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| Next Meeting |
The next ACCA board meeting will be
Refreshments and fellowship
7:30 p.m.
Meeting
7:45 p.m.
Open to all visitors.
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| Contact Information |
Mailing Address
7200 Columbia Pike
Annandale, VA 22003
Information
703-256-0100
Emergency
Assistance
(Fairfax County)
703-222-0880
Donations
(except furniture)
703-256-0100
Furniture Donations
703-256-9513
Email
accacares@verizon.net
ACCA Website www.accacares.org
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About ACCA
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| Get our 2016 annual report. |
ACCA is a church-related voluntary organization providing day care, financial assistance, food, furniture, and other support to needy families in the Annandale/Bailey's Crossroads area, regardless of religion, race or ethnicity. Except for the Child Development Center, all ACCA services are provided by volunteers.
To learn more about ACCA, visit our website at
www.accacares.org.
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Food Drive Helps Feed the Hungry
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A shopper adds her food donation to the cart staffed by one of our high school volunteers. Click the photo above to see more pictures from the Stuff the Bus food drive. Photos courtesy of Thang Nguyen and Thong Nguyen.
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The Stuff the Bus food drive at the Giant Food store on Columbia Pike collected nearly 2,000 lbs. of food for the ACCA Food Pantry this month. This generous outpouring of support will help feed many families in the upcoming weeks. Stuff the Bus is an annual effort sponsored by Fairfax County, Giant Food, and Fastran. Students from Lake Braddock and Annandale High Schools helped throughout the day. When it came time to transport and unload the donations at the Pantry, a team eight youth from Providence Presbyterian helped "unstuff" the bus and shelved many items. Many thanks to all, and especially to our local community for your support.
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Winter Clothing Drive Finishes Strong
The second winter outerwear distribution on January 17 was even larger than the one in December, with more than 50 bags of winter clothing distributed. Eight ACCA churches along with Long and Foster Real Estate (Annandale) contributed the clothing, including Holy Spirit, St. Anthony and St. Michael Catholic Churches, Providence and John Calvin Presbyterian Churches, United Baptist, Ravensworth Baptist, and Warner Baptist. The Legal Aide Justice Center in Falls Church helped organize the distribution to day laborers. Clothing was also given to residents at Baileys Crossroads Community Shelter and Safe Haven, a day shelter, and children at the ACCA Child Development Center.
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Child Development Center
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| Click the photo above to see pictures of children 12 to 18- months-old creating multi-media pictures inspired by clouds. |
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The Child Development Center's upcoming art show is always a highlight for families and friends of the young artists. Click the poster image to see some of the young artists at work on their creations.
In other news, the CDC has a job opening for a Facilities Specialist. The position requires someone with a wide range of handyman skills to handle repair and maintenance tasks and to coordinate larger maintenance projects with Fairfax County. The job description and application details are available online.
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ACCA Welcomes LRUCC As a Member
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Little River United Church of Christ worships in this space.
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Little River United Church of Christ (LRUCC) has become an ACCA member church, bringing to 27 the number of churches represented in ACCA. The ACCA Board voted to approve LRUCC as a new member at the February Board meeting.
Located on Little River Turnpike opposite Northern Virginia Community College, LRUCC has been a leader in social justice since its founding as a multi-racial church in the 1950s. The congregation first met at Annandale Elementary School, the present site of the ACCA Child Development Center.
The Rev. Dr. David B. Lindsey, LRUCC Senior Pastor said, "Little River United Church of Christ is glad to officially be joining the ACCA family. Little River UCC has always sought to proclaim God's radically inclusive love, including working for racial integration and welcoming LGBT families. Now, we are particularly looking to strengthen and nurture ecumenical and interfaith partnerships that we might together be of service to the community and the world. Thank you for welcoming us!"
Former ACCA President Nancy Hall Co-chairs the LRUCC
Board of Outreach and Social Justice and serves as an ACCA money captain. The congregation has supported ACCA financially for years. They also sponsor the White Christmas at the CDC each year.
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Parishioner Leaves Legacy to ACCA
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Rosemary Gwynn, left, with her siblings.
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ACCA recently received a significant bequest from the Galwyn Charitable Remainder Unitrust. The trust was established by Rosemary Gwynn, a member of Queen of Apostles Catholic Church.
Ms. Gwynn was born in 1942 in San Antonio, Texas, the fifth child of Robert and Elizabeth Gwynn. She and her siblings spent their childhood abroad, mainly in Mexico where her father worked for the National City Bank of New York, now Citigroup.
She graduated from Dumbarton College in Washington, D.C. in 1964, which was administered by the Sisters of the Holy Cross. She worked for the American Association of University Professors and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, among others, until she retired in the late 1980s. She was a companion and caretaker for her widowed mother until her death in 1984. In her retirement,
Ms. Gwynn was an avid skier, tennis player and traveler. She passed away in April 2007.
The gift from Ms. Gwynn will be added to the ACCA Legacy Fund. The ACCA Board is considering the best use of the these funds to achieve and enlarge ACCA's mission.
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ACCA Ministries Update
Family Emergency Assistance
served 17 households in January, providing $12,920 in emergency aid. In a recent development, there have been several requests for aide from families who have had their bank accounts hacked and their money taken, leaving them unable to pay their rent. Police reports have been filed in these cases.
In a particularly tragic situation, a couple was driving to New York in January to assist another family member who was being held by immigration authorities. They were involved in an automobile accident in which both experienced serious injuries. They were hospitalized, one in a coma, and unable to return to Northern Virginia for weeks. Neighbors took care of their two children and ACCA paid a month's rent while they were hospitalized out of state.
The Food Pantry made 65 deliveries in January assisting 199 individuals.
The Lafayette Village held its annual Martin Luther King Day food drive and collected 388 pounds of food for the pantry.
Thanks to Carl Iddings for organizing this effort.
The Furniture Ministry made deliveries to 36 households that included 134 persons. A majority of the families served included children under the age of 18. More than 45 volunteers participated in making pickups, deliveries, and doing setups.
Annandale Meals on Wheels added three new clients in January and one client who had been in rehab rejoined the program, bringing the total number of clients to 27. A total of 1058 meals were delivered.
The joint Shepherd's Center/ACCA Transportation Program provided 53 rides in January. The ACCA program received a referral from the Annandale LDS for a client under age 50 who needs multiple rides for physical therapy. Holy Spirit and the LDS church are trying to cover all of these appointments.
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Nominated for Volunteer Award
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Marie Monsen on site at one of the many Rebuilding Together projects undertaken by ACCA.
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Marie Monsen has been nominated for Fairfax County's Lifetime Volunteer Award. Diane McEldowney submitted the nomination, citing Marie's decades of volunteer service and her personal commitment to social justice issues.
Marie served as ACCA president in 1987. At that time, she felt ACCA could be doing more in the area of housing. She initiated our partnership with Rebuilding Together (formerly "Christmas in April"), an effort that she continues to chair. In 2014, ACCA celebrated its 25th year of involvement with Rebuilding Together.
Following the attacks on 9/11, there was increased fear of Islam in our community. Marie met with a small group to seek healing strategies. One result of those discussions was the Interfaith Communities for Dialogue, which Marie co-founded. When Marie's own congregation, John Calvin Presbyterian, helped sponsor an Iraqi refugee family, Marie spearheaded efforts by a small group to provide support to the family.
Marie continues to serve as Chair of the Interfaith Communities for Dialogue. In addition to Chair of Rebuilding Together, Marie serves as Liaison for Shelter House and Liaison for the Faith Communities in Action, while maintaining her active role in the ACCA Board. Marie's contributions to our community are impressive. At the awards ceremony in April the County will announce the winner of the "Lifetime" award, but we know that Marie has already won our hearts and our profound gratitude.
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Volunteers Needed
ACCA needs volunteers in a variety of roles. If you would like to help out, please respond as indicated below.
Drivers are needed to provide rides to medical and therapy appointments for those who cannot drive themselves. Volunteers are asked to commitment to driving once per month, but dates can be flexible. If interested, please contact the Shepherd's Center at 703-941-1419 or shepherdscas@vacoxmail.com.
The Food Pantry needs at least one food captain and a food buyer. Food captains receive requests and coordinate with drivers to fulfill them; they serve one week every three months. Food buyers shop for perishable items and toiletries to restock the pantry shelves; they serve one week per month. For either position, contact Jean Rackowski at 703-914-8066 or at henry.jean@verizon.net
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ACCA History - Did You Know?
 In the 1970s, the Food Pantry was located in the auditorium of the Annandale Elementary School, which is now home to the ACCA Child Development Center. However, the auditorium became too dangerous to be used and had to be torn down.
Fairfax County replaced the auditorium with a trailer for the Food Pantry, similar to the one in place now. Pantry Chair Jean Rackowski says that trailer was in place when she first began as a food buyer and driver in the 1990s. Sometime in the late '90s, we experienced a very heavy snowfall. The Pantry roof collapsed under the weight of the snow and only the shelves were holding the roof up. With the help of volunteers, Jean moved all the food to her basement. She operated the Food Pantry out of her home for nearly a year, until the County obtained and installed the current trailer.
If you have memories or photos of ACCA's earlier years, please share them with us at mromans@verizon.net.
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