The Calvary Connection March 2020

Update about COVID-19 from CEO, Kris Thompson

“ In these uncertain times, our work remains critical. We will not close our doors."

Friends like you have kept the doors to Calvary Women’s Services open for more than 35 years through volunteer support, in-kind and financial donations, and more. Standing together, we have made sure women have always had a safe and caring home. Now the District of Columbia has declared a State of Emergency as our community braces for the impact of COVID-19.

In these uncertain times, our work remains critical. We will not close our doors. We will maintain a safe and caring home for all the women in our housing programs. The women who come to Calvary Women’s Services are some of the most vulnerable members of our community. They may be survivors of trauma, in recovery from substance addiction, or living with mental illness. Many live with chronic health conditions and more than half are at least 50 years old. With the current outbreak of COVID-19, they are at greater risk than many of us. Read more from Kris Thompson about why we need your help now more than ever.

READ FULL UPDATE

HOPE AWARDS DINNER UPDATE

Calvary Women’s Services will postpone our 19th Annual Hope Awards Dinner that was scheduled for May 13, 2020 following the recommendation of The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We share the CDC’s concern for public health and continue to follow their guidance on appropriate measures to keep our community as safe as possible during the outbreak of COVID-19. As we postpone our largest fundraiser of the year, we are incurring additional expenses due to this global pandemic. We will share more information about how you can celebrate hope with us soon, but we still need your help now . In order to continue providing life-changing programs and services for the women at Calvary, we are counting on our friends and supporters more than ever. Although we will not have all of you in a room together in May raising money for Calvary, we hope that we can still count on you. Will you make a donation today to ensure we c an keep our programs running?

DONATE TODAY

Urgent Needs & Activity Wish List

URGENT NEEDS : Healthy brown-bag lunches Veggie Platters Fresh Fruit Low sodium cans of soup Whole wheat bread Bags of salad Large jars of peanut butter Large jars of jelly/jam Lunch meat If you are interested in donating food items or preparing bagged lunches, please contact Stacia Frederick at sfrederick@calvaryservices.org.

Activity Wish List As the COVID-19 crisis continues and we are all socially distancing at home, there is at least one thing we are all feeling: boredom. For the women at Calvary Women’s Services, boredom can be incredibly challenging. Our Urgent Needs Activity Wish List is full of items to keep their minds off of the crisis at hand, so they can continue to focus on their recovery. Check out the Amazon Wish List he re . 

Service Day at Calvary

A few weeks ago, Calvary welcomed a group of women veterans from The Mission Continues to the Good Hope Road location for a service project. The veterans transformed the outdoor patio and garden areas, refreshed and refurnished the education space, repainted the dining room, and more. This service project was an inspiring display of women empowering women. “ We are tremendously grateful to The Mission Continues for choosing Calvary as the site for this service project, ” said Kris Thompson, CEO of Calvary Women’s Services. “ As we head into spring, the facelift of our facilities will be uplifting for all of us – residents and staff alike. ” This facelift of our facilities is even more meaningful during this time of uncertainty. As we remain open and fully operational, our residents and staff will be able to find comfort in the safe, clean and refreshed spaces. We are so grateful to the women veterans from The Mission Continues!

SEE MORE PHOTOS

Volunteer Spotlight: We miss you!

All of the staff and clients at Calvary miss our wonderful volunteers. Our staff is filling in and doing their best to keep a feeling of normalcy at our program sites during your absence. The women are staying active, working on new art projects, and staying focused on their recovery. Michelle has been enjoying our new basketball hoop to get some exercise during the day. She wanted us to let our volunteers know that everyone is keeping busy, and that the volunteers are missed and the women can't wait for you to return. Michelle continued, " It's not the same not seeing their friendly faces at the front desk, serving meals or during our LEAP classes. I hope they are all staying safe."

HELP KEEP OUR PROGRAMS RUNNING

Our main focus has always been to keep the women we serve safe and to provide them with resources to empower themselves. Although we are experiencing unprecedented times and challenges, our focus has not changed. Help us remain a safe home for women who need it.

How you can help today: Donate to Calvary's Urgent Needs Fund Become a monthly donor Donate urgent food items for bagged-lunches (see Urgent Needs above) Share Calvary's post on social media

DONATE TODAY

Calvary Women's Services 202-678-2341 info@calvaryservices.org https://www.calvaryservices.org/

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