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Quick Links:
Special Projects ·
Ongoing Projects ·
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the CBE Action Line
Social Action Links
Can't Get Enough of That Mitzvah Stuff
Whether you want to join in a long-term
project, participate in an event or just spend a few hours, the Social
Action Committee can hook you up! Food and clothing drives, Mitzvah Day,
Sukkot in April, international outreach; maybe you have a favorite charity
that could use a little more support. Of course, we would love to also
welcome a few more committee members for the ongoing projects.
Consider
spending a little Mitzvah time with the Social Action Committee in 5770!
One of the goals that the Social Action
Committee will focus on this year will be increasing our congregation’s
assistance to human services in the community. Economic downturns are
especially devastating to those who live in or on the edge of poverty.
Please join in these efforts in any way you can!

Special Projects:
A HUGE thank-you to volunteers
and donors
for the Reston/Herndon
Hypothermia Center, held January 17-23, 2010
Kids can help make
Bag Lunches for the Homeless Shelter!
The staff at the Embry Rucker Homeless Shelter in Reston Town Center
distribute 60-75 bag lunches to non-residents every day, seven days a week.
Lately, there have been even more people coming in and supplies of lunches
are running short.
Please get a group of friends together to provide some of these lunches!
This is a great opportunity to involve kids.
Here is the link to the
Bag Lunch Donation Guidelines.
This is a way to directly benefit those who need help the most.
Questions? Contact Janet Bolton.

Ongoing Social Action Projects:
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Housing, Hunger, Childcare, Advocacy |
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A bridge between a caring community |
We Belong to Reston Interfaith
Reston Interfaith
is a community-based
nonprofit
human service agency that promotes self-sufficiency and supports people in
need of food, shelter, affordable housing, childcare and other human
services. Founded in 1970 by area religious organizations to encourage the
development of affordable housing in the area, Reston Interfaith has since
broadened its offerings to address the most pressing social needs in our
community.
Thanksgiving Food Baskets in November
This is a wonderful way for
CBE families to help other families at the Thanksgiving Holiday time –
donate a Thanksgiving Dinner!
This year, Reston
Interfaith’s Thanksgiving Basket Drive will collect over 1,800 baskets
for families in need in Reston and Herndon. Along with nonperishable
food items, each Thanksgiving Basket will include a gift card to a
grocery store so a family can enjoy a fresh turkey for their feast. Take
part in making a family’s Thanksgiving plentiful by donating a basket
with the following nonperishable items to Reston Interfaith during the
designated collection times:
(IMPORTANT PACKAGING
INSTRUCTIONS: Please place food items in a cardboard box with a lid
and DO NOT include the gift card. Gift cards should be kept separate
from the box of food.)
8 cans assorted veggies
3 cans fruit
1 large juice
1 box mashed potatoes
1 box or bag of rice
1 box biscuit or muffin mix
2 boxes macaroni & cheese
1 drink (coffee, tea, cocoa,juice)
1 snack (pretzels, chips,nuts)
1 dessert (cake/icing, pie crust/filler)
1 $20 gift card for the purchase of a turkey
Optional: sweet potatoes,cranberry sauce, gravy, salt & pepper
When & Where:
Place: St. John Neumann Church 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston
Dates: Dates for 2010 coming soon.
Winter Coat Drive For Children and Adults
 November
-
January
Please
donate winter coats for those in need. Coats are distributed through the
Hunter Mill Supervisor’s Office all winter long.
Bring your clean, wearable coats to the CBE lobby or to the Hunter Mill
District Coat Closet at
the North County Government Center at 12000 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston.
The Closet accepts donations and offers coats through February 24,
2010. Hours of operation are Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon; Thursdays from
5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For information, call 703-478-0283.
Sukkot in April
Can you paint?
Hang drywall? Hammer a nail? Sweep a floor? Each year at the end of April,
hundreds of Jewish volunteers renovate the homes of low-income, disabled
and/or elderly Washington area homeowners as part of Sukkot in April.
In April 2008, the Congregation Beth
Emeth Sukkot in April team did a fantastic job painting, scrubbing,
installing baseboard and window trim, and making other miscellaneous
repairs to a "transition" house in Reston, VA, owned by Christian Relief
Services. This was done in collaboration with "Rebuilding Together" and "Yachad",
two outstanding public service organizations.
Team Captain: We are looking for a new captain!
Watch for signups if we are able to find a captain.
And if painting, hammers, shovels and screwdrivers are not your thing, then
make a contribution to the Acts of Loving Kindness Fund
to help
support CBE efforts. Funds donated to Yachad are pooled from all of the
participating organizations to purchase the materials for house repair at a
large group discount.
Yachad, the Jewish Housing and
Community Development Corporation of Greater Washington, is a local
non-profit organization that mobilizes the resources of the Jewish community
to renovate affordable housing and revitalize urban neighborhoods in
Washington, D.C.
From Our House To
Yours
Graceful Spaces is a program that works in partnership with Reston
Interfaith to serve families participating in the Transitional
Housing Program. Items donated through Reston Interfaith to Graceful
Spaces are used to furnish homes owed by RI. Graceful Spaces provides
practical household and organizational support for Reston Interfaith and
enables our families to quickly settle into and enjoy their new homes.
Key services provided by Graceful
Spaces:
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Developing
organizational systems for kitchens, bathrooms, closets laundry and
financial paperwork.
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Finding furniture and
other items through private donations. Refurnishing/repairing these items,
as necessary.
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Decorating and
arranging furniture inside the home.
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Teaching the value of
living simply and helping clients de-clutter their homes.
Donating
Graceful Spaces accepts following donation items in good condition. Please
call Anne Strange at 703-309-8277 or Karen Hale at 703-407-7553 to arrange a
pickup from your home.
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Lamps and side tables
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Desks and desk chairs
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Bookcases
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Dining room table and
chairs
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Dressers and chests
of drawers
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Side chairs
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Bulletin boards
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Bedding, light weight
bedspreads and blankets
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Table linens and
throw pillows
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Framed art, picture
frames, candleholders, vases, serving pieces
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Organizers such as
caddies, baskets
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Wastebaskets and
hampers, plastic or wood clothes hangers
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Coat hooks and racks
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Planters and flower
pots
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Fabric, scrap lumber,
misc. hardware
The Embry Rucker Shelter, under the
auspices of Reston
Interfaith, maintains and operates apartments in Reston and Herndon as
transitional housing for homeless families. The mission of the
Transitional Housing Program is “to promote independence and empower
homeless families by providing a variety of services, including intensive
case management.”
A Fresh, New Start
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A Bat Mitzvah and her Mitzvah Project – a completed Apartment
Project donation |
Eligible families
move into empty apartments and Reston Interfaith provides an allowance for
furniture and household items. Individuals and organizations can aid
in this process by providing the new household items in this brochure, thus
enabling Reston Interfaith to focus funds on providing personal and
employment counseling for its clients.
How the Project is Implemented
A personalized brochure will be
created for distribution to your group, a tool it will use to organize the
collection. The participants in the group will be asked to review a list of
household items and to please select the new item or items they wish to
donate to the Apartment Project. In order to avoid duplication of items,
each donor will call or send an email with their selection to a “registrar”,
a person designated to coordinate the collection. The brochure will also
announce when and where the items will be collected.
To Sponsor an Apartment Project
Contact: Janet
Bolton
Yom Kippur Kol Nidre Food Drive
Sunday, September 27, 2009
"Share your bread with the hungry..."
Please fill a bag and bring it with you to Kol Nidre Services; volunteers
will assist you at the rear of the parking lot.
Your
contributions will go to the Reston Interfaith Emergency Food Pantry.
Non-perishable
Food:
• Pasta Sauce
• Cereal, Oatmeal
• Peanut Butter and Jelly
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Bagged rice (white or brown)
• Bottled juice
• Canned veggies - regular or no salt (all sorts)
• Canned fruit
• Canned Tuna, Salmon, Chicken, Ham
• Tea, Coffee (regular & decaf - instant)
• Snacks (crackers, fruit & granola bars, etc.)
• Dry Goods (sugar, sweetener, flour, salt)
• Condiments (mayo, ketchup, mustard)
• Cooking Oil & Olive Oil
Hygiene Items:
• Toilet Paper • Soap
• Deodorant • Shampoo
• Toothpaste • Toothbrushes
• Laundry Detergent • Feminine Hygiene
Baby Items:
• Diapers (all sizes) • Baby Wipes
• Formula (all types) • Baby Food (all stages)
Mini-walk for the homeless
Stay tuned for 2010 plans!
Here, members of CBE Youth
Groups marched in the a past Mini-Walk for the Homeless in Reston to benefit
Reston Interfaith and the Embry Rucker Homeless Shelter. The members of USY organized the youth participation in the
walk, providing the banner and unlimited enthusiasm
The Closet and
The Bargain Loft, both in Herndon, are thrift shops help low-income
people and families in Reston/Herndon.
The Closet accepts all kinds
of clothing, shoes and accessories, cosmetics, kitchen items, small
appliances and lamps. It is located at
845 Station St.,
Herndon, VA 20170. Hours for donation drop-off are: Thursday and Saturday, 8 AM –2 PM
(They are closed all of July). Phone: 703-437-7652. More
information.
The Bargain Loft
accepts furniture, lamps, dishes, glassware, house wares, books, computers &
electronics, collectibles and toys. Bring your stuff on Tuesday through
Saturday, 10 AM – 2 PM. They have volunteers who can pick up your large
furniture, call for an appointment. If the store gets too full they will
sometimes not take furniture, toys and books, so call ahead before you bring
those items. The Bargain Loft is located at 336 Victory Drive, off Spring
Street, in the same office park as Lake Anne Florist. Phone: 703- 437-0600.
More information.
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