Don’t Miss the May YARD SALE
to Benefit AFAC

So clean out your closets, garage, cabinets, etc. and get a booth (sign up online at HERE) or copy and paste this address if that link isn’t working: http://arlingtoncob.org/form/msp-yard-sale-to-benefit-afac-table-sign-up/

   We’ll have lemonade, probably some live music (contact Laura if you’d like to play),  so maybe some dancing as we help AFAC keep on holding together our community.

If you’re a baker, please bake your best cookies, brownies, fruit bars, fudge, popcorn balls, yogurt pops — whatever you’d like for the bake sale table.  The MSP goes on summer vacation after the MAY YARD SALE but we’re working out how to help AFAC collect the fresh garden produce from its Plant-a-Row efforts. Sign-up for our listserv (below) to learn about that, and all the coming projects.

 

Completed Monthly Service Projects Include:

April 28, 2012:Recycled Crafts with Culpepper Garden Residents

We made seed starters (like the one in the photo below) with the residents of the Assisted Living Center at Culpepper Garden. It was a packed event, and by the end, the residents were bursting out in song and we all sang together as loud as we could. The Culpepper staff reported that they planted the starters with the seeds we laid the week after our project visited.

We’ll go back in the fall.

AFAC Plant-a-Row Outreach: (March 24, 2012):  A small group gathered to assemble seed packets in the morning on March 24 as planned, but rain came just as we finished, and we decided to try to deliver packets the following weekend.  

Saturday, March 31 was bright and sunny, perfect to visit neighborhood residents to engage them in the Arlington Food Assistance Center’s effort to increase the fresh, local produce available for its clients. A new set of volunteers distributed more than 200 seed packets to homeowners who said they would grow a row for AFAC.     Thank you to all who participated either Saturday!

Scarves for the Homeless ( Jan. 2012) About 30 people gathered to make no- sew fleece scarves for Arlington’s homeless who are sheltered by Arlington Street People’s Network during the cold months.

Food for Local Hungry Children (Nov. 2011)
AFAC began a new initiative to supply at risk children with enough food for a weekend, delivered in an ordinary back-pack. We collected Food Donations for these and other needed items during the month and delivered the packages to AFAC for distribution. Scroll down below the MSP Listserv sign-up box to read more.

CROP WALK (Oct. 2011)
$500 raised for hungry in Arlington and around the world.

Health Kits for El Salvador Clinic (Oct. 22, 2011)
Another successful project was held at Arlington Church of the Brethren: 40 kits were assembled. (Thanks to the Young Women’s Professional organization). These kits are destined for the Lighthouse Vision of God Clinic in El Salvador.

Shred for Bread:  (Sept. 17)
Neighbors brought their documents for secure shredding and boxes of cereal for AFAC. A van load of cereal and cash was collected.

AFAC – Backpack Buddies

The Backpack Buddies program provides food to homeless children in the Arlington County Public Schools System.  At any one time, the school system estimates that there are upwards of 300 homeless children attending the public schools in the County.  These children often live in transient housing, which have minimal or no food or kitchens available for use. Their main meal of the day is at the school they attend. On weekends and over long holidays, these children often go with minimal or no food.
The Backpack Buddies began in September 2010 as a pilot program at one elementary school. In September 2011, the program will be expanded to all of the Arlington County Public Schools, adding upwards of 300 clients to the approximately 1,350 families AFAC is serving weekly.
The Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) provides selected food items from food drive donations and from food purchased specifically for this program and provides that food to the schools.  Examples include: fresh fruit, granola bars, microwavable meals, peanut butter & jelly, microwavable soups. Food for each backpack costs approximately $18.00 per week.
Staff at the schools pack the food in backpacks and provide the backpacks to students registered in the program on Fridays prior to the weekend.  The student can then return the backpack to the school on Monday so the cycle can begin anew.

How you can help:

AFAC is currently seeking volunteers who can deliver the food to the schools on Friday mornings and assist staff in filling the backpacks at the schools. Food donations specifically for this program and donations to support the program on a continuing basis are also needed. For financial contributions, please visit our website: http://www.afac.org/donate/funds.php or call 703-845-8486 for more information.

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Project Suggestions or Questions? Contact Laura Dely, Project Coordinator: laura.dely AT gmail.com.