WHAT YOU CAN DO

Alternative House

Alternative House Emergency Shelter - Alternative House’s Emergency Shelter is a voluntary three-week crisis intervention program for young people 13-17 years old. Teens who face a personal crisis, homelessness, or abuse, find safe shelter and professional counseling in our residential program. While they are at the shelter, young people receive intensive individual and group counseling, as well as family therapy.

Assisting Young Mothers (AYM) - AYM provides counseling and support for pregnant and parenting young women ages 16-24 through residential and community based programs. Young women receive counseling, shelter, life skills training, parenting education, and job readiness training to help them become nurturing parents and successful members of the community. AYM strives to promote self-sufficiency and nurturing parenting, and prevent child abuse and stop the cycle of teen pregnancy.

Outreach - Alternative House’s Outreach programs include a van, stocked with food, clothing, and other survival supplies, and neighborhood counselors who go into the streets to find and help young people in need. The Outreach school programs provide young people in grades 4-12 an accessible, safe and welcoming place to go in their free time and get critical support services. At the centers youth take advantage of programs and activities including homework help and a computer center. After school snacks and a hot dinner are also provided. Lewinsville Church will be collecting important supplies during August in order to assist Alternative House with much needed supplies.

Let’s pray about this and make a meaningful contribution.

CHRIST HOUSE  – is running low on clothing!  There is a need for men’s t-shirts, casual pants or jeans, and lightly-used sneakers, especially in medium and large sizes.  Please place your contributions in the container in the volunteer room labeled CHRIST HOUSE.   Many thanks for your support of one of Lewinsville’s oldest and most active mission programs that provides medical services to the neediest of God’s children in the District of Columbia.  Please contact Janet Jacewicz to learn more about Christ House and the volunteer opportunities available. 
  
CHRIST HOUSE House – is the recipient of a $50,000 challenge grant from the Kaiser Permanente Community Benefits Program.  Every dollar received by August 31st will be matched up to $50,000.  The funds raised will be used to offset the costs of the new Kairos House expansion.  Kairos House currently houses up to 37 formerly homeless men and the expansion will provide housing for another 15 individuals.  Lewinsville provides and serves dinner to Christ House residents and the men from Kairos House on the second Sunday of each month.  If you wish to help support the Kairos House expansion, checks may be sent to Christ house, 1717 Columbia Rd. NW, Washington, DC  2009-2803, annotated KAIROS.  If giving online, (www.christhouse.org) please write KAIROS in the comments section.  To learn more about the Kaiser Permanente grant and the Kairos II expansion program, access the website.  Point-of-Contact: Janet Jacewicz (703-534-7004, janetjacewicz@cox.net). 

CARITAS PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY

In Christian theology, caritas means an unlimited loving-kindness toward others – this is the goal of Lewinsville’s prayer shawl ministry. Our newest outreach ministry will provide the opportunity for knitters and crocheters to gather on a regular basis to create shawls that will provide both warmth and spiritual comfort to those who receive them. We meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month from 10:00 am to Noon in the chapel. We welcome knitters and crocheters of all skill levels to enjoy this time of mission, fellowship and learning. If you cannot attend the gatherings for the entire time, please feel free to come and stay as long as you can. Regardless of your ability or desire to attend scheduled meetings, we hope that as many knitters as possible will contribute their talents to creating prayer shawls for our frail members who will know they are loved and remembered by our Lewinsville Congregation. To learn more about how you can contribute to this very special ministry, please contact either Nancy McGuire (703-759-2224 / ngmcguire3@verizon.net) or Janet Jacewicz (703-534-7004 / janetjacewicz@cox.net). Learn more about the prayer shawl ministry movement at www.shawlministry.com.

Contribute Non-perishable Food Items, Used Clothing, and Other Items

Non-perishable food items are collected on the first Sunday of each month for SHARE. Canned goods and dry items requiring no refrigeration, please. Staples such as tea, sugar, vegetable oil and cereal, toothpaste, laundry detergent and bar soap are always needed. Place your donations  in the boxes that will be found in the Narthex.

You Can Volunteer for a Project in a Role Tailored to Fit Your Personal Schedule and Situation

See the complete listing of projects on this website:

• Housing Mission Activities
• Hunger and Poverty Mission Activities
• Social Services Mission Activities
• National and International Mission Activities

You Can Support  Special Campaigns and Collections When They Are Announced

Special campaigns will be conducted to meet unforeseen needs and emergencies, in particular for natural disasters.  Relief efforts for hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters will be the subject of special appeals, because funds for such contingencies are very limited in the current budget.

Look for our Mission Handbook, available at Lewinsville Presbyterian Church. All information in the Handbook is also found on these Outreach webpages. There are approximately 25 separate activities listed under four major headings: Housing, Hunger and Poverty, Social Services, and National and International. This Mission Handbook contains information about all the Mission projects that Lewinsville supports as of August 2009.

Updated July 28, 2010