments of the community. The combined individual works of art will ultimately be a part of a much larger, grander piece of art installed onto the current cement infrastructure of the underpass.
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The residents enjoyed contributing to the project by creating their own unique designs and are quite excited to see the unveiling of the final product in the fall of 2019. The themes and goals of the underpass project are to emphasize the spirit of the Hunters Woods neighborhood, celebrate the diversity of Reston, promote the underpass’ use, and to create a long-lasting reminder of what can be accomplished if the whole community is involved. Mr. Volta is known for tying communities together from his home in Philadelphia by using a participatory approach towards similar projects for schools and organizations.
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A Poem from Hunters Woods Fellowship House Resident
Lillian White
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A Reflection!
Woven into the shadow of unsheltered views,
Determined for all to accomplish, not alone
Reaching, striving, for strength to be renewed,
Look around, our leaders are here
This curtain never closes
These reflections together, holding in place,
Difficulties are like running a race
That finish line, the mileage long
You must embrace, only there is comfort to share.
This reflection, forming a circle beyond despair,
Truly will began to show
The days are long spent
There come the smiles
That began to flow
Where do we go from here!
Thank you.
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Lake Anne Fellowship House Celebrates Father's Day
Lake Anne Fellowship House
celebrated its 'Annual Family and Father's Day Cookout' - it was a huge success! A heartfelt thank you to our donors and volunteers of
Heritage Fellowship Church
, Fellowship Square's Communications Intern,
John Brown
, and LAFH Board Members,
Marilyn Voight
and
Bob Thompson
.
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Lake Ridge Fellowship House Residents Enjoy a Day on the River
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Fellowship Square is pleased to congratulate
Pastor Fred Klein
on the 50
th
Anniversary of his ordination! Christy Zeitz, CEO of Fellowship Square, attended the celebration at
Living Savior Lutheran Church
in Fairfax Station, VA where Rev. Klein was the founding pastor.
Serving at the pinnacle of Fellowship Square’s chaplaincy program, Pastor Klein faithfully visits all four properties each week to provide pastoral care and counseling to the residents. We are grateful for his long history of compassionate service and look forward to his continuing involvement with Fellowship Square into his next 50 years!
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HAND 28
th
Annual Meeting
& Housing Expo
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On June 11
th
, Fellowship Square board members and staff attended the HAND (Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers) 28
th
Annual Meeting & Housing Expo held at the Omni-Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC.
The annual event convenes real estate and community development professionals in the Capital Region of Baltimore, Washington and Richmond. The conference theme:
Holding Ourselves Accountable: Bold Housing Solutions for Every Sector & Every Jurisdiction
was an experience that informed, connected, and inspired us as we work to create and preserve strong communities.
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Hunters Woods Fellowship House Elects New Board President!
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Congratulations to
Renee Jakobs
on her new role as Hunters Woods Fellowship House board President. She previously served on the
executive
board of Fellowship Square from 2013-2017, and as its
executive
board President from 2016-2017.
Renee is taking the reins from longtime Hunters Woods board President
Jørn Dalboe
who was looking forward to having new leadership step up after his ten-plus years of service as President. Jørn will continue serving on the
Hunters Woods house board
in his new capacity as Secretary-Treasurer. We are grateful to Jørn for his past and ongoing involvement with Fellowship Square.
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Baylor Eaton
Resident Programs Intern
Fellowship Square welcomes
Baylor Eaton
- a Junior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in their Global Studies program. She is in the Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority and regularly volunteers at the local nursing home in Champaign. She plans to graduate next spring after spending the fall semester studying and working in Ecuador.
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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!
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Reminder:
If you have a
Thrivent
account, please designate Fellowship Square
for donations
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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.
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