Old Presbyterian Meeting House ■ news 1 April 2012 Vol. 61, No. 4 Old Presbyterian Meeting House 323 South Fairfax Street Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3716 Phone: 703-549-6670 Fax: 703-549-9425 Email: [email protected]Website: www.opmh.org Office Hours: 8:15 - 4:15, Monday - Friday The Old Presbyterian Meeting House is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the National Capital Presbytery: www.pcusa.org In This Issue: Church News .................2 New Members .................3 Joys and Concerns ..............4 Senior Sidebar .................4 Youth Fellowship ...............6 Children’s Ministry .............8 Adult Education ...............8 Mission ......................9 Monthly Calendar .............11 [email protected]Easter is a day for celebration and we are a people who do celebration well. We dress ourselves with new spring clothes and our church with bright spring flowers and our dinner table with a verita- ble spring feast. But tomorrow we'll put back on our old, comfortable khakis, the flowers will wilt on the table in the hallway or be planted in the back yard and the left-overs will fill the refrigera- tor. Holidays, even holy days, are just days. But Easter is more than a day. Easter is a season. It begins with the commemoration of the Resurrection but it doesn't stop there. Just as in the gospel stories of Matthew and Luke and John, Jesus continues to be present with those who have believed in him and followed him. He teaches them and has fellowship with them and sends them out to be his servants in the world. And the church celebrates that time of presence for the 50 days between Easter and Pentecost. After the sad- ness of Maundy Thursday and the darkness of Good Friday, let us take the joy that dawned for us on that bright Easter Sunday morning and continue to keep it alive in our hearts and to share it with others. As Ann Weems puts it in her poem, "We Have Seen Jesus," On Easter morning and on every morning, let us in chorus sing: "This is the day the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it!" And then . . . let us run to tell the others: "We have seen Jesus!" PALM/PASSION SUNDAY SERVICES Sunday, April 1 8:30 & 11 am Communion at both services MAUNDY THURSDAY SERVICE April 5, 7:30 pm GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE/TAIZÉ April 6, 7:00 pm EASTER SERVICES Sunday, April 8 8:30 & 11 am No Education Classes No Communion O ld P resbyterian M eeting H ouse
Easter is a day for celebration and we are a peoplewho do celebration well. We dress ourselves withnew spring clothes and our church with brightspring flowers and our dinner table with a verita-ble spring feast. But tomorrow we'll put back onour old, comfortable khakis, the flowers will wilton the table in the hallway or be planted in theback yard and the left-overs will fill the refrigera-tor. Holidays, even holy days, are just days.
But Easter is more than a day. Easter is a season.It begins with the commemoration of theResurrection but it doesn't stop there. Just as inthe gospel stories of Matthew and Luke and John,Jesus continues to be present with those who havebelieved in him and followed him. He teachesthem and has fellowship with them and sendsthem out to be his servants in the world. And thechurch celebrates that time of presence for the 50days between Easter and Pentecost. After the sad-ness of Maundy Thursday and the darkness ofGood Friday, let us take the joy that dawned forus on that bright Easter Sunday morning andcontinue to keep it alive in our hearts and toshare it with others. As Ann Weems puts it in herpoem, "We Have Seen Jesus,"
On Easter morningand on every morning,let us in chorus sing:"This is the day the Lord has made;Let us rejoice and be glad in it!"And then . . . let us run to tell the others:"We have seen Jesus!"
PALM/PASSIONSUNDAY SERVICESSunday, April 18:30 & 11 amCommunion at bothservices
MAUNDYTHURSDAYSERVICEApril 5, 7:30 pm
GOOD FRIDAYSERVICE/TAIZÉApril 6, 7:00 pm
EASTER SERVICESSunday, April 88:30 & 11 amNo Education ClassesNo Communion
Church NewsMidweek Connection ConcludesMarch 28 marked the final session of Midweek Connection for this season.We want to thank all who helped make this program a success. Kudos to
Theresa McDonald, our cook, for all the wonderful food we haveenjoyed. Thank you to Linda Woodhouse for the fabulous"logistics" team she pulled together for set up, serving andclean-up, including: Cyndi Duncan, Martha Gibson, HalCollums, Shannon Lisecki, Brooks Barwell, Mary Hill,Margaret Rizzi, Lenore Marema, Dara, Derrick, and EmilySurratt, Cristy Gallagher, and Doug Peterson. Meeting House
Administrator Bob Clark kept the list, brought the cash box andhelped in many ways. Sexton Walter Elias did set up, and he and his wifeMaria and son Walter, Jr. helped with clean up. We are also appreciative forall those who taught: Priscilla Andre-Colton and Elizabeth Anderson withthe children; Amitha Wall for childcare; Larry Golemon and Linda Lanamfor the Barth study; and Rocky Laha for the Bible studies and the lectionaryclass before the dinner. We will soon begin planning for the next season ofMidweek Connections. If you have ideas, suggestions, or would like to helpjust let us know in the church office, or email:[email protected] or [email protected]
The Erben Organ FaçadeRestoration ProjectFor some time now the History and ArchivesCommittee has been putting articles in themonthly newsletter to interest members in theErben Organ.
A rare 1849 Erben Organ is owned by the OldPresbyterian Meeting House. It is both an his-torical musical instrument as well as an objectof art. The Goal of the project is to restore the façade of the organ to it’soriginal appearance. The preservation of this organ is a challenge and respon-sibility. Samuel Baker, Director of Music and organist, is leading an effort torestore our antique Erben Organ façade and the History and ArchiveCommittee (HAC), chaired by Hugh Van Horn, has joined him in thiseffort. Mary Belle Stephens, a HAC member agreed to lead the HAC port ofthis effort. The Erben Organ Fund (EOF), was initiated to gather funds tosupport in the restoration effort and is set up in the Meeting House financialoffice. The History and Archives Committee has been selling note cards,matted prints and framed prints provided by Larry Rood featuring variousvies of the Old Presbyterian Meeting House. Proceeds from the sales havebeen deposited into the Erben Organ Fund account. It is hoped that membersof the congregation will join the effort to preserve our Erben Organ located inthe sanctuary behind the pulpit.
Recruiting for the Docent ProgramLearn about the Meeting House’s history, dress as though you lived in thelate 18th century and usher for special programs and events, i.e. ChristmasEve, New Years Eve, the St Andrews Services, Sundays through the year.Please cal or email Susan Horne (703) 548-2759, email [email protected].
Kent CaldwellKent joined by Reaffirmation of Faith.He served in the US Navy for 22 yearsand is now a Civil Servant in the Navysupporting the Joint Strike FighterProgram in Arlington. He has fourchildren and three grandchildren.
Church NewsNew MembersThe Mission G.I.F.T.*
Please join us on Sunday, April 15, in Fellowship Hall,5:00-7:00 pm. The evening will include dinner, mis-sion projects for the whole family and fellowship.Everyone is invited—bring your neighbors and friends.Reservations are helpful so we are sure to have enoughfood—RSVP to Becky Melton at [email protected]. *Growing In Faith Together
One of our projects will be to sort and pack toiletryitems for Sara’s Open Table, a ministry to the homelessin Alexandria. For that we are collecting the followingitems: travel size toiletries (either from a hotel visit orbought at a store), shampoo, conditioner, lotion, barsoap, toothbrush, toothpaste (not mouthwash),deodorant, individual wipes (not liquid hand sanitizer).You can also donate gently used or new books inEnglish or Spanish for babies through elementaryschool age kids that will be given to children at doctor's appointments at ANHSI (the ArlandriaHealth Clinic). You can bring them that night or tothe collection baskets located in Fellowship Hall, thenarthex or the church office before April 15.
G.I.F.T.
Patricia (Pat) Romiti and George BrunnerPat joined by Letter of Transfer fromGreenwood Presbyterian Church inGreenwood, IN. George joined byReaffirmation of Faith. Pat works asan architect and enjoys cooking, pol-itics and fashion. George is a also an architect who enjoysdesigning and reading. Pat and George have four sons:Will Brunner (25), Javier Ruibal (21), Drew Brunner (18)and Julian Ruibal (12). Julian has already joined theMeeting House youth group.
Photos of Congregational Dinner and Silent Auction. See article page 9. Photos by Larry Rood.
April BirthdaysLeila Abarca, John Anderson, Rick Bailer, Susan Ballou, MarieBamford, Jim Beall, Don Beane, Andy Berner, Lauren Bishop,Carol Black, Tim Brightbill, John Brindisi, Angelen Brookshire,Paul Browne, Mike Campagna, Tara Campagna, Maggie Carl,Richard Carson, Joe Cavender, Winn Chamberlain, Willie Chin,Clifton Church, Julie Church, Jim Clinger, Laura Comey, DavidCotton, Jennifer Crawford, George Darley, Michael Davidson,Ashley Davies, Eric Davis, Catherine Davis, James Day, MichaelDay, Dona de Leon, Michael Deemer, Miller Delancey, LisaDeVaul, Morgan Drucker, Mike Dubke, Grace Dunn, Ava MaeElkins, Cheryl Evans, Cynthia Evans, Sandy Everist, MichaelFlemming, Mackenzie Ford, Joan Friedrichs, Dennis Goins, Sarah Golemon-Mercer, Ava Gooz, Rebecca Gustafson, Ellen Haas,Noah Hannam, Anna Hargett, Ryan Hargett, Kristen Herrmann,Jennifer Hirsch, Andrew Hirsch, Jake Hoogland, Martha Hopkins,Marilyn Howe, Greg Hudgins, Erica Johns, Richard Johns, LisaJohnson, Emma Jones, Frank Kane, Suzanna Kang, Sally Laha,Scott Lane, Maysen Lassiter, Rebecca Lenn, Claire Leveridge, ErmaLogan, Lisbeth Lyons, Annika MacEwen, Bill MacLeod, AliciaManatad, Mary Mathews, Mary Frances May, Paul McClure, MaryMcCoy, Nick McCulloch, John Mills, Jeff Olson, Leah Peterson,Jean Petrov, Will Phelps, Jane Picot, Eleanor Pourron, SamuelRoberts, David Sade, Hallie Smith, Kerri Stevens, Ruth Storey,Paula Thomas, Deborah Thompson, Caroline Thorpe, JulieThrower, Elizabeth Timberlake, James Timberlake, Ann Timmons,Andrea Tracey, Callan Trimber, Alec Uusimaki, Stephanie Valero,Paul Van Hook, Cortnay Varela, Tom Walker, Julia Walsh, JeanWeber, Fowler West, Margaret Whitesides, Anne Williams, LarryWilliams, Allan Winn, and Richard Wong.
Our Congratulations are offered on...
The baptism of...Mary Page McCaskill, daughter of Duncan and KellyMcCaskill on March 4; andBrady Doyle Hendy, son of Meghan and Patrick Hendy onMarch 25.
The birth of...Eloise Elizabeth Simmons, daughter of Beth and ScottSimmons, born on March 12.
Our sympathy goes to...Peggy Henderson on the death of her mother, JoannaHenderson, on March 16.
Senior SidebarFree Tax Preparation (provided by IRS-certified volunteers inEnglish and Spanish)Saturdays, 9 a.m. – Noon through April 14 Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Department of Community & Human Services2525 Mt. Vernon Ave. (Mt. Ida side door)Individuals with income up to $25,000;Families with income up to $45,000
Come attend a speaker series event:“Explore Activities for Alexandria’s Seniorswith the Alexandria Department ofRecreation, Parks and Cultural Activities.”Join Gerry Cooper afterward for lunch forfellowship and discussion about mission workat the Meeting House. Thursday, April 12 at11 am at the Chinquapin Park RecreationCenter, 3210 King Street. The event is freebut space is limited, so please register inadvance with Senior Services of Alexandria atwww.seniorservicesalex.org or (703) 846-4414, ext. 13.
Senior Services of Alexandria (SSA) andSenior Employment Resources (SER) haveteamed up to expand services forAlexandria’s job seekers. SER employmentadvisors will now be available Tuesday after-noons for initial counseling appointments atSSA’s office in Old Town. SER is anAnnandale-based organization that providesseniors (55+) with employment counselingand assistance, as well as training programs.
To register and schedule anappointment, Alexandria residents should call SSA at(703) 846-4414, ext. 10.
George Washington’sBirthday CelebrationFebruary 20, 2012 andwreath laying ceremony.The 1st VirginiaRegiment of theContinental Line.Photos by Larry Rood.
Old Presbyterian Meeting House � news 6
Youth FellowshipYouth Calendar April 2012
Sunday, April 1st - Regular Youth Group -MS 5-6:30 pm, HS 6-8 pm. Dinner together at 6 pm.
Sunday, April 8th - No Youth Group, Happy Easter!
Sunday, April 15th - Regular Youth Group -MS 5-6:30 pm, HS 6-8 pm. Dinner together at 6pm.
Sunday, April 22 - Regular YouthGroup - MS 5-6:30 pm, HS 6-8pm. Dinner together at 6 pm.*Heritage Luncheon after church -stay tuned for more info, youth willbe helping with this event. ContactMary if you want to help!
Sunday, April 29 - Regular YouthGroup - MS 5-6:30 pm, HS 6-8pm. Dinner together at 6 pm. *Confirmation Luncheon afterchurch for confirmation students,parents and mentors.
COMING UP!!YOUTH SUNDAY!! May 13! both the 8:30 and 11 am services! **Mandatory dress rehearsal -Saturday, May 12, 9 am -12 pm.Contact Mary if you want to participate in this special Sunday!
Summer Dates! Email Mary Pratt to hold your spot andrequest forms! [email protected] Springs - Middle SchoolConference (rising 7th-9th graders)June 26-29
West Virginia Work Camp(rising 6th graders - adult)July 8-13
Montreat - High School Conference(rising 10th - graduating seniors)July 15-21
Chili Cook Off and Bake Sale!March 18th - Big thank you toeveryone who helped put thisevent together and to all thosewho came to eat! Thanks ofcourse to all of our chili chefs,setup and cleanup crew, and toall those who brought food forthe bake sale and buffet! Specialthanks to Linda Woodhouse
and Doug Peterson fortheir extra hard work inmaking this event a suc-cess!! Together we raised$1,135.05 to help withthe cost of the youthsummer trips! THANKYOU!!
If you missed the chilicook off, you can stillhelp! Contact Mary Prattor send a check madeout to OPMH and markit youth summer trips.Sponsor a youth! - Itcosts an average of $500for each youth and advi-sor to attend a summercamp.
Judges: Jim Beall (chair), Jeff Lenn,David Biette, Debbie Farmer, MikeFarmer and Bob Phillips
1st place: Hazzard Family (Mikeand Allyson and daughtersMadeline, Olivia and Claire); secret ingredient was chocolate!; 2nd place: Duane Duncan, venison chili, and 3rd place Paul Mengel, beef chili Also competing were: Todd Andre-Colton; Kent Caldwell,Nancy Davidson, Banna Dunn, David McGarvey, JoyceMercer, and Margo and Larry Williams.
In Heritage Hall…April 15, 22, 29, May 6, 13 & 20 Christians in the WorkplaceThe Great Ends of the Church: Exhibition of theKingdom of Heaven to the World The central focus of the church’s calling is to be the wit-ness in the world to the goodness of God’s love in JesusChrist. The most important visible form of Christianwitness is the living out of its gospel in everyday life--atwork, at home, and in the community. Dr. Jeff Lennwill moderate these six sessions, drawing on people from our church family.
In Fellowship Hall…The Sunday morning Bible Study continues its examination of the Book of Psalms. The Psalms are acollection of hymns, prayers, and poems that probe thedepths of human emotions. Intended for both publicworship and private reflection, the Psalter combinesvivid images with honest expressions of sorrow, anger,thanksgiving and hope. These ancient words of scripture continue to speak to the experiences of today.Join Hal Collums, Lee Posey, Linda Lanam and TomRoberts as they lead this study.
Please note that Adult Education classes do not meet onEaster Day, April 8.
Adult Education
The Journey this Spring!Sunday, April 1 is Palm Sunday. Children in Grades 1-5 will travel through Jerusalem with Jesus. Along theway they will stop and learn about the events of HolyWeek, leading up to Easter. Join us in Heaven (topfloor of the Education Building) where we will beginthe journey.
No Sunday School on Easter Morning, April 8. Besure you come to worship and celebrate the resurrection!
On Sunday, April 15 we will begin the final rotation ofworkshops for this school year. Our theme is “TheBible—Big Book of God’s Story”. Each session willbegin with a “teaching time” in Heaven followed by twoworkshop choices. We will learn about the language ofthe Bible, how it is arranged, and what the differentparts are about. Brooks Barwell and Hallie Smith haveoffered to host a party for all the children who can recitethe books of the Bible in order. This series of workshopwill run through May 13. On May 20 we will have ourPentecost Party—stay tuned for details!
Sunday School Offering Update: Last December thechildren of The Journey voted to designate their SundaySchool offering for a Heifer Project Knitter’s Basket, set-ting a goal of $480.00. This would be enough moneyto purchase a llama, an alpaca, an angora rabbit and asheep. We are moving along toward our goal: to datewe have collected $228.45. A church member,impressed with the children’s vision and commitment,has offered to contribute the last $100.00 if the childrencan get to $380.00 by April 29.
Club 3-4-5 Meets next Fri., April 20, 4:30-6 pm for Field Gamesand Frozen Treats at MacArthur Elementary School(1101 Janneys Lane). RSVP to either Laura Campbell at [email protected] or Brooks Barwell at [email protected]. Friends are always welcome!
MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR VBS 2012: July 23-27. Our Vacation Bible School this summer will have us On the Road with Jesus. So mark your calendars now forJuly 23-27 and get ready to travel. To volunteer, con-tact Lauren Bishop ([email protected]) orShannon Lisecki ([email protected]) or register online.Resgistration forms are now available online atwww.opmh.org
MissionWhat is Mission Challenge 2012?The Mission Ministry is issuing a challenge to the congregation to come upwith innovative ways to express the MeetingHouse’s commitment to service in our community.The Challenge is meant to stir your imagination to findsolutions to existing problems, to forge more extensiverelationships with our community partners, and to help make mission even more of an integrated part ofwhat we do at the Meeting House.
Who Can Take Part in the Challenge?There are no restrictions – proposals may come from anindividual, a group of elementary school kids, youth, afamily, adults, a fellowship group, etc. If you can build inan element of competition or participation, the projectcan be fun for others at the church as well as effective.
How can you participate?It’s simple. Click here: http://images.acswebnetworks.com/1/1798/MissionChallenge2012ProjectApplication1.pdf
to access the one page proposal. Think about what you’dlike to do. If you can, get friends or family members tojoin in. Then fill out the proposal and submit it. You candrop off your proposal at the church office or scan it andsend it by email to Jim Roberts at [email protected] deadline for all submissions is April 30.
What Happens after April 30?A small group of Mission Committee members willreview submitted proposals. They will present informa-tion about the proposals to the Mission Committee, andone or more will be selected. Among the criteria forselection are the following: amount of financial resourcesneeded – leverage of resources by matching fundsencouraged (a total of $1,500 can be allocated for one or
more Challenge grants, used to cover expenses ormatched to raise additional resources); maximumimpact in terms of mission; work with an existingMeeting House mission partner (not required);ability to document events or activities; with
bonus points for extent of family, youth, or groupinvolvement.
What Happens if My Proposal is Selected? The Mission Ministry will work with you and providesupport to help you implement your proposal. We willhelp with publicity and write a newsletter article aboutthe project when it is done.
What if My Proposal is Not Selected?Even if a proposal is not accepted for the Challenge, itmay be undertaken at some time on its own merits,independent of the Challenge.
Where can I learn more?Committee members are Margaret Rizzi, Jim Roberts,Randy Drucker, Emma Beall and Charlotte Read.Contact any one of them for more information or to testyour ideas.
Why is the Mission Ministry doing this – don’t wehave a lot of Mission Programs Already?We want to encourage creative thinking and implementation of innovative ideas that will increaseawareness of mission activities by the congregation atlarge; create opportunities for active participation bymembers in mission; enhance and build on existing mis-sion activities; encourage group, youth, and family activ-ities; and possibly create models that might be replicatedor serve as impetus for further mission activity.
The Challenge is now on!
Service SundayThis year Service Sunday at the Meeting House will take place on Sunday, June 3 after the 10:00 service. To signup, contact Randy Drucker at [email protected] or Lindsey Merchant at [email protected].
2012 Silent Auction a Huge Success!The results from the Silent Auction at the Congregational Dinner on March 4thwere incredible -- $18,865 was raised for the Family to Family program! This wasan increase of almost $3,000 from the amount raised at the 2011 dinner. Thesefunds will enable Family to Family to meet almost 190 additional requests for assis-tance during 2012. On behalf of the Family to Family program and MissionCommittee, thanks go out to all the people who offered an item for the auction orwho bid on auction items or made donations; the Silent Auction team led by MaryMyers; and the team that coordinated the dinner led by Judi Elmore. The Silent
Auction in March and Alternative Giving in December are two important sources of funding for mission projectsat the Meeting House that are truly wonderful Meeting House traditions.
for an updated schedule of Mission Connectevents for April and May that includes moreinformation about the following events as well asother Mission Connect activities:• Attend a speaker series event on Thursday, April12 at 11 am – “Explore Activities for Alexandria’sSeniors with the Alexandria Department ofRecreation, Parks and Cultural Activities" – andjoin Gerry Cooper for lunch afterwards.
• Enjoy intergenerational fellowship, fun, missionand a child-friendly dinner at the Growing in FaithTogether event on Sunday, April 15, 5-7 pm.
• Mark your calendar for a Carpenter’s Shelterweekend of fun on April 28 and 29 that willinclude a Run for Shelter 10K and 1 Mile Funrun on Saturday and the 10th Annual Cook-Offat the Birchmere on Sunday.
• Take a minute now to mark Wednesday, May 2on your calendar for Spring 2Action, a day ofonline giving that will benefit Alexandria non-profits, including many of the Meeting House’slocal mission partners.
• Work together with other Meeting House folksand hundreds of other volunteers for a day of fellowship and fun around town at the Spring forAlexandria community work day from 10 am to2 pm on Friday, May 4. Click here to sign uponline now for the Meeting House team atwww.volunteeralexandria.org
• On Sunday, May 6 at 2 pm, join Meeting Housemembers and friends at the Step ALIVE!Walkathon for the ALIVE! Child DevelopmentCenter. The Walkathon is a 5 mile stroll for fam-ilies and friends of all ages from the ALIVE! officeat First Christian Church at 2723 King Street,past the Masonic Temple, to Market Square andback, ending with a picnic at First Christian withgreat food, music and fellowship. The MeetingHouse is a sponsor of the walk this year, and ourteam will be led by Gerry Cooper. Pledge formsand additional information are available online atwww.alive-inc.org or by calling (571) 970-0369.The CDC is a full-day preschool serving childrenof low income working parents, with a slidingscale fee for tuition. This year the Walkathon celebrates the CDC's 40th birthday. Funds raisedwill provide scholarship support for children atCDC.
Old Presbyterian Meeting House � news 10
MissionConnect++Old Presbyterian Meeting House
VOICE Listening for the Passion inAffordable HousingVOICE in Alexandria is holding listening sessions with commu-nities of all types to understand where people are ready to act onaffordable housing and stand up for a diverse community.
We have monitored public meetings on the Beauregard redevelopment small area plan where we stand to lose ourgreatest concentration of market rate affordable housing.Where the city now estimates we have 2875 affordable units,after the redevelopment the city is planning to preserve 703units as workforce affordable units. Little is planned or promised for the many low income residents who will be displaced. At the Meeting House we convened a group ofarchitects to better understand the marketplace challenge andyet be inspired by their vision of what we could build here ifwe really care about a diverse community.
This month we are gathering seniors over lunch to hear theirconcerns about being able to continue living in Alexandria. We will also talk with staff and students at the VirginiaTheological Seminary. We want to talk with members in theMeeting House and in our other VOICE congregations. Weare ready to talk with anyone who has first-hand experience of why affordable housing should be a priority because theycannot find housing personally or they have family, friends oremployees who are struggling. We need these stories to putmany faces on the problem.
The numbers just do not add up to give us a community consistent with our faith. The average median income (AMI)in Northern Virginia is $106,100. The maximum rent a single person can afford to pay at 50% of AMI (a salary of$37,625) is $941—assuming you can find an efficiency apartment at this rate. One 2010 city study estimates theshortfall of rentals that would be affordable to people earningbelow 80% of AMI is almost 10,000 units.
Just look around and observe what is happening all over thecity. New condos and townhomes are popping up like springflowers in every piece of undervalued real estate. Developersare building for the high-end market and our teachers, fire-fighters, store clerks, waiters, landscapers and childcare workersare being priced right out of our community.
If this is not your vision for Alexandria, we need your help.Affordable housing is a wicked problem that will need patienceand many solutions, but most of all, it needs people who careenough to work for the community we want. Join otherMeeting House members and get involved with VOICE today by contacting Marsha Rhea, [email protected], 703-299-9717, or Ellen McCleskey, [email protected],703-888-1052.
Kentucky Derby PartyCalling all horse lovers, all hat lovers,and all mint lovers! Mark your calendarsfor Saturday, May 5, 2012, 5-8:30 pm.Celebration will host a Kentucky DerbyDay Party at the home of Tim and Judi
Elmore, 1795 Rampart Drive, Alexandria, 22308. All MeetingHouse adults are invited to join us as we cheer on the horses! $7per person plus a dish to share (A-H: appetizers, I-Q: side dish,R-Z: desserts). RSVP by May 2 to [email protected] or (703) 360-0987.
Thank YouMany thanks to the Meeting House volunteers who made two furniture deliv-ery dates happen for ALIVE! in March.
Concert with a CauseThe Venice and University High SchoolsCombined Concert Choirs performed awonderful program at the Meeting Houseon Saturday, March 10. The combinedchoir was comprised of more than 40 highschool students from Florida who sang traditional choral selections, spirituals, aSouth African piece, the Navy hymn, CivilWar songs and a blended patriotic piece.The concert featured two directors,Stephen Johns and Byron Johns, who arefather and son. A free-will offering of$1,075.00 was collected for our local mission partner, Building Better Futures,which provides at-risk Latino students andnon-Latino ESL students at TC Williamsthe support and services they need to succeed in high school and beyond.
Randy Drucker, Jim Roberts and other volunteers have beenworking on a playhouse for auction at a future RebuildingTogether event. Many thanks tothose people who worked on theproject or contributed to cover thecost of the supplies.
