Congregational Connection for May 25th

We Want to Hear From You- Take the ALIVE! Congregational Survey

We are seeking to gain a better picture of the member congregations of ALIVE!, so please respond to this survey and answer questions about your congregation’s involvement with ALIVE!

Our goal is to have information from all 49 congregations by the end of June.

Reminder: ALIVE! Board of Directors Meeting- June 6th

Mark your calendars for ALIVE!’s next Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, June 6th. We will be meeting from 7pm-9pm at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church (711 Columbus St). This location requires the use of stairs for entry. A zoom link will be available.

Congregations Needed for Saturday Furniture Deliveries

A very special thank you to ALIVE! member congregation the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, pictured below, for recruiting a team of volunteers to help with the Furniture Program on Saturday morning. These volunteers picked up donations of tables, chairs, and a bed with a frame in one of the ALIVE! trucks and delivered these items to two Alexandria families in need.

What is even more amazing is that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has committed to staffing the Furniture Program on the 3rd Saturday of every month. Thank you!

If your congregation would like to take the lead for an upcoming Saturday please let us know. All that is required is 4-7 volunteers to help load and unload the truck plus someone willing to drive. ALIVE! can even match you up with community volunteers or other congregations willing to help. You can sign up through the link below or contact Karl Bach at kbach@alive-inc.org for more details.

Visiting with ALIVE! Member Congregations– UUCA

Thank you to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington for inviting ALIVE’s Board President Mary Eileen Dixon, and staff to speak during services in May and for continuing to collect donations of household items for the Housewares Program.

Would your congregation like to host a housewares drive? Donations may be dropped off at the front desk at Sunrise Senior Living of Old Town (400 N. Washington St) daily from 10 am – 3 pm. This site is selectively accepting items from the current list of Accepted Housewares Donations available on the ALIVE! Housewares Program. Items must be in good condition. Donations of appliances or other items are not accepted at this site. Sunrise staff decide on-site whether a donation can be accepted. You can also email housewares@alive-inc.org to schedule a bulk drop-off and/or ask questions.

This event will be held at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center fields (2701 Commonwealth Ave). While attendees enjoy a wide range of tastes from top Del Ray restaurants and cast their votes for the People’s Choice award ALIVE! volunteers will share information about how to donate to ALIVE! and how to sign up to volunteer at upcoming events, and sell water to raise funds for ALIVE!. Volunteer shifts start at 11:30am and 1:30pm and is a perfect congregational group activity! Something for all stages and ages.

Sign up to help staff the ALIVE! table at Alexandria’s Pride Resource Fair on June 3rd

How Does Our Food Hub Garden Grow? Volunteers Needed

Thanks to the incredible work of local Master Gardeners and volunteers the community garden at the Del Ray Food Hub is finished. Our goal is to use this space as a source of fresh produce and herbs and create a welcoming environment for our community- but we need your help. If you know someone who is interested in helping to water the garden please encourage them to sign up for a shift on our online scheduling tool.

Watering will only take 15-20 minutes and will ensure that we are providing fresh produce for our neighbors in need. To see what shifts are available visit our website. Watering will take place during the operating hours of the Food Hub.

Speed, Style, and ALIVE!

Thousands of car enthusiasts gathered in Old Town on Sunday for the annual Festival of Speed & Style. This event not only showcases rare and classic cars, but also raised funds for local non-profit organizations. For the third year in a row, ALIVE! was selected as the beneficiary of this event, and we are so grateful to the festival organizers for their generous contributions to our work.

Open Space Survey- Potomac River Generating Station redevelopment

Hilco Redevelopment Partners (HRP), the entity behind the Potomac River Generating Station redevelopment, is committed to remaining transparent and engaged with the local community over the course of the project. They are interested in hearing from Alexandrians on the transformation of the 14-acre waterfront site and are facilitating an Open Space Survey throughout the month of May. This online survey allows community members to share their vision for the open space component of the redevelopment.

June Food Assistance Distribution Schedule

Last Saturday Food Distributions
ALIVE! distributes free bags of groceries (produce, chicken, eggs, bread) at three locations one Saturday per month. Proof of Alexandria City residency may be requested.

Saturday, June 24 from 8:30am – 10:30am
Drive-through:
Cora Kelly Elementary School (3600 Commonwealth Ave)
NVCC Alexandria Campus (parking lot B-1 via 5000 Dawes Ave)- No walk up distribution available.

Walk-up:
Cora Kelly Elementary School (3600 Commonwealth Ave)
William Ramsay Rec Center (5650 Sanger Ave)

Pop-Up Food Distributions Events
ALIVE! provides food assistance in specific neighborhoods throughout the month with help from our community partners. Proof of Alexandria City residency may be requested.

Thursday, June 8 from 4:30pm – 6:00pm
Ramsay Rec Center (5650 Sanger Ave)

Thursday, June 15 from 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Hammond Middle School (4646 Seminary Rd)

Friday, June 16 from 10:30am – Noon
Old Town Community Church (212 S. Washington St)

Saturday, June 17 from 8:00am – 10:00am
Fairlington United Methodist Church (3900 King St)

Saturday, June 17 from 10:00am – Noon
UNCUT Youth (1501 Cameron St)

ALIVE! Food Hubs
The ALIVE! Food Hubs offer Alexandria City residents food assistance, personal items, cleaning supplies, school supplies, and connections to support services. Proof of Alexandria City residency may be requested.

West End Food Hub (510-F South Van Dorn St)
Tuesdays 11am – 6pm (Closed 2pm – 3pm)
Wednesdays 11am – 6pm (Closed 2pm – 3pm)
Thursdays 11am – 6pm (Closed 2pm – 3pm)
Saturdays 10am – 2pm

Del Ray Food Hub (2601 Mount Vernon Ave)
Tuesdays 12pm – 6pm (Closed 2pm – 3pm)
Wednesdays 12pm – 6pm (Closed 2pm – 3pm)
Thursdays 12pm – 6pm (Closed 2pm – 3pm)
Saturdays 10am – 2pm