Toys for Tots!
Thank you to everyone who helped us in gathering toys for Toys for Tots – it was a huge success!!
Happy Holidays to you and your family from all us here at Tom & Cindy and Associates!
Here is your chance to be Santa Claus for a child in need this holiday season! Bring in new unwrapped toys and our team will match their value up to $1,500. We are proud to be helping the U.S. Marines again this year with the Toys for Tots campaign. It lasts until December 18th. Last year’s national Toys for Tots campaign raised 15.6 million toys benefiting nearly 7.2 million children in need. We would love to have you join us. We are located at 7027-A Manchester Blvd, Alexandria, VA 22310– right across the street from Chili’s at the intersection of the Parkway and Beulah Street. Click here if you would like more information about Toys for Tots.
(703)822-0207
TomandCindy@HelloVirginia.com
Several of our local food banks were hit hard by the recent power outages in our area. Many non-profits reported an increased demand for food and services. Area residents lost food in their refrigerators and freezers, but so did many of the food banks. The Lorton Community Action Center lost power for several days and 1,200 pounds of meat and juice that was being stored in its freezers was spoiled. Many local organizations are asking for your help in donating grocery store gift cards and other food items so they can replenish their supplies and get food out to those who need it. Here is a partial list of local organizations in Lorton, Springfield and Alexandria and Kingstowne that could use your help:
Lorton Community Action Center (Lorton)
Capital Area Food Bank (Lorton and DC)
ECHO (Springfield)
Koinonia (Kingstowne)
Salvation Army (multiple locations including Alexandria, Arlington and DC)
Koinonia is a local non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance to many community members in the Kingstowne and Franconia areas of Alexandria. They provide help with food, clothing and financial obligations. According to their website, they “encourage self-sufficiency by offering counseling and education to break the cycle of poverty”. There are plenty of ways to help out; you can volunteer, drop off donations or contribute financially.
Pantry needs:
Food items: oil, sugar, pancake mix and syrup, mustard, ketchup, flour, coffee, mayo and jelly
Household/Personal items: laundry detergent, toilet paper, shampoo/conditioner, toothbrushes, cleaning supplies, dish detergent, paper towels, diapers size 5 and 6
Koinonia feeds over 300 people each month, and gives away about 7,000 pounds of food. They are always looking for these essential items.
Clothing needs:
Girls: tops size 3-7, shorts size 4-7, socks size small & medium
Boys: tops size 7-14, shorts size 5-12, underwear size 2-8
Ladies: intimates all sizes
Mens: jeans size 34-44, shorts all sizes, underwear size 32-36
Clothing is accepted on a seasonal basis; spring/summer between April and September and fall/winter between October and March.
Back to School/August Angels:
Koinonia will be participating in a Fairfax County-wide program called “Collect 4 Kids” through the school system. Along with other non-profit organizations, Koinonia will be collecting backpacks, money for supplies and calculators and will be participating in a group buying program through Office Depot. For just $10, Koinonia will be able to provide quality supplies to fill an entire backpack. Please consider donating a new backpack or $10 for supplies by August 17th.
Volunteers will be needed to sort supplies and assemble the backpacks on Saturday, August 25th at the Franconia Fire Station on Beulah Street. They are looking for volunteers between 8:30 and 4:30.
Call Koinonia at 703-971-1991 for more information or for details on where/when to drop off your donations.
We are helping the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve once again this year with their Toys for Tots campaign. You can help out too by dropping off a new, unwrapped toy at our office. Our address is 7027-A Manchester Blvd, Alexandria, VA 22310. We are collecting toys until December 20th, so there is still plenty of time to participate. We are located at the intersection of Beulah Street and the Fairfax County Parkway; right across the street from Chili’s. Last year’s Toys for Tots program distributed 18 million toys to deserving children. Quantico is our local Marine Base and they distribute toys throughout Arlington, Fairfax, Rappahannock, Prince William, Culpeper, Orange, Fauquier, Stafford, King George, Caroline and Westmoreland Counties. We would love to have everyone join us this year! You can drop off toys for boys and girls, in a variety of age groups. Contact us if you have any questions.
Susan Hall
The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce is collecting donations of winter coats and non-perishable food through December 17th at several area businesses. Items will be given to Ecumenical Community Helping Others (ECHO) and United Community Ministries, local charities that administer emergency assistance in Springfield. Coat donations are particularly crucial, especially children’s sizes 6 to 16 and adult plus sizes. Anyone interested should simply bring items to drop-off locations throughout the area. Participating businesses include the Comfort Inn in Springfield, Hilton Springfield, Hard Times Café in Springfield, NOVA Pediatrics, Interstate Relocation Services, Safford Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Springfield and Union First Market Banks in Burke, central and west Springfield. Donations can also be made at Bingo Nights put on by the VFW Post 7327 and the Springfield Volunteer Fire Department.
Susan Hall
