Archive for November, 2009

Thanksgiving has always been a curious time of year for me. I am always rushing whether I am getting ready to entertain here, packing up to travel, or trying to finish projects before the holiday, but there’s also a strong pull to sit back and reflect on the meaning of holiday – or maybe it’s just procrastination.

Beyond family and friends, the other usual stuff, for me The Giving Circle of Alexandria is right at the top of my list.

#1 I am grateful for our financial contributions that we invest back into programs like Healthy Families Alexandria and the Developmental Playgroup Initiative with the Center for Alexandria’s Children and our co-investor, ACT for Alexandria to help Alexandria’s children thrive, as well as our Developmental Gifts.

#2.  I am grateful for our community service work in the past year which include our book drive in the spring, ALIVE!’s Last Saturday Food Distribution in February, the projects through Giving Circle Families and other efforts throughout the year.

#3  I am grateful to everyone who has opened their home for meetings and events.  Hospitality and friendship are keynotes of our organization.

# 4. I am grateful for the great women on our Board and Committees who make the Giving Circle work and make the work fun.

# 5.  I am grateful to each and every member, whether you can give a little or a lot, whether or not you are able to get involved in other ways, together we do more.

Thank you for all you do for the Giving Circle and the community in this time of great challenge.  I hope that you have a wonderful holiday with family and friends.

Many of our members are looking for volunteer activities to do together with their families during the holiday season.  It is a time of year when we celebrate our thanks and when people have some time to give to others who need help.  One would think this would be a straightforward need to address, but it isn’t so easy. Organizations are inundated with people wanting to help them, on-site volunteer opportunities are not unlimited and many of these are not suitable for small children or a family group.  What to do?

Below is a short list of things you can do with your family to meet needs in our community.  These activities either support organizations the Giving Circle has worked with in the past or are events many of us have been involved with on our own.  It is by no means a complete list. If you know of other community service events or activities, especially those suitable for families, hit the comment link and let us all know!

Collect food to help the Lazarus Ministry at Christ Church provide Thanksgiving Dinner to 100 needy families in Alexandria. Poor Roberts Charities is donating the turkeys; Lazarus Ministry is seeking donations of non-perishable food items for the dinners such as canned vegetables and fruit (cranberry sauce),chicken broth, boxed potatoes, stuffing, cake or brownie mixes and cookies.  Please drop your donations off by Friday, November 20th at the home of Kathy Barsness, 309 Mansion Drive, Alexandria, VA.

Participate in Fannie Mae’s 22^nd annual Help the Homeless walkathon on November 21. Last year, the program raised $5.6 million to benefit 164 Washington metro area homeless service providers. Register or volunteer online at www.helpthehomelessdc.org.

Participate in the Department of Human Service’s Holiday Sharing program to make a real and immediate difference in the life of someone right here in Alexandria.  Through this program, sponsor a low income family, senior or disabled citizen, or foster child with gifts of needed clothing, grocery store gift certificates and toys for the children.  Sign up online as a donor or a volunteer.  This program is getting rave reviews on the Old Town Moms list Right Now.

Last night’s 5th Anniversary Celebration at Maria Hopper’s was amazing! Thanks to Maria for hosting a great party.  It was inspiring to hear everyone’s recollections and be a part of the energy.  It reminded me of why I joined.

Everyone has a Giving Circle story. Here are a couple of others…

Sue Setliff:  “The Giving Circle gives me a reason every day to think about others. My daughter is five years old and already she knows my work with the Giving circle is something I choose to do, not something I have to do.”

Cathleen Phelps: “Everyone has hopes and dreams for their children.  I know my contribution to The Giving Circle is going to give children the best chance of achieving those hopes and dreams, much more of a chance than any individual investment I could make.  Last year, I watched a family’s life change instantly because of Giving Circle work.  It was truly humbling, heartwarming and unforgettable.  Each time I hear stories about the results of our gifts, it makes me want to give more.”

What is your story?  Why are you part of The Giving Circle?  If you just joined, what are you looking for?  Leave a comment below and tell us.  Shy?  Send me an email instead.

Let’s keep our promises to the children of Alexandria.

We are at 45% of our goal of $70,000 for 2009. Many thanks to those of you who have renewed your investment in The Giving Circle!  But there is still quite a ways to go before December 31, 2009.  At least once a month, we let you know about the fun and important work Giving Circle members are doing but this work alone is not enough.  We need your financial commitment to ensure we have a grant large enough to support sustainable change for Alexandria’s children.

Pooling our resources to make a difference is at the heart of our mission, and your investment is needed and welcome regardless of the size.  Most contributions range from $100 to $5000.  Don’t wait to renew, do it now! Then check out three additional ways to invest in Alexandria’s children.

Thank you to all of our wonderful members for your enthusiasm this fall.  We have had two membership open houses, a Halloween party, and a five year celebration at Maria Hopper’s home.  Many thanks to Jane Knops, Carri Stoltz, Holly Sloan and Maria Hopper for hosting all of these events.   The contributions for toys are piling up at the CAC and we all feel great about The Circle.

But the fun is not over yet!  There are more opportunities coming up to introduce your friends (or yourself, if you are not a member yet) to The Giving Circle.  Mark your calendars and make your list for membership open houses at:

The home of Allison DeCourcey
4220 Peachtree Place
November 18th 7:30 pm
Please RSVP to Pamela Larson.

Membership Open House at the home of Caren Camp
January 2010, details to follow!

Any questions?   Please email Sue Setliff and the membership team.

Did you know that The Giving Circle supports three developmental playgroups throughout the city of Alexandria? Parents trained through the Giving Circle and The Center for Alexandria’s Children facilitate the playgroups and receive a stipend for the work that they do. The playgroups are growing and so is our need for volunteers!

What do volunteers at playgroup do? Play! We get to play with the children, follow the lead of the facilitator to set up activities, snack, story time, and, of course, help clean up. We are there to assist the leader, help provide resource information for the parents, and facilitate play with the children. The parent facilitators really need and appreciate the extra hands helping with the activities, plus it is fun and the time commitment is not large.

The Giving Circle and the Center for Alexandria’s Children support three playgroups at the following locations and times:

* Tuesdays 10:00 – 11:30 Jefferson-Houston Elementary School
1501 Cameron St.

* Thursdays 10:00 – 11:30 The Center for Alexandria’s Children
1900 N. Beauregard St. 2nd floor
This playgroup is large so feel free to volunteer with a friend.

* Fridays 10:00 – 11:30 St. Rita’s Parish Center (in Spanish!)
3825 Russell Rd.

Do you have 1½ hours a month to spare? If so, please contact Susan Kennedy, Family Strengthening Coordinator at the CAC, 703-746-6018 to arrange your playdate. C’mon, it’s fun!