HUNGER and POVERTY MISSION ACTIVITIES

Chair:  Renie Ruehlin

Christ House:
1717 Columbia Road NW, Washington DC 20009
202-328-1100
www.christhouse.org

Christ House is a temporary convalescent residence for DC’s sick and homeless, providing comprehensive health care, while helping them break out of homelessness.  Interdisciplinary teams composed of a physician, a social worker, a nurse and a nurse practitioner work with each patient to develop an individualized plan of action towards healing. Patients also receive housing placement assistance, nutritious meals, and other supportive services. Lewinsville provides one dinner meal monthly, winter coats, and other clothing items.

Primary Contact Person:  Betsy Hendrix

Miriam’s Kitchen:
2401 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037
www.miriamskitchen.org

Miriam’s Kitchen provides services to DC’s poor and homeless. Miriam's Kitchen serves over 200 meals each day, including breakfast every weekday.  About three quarters of its guests are homeless. Miriam’s Kitchen also provides an after-breakfast program, social and case management services, and a recently-opened transitional housing facility. A Lewinsville team helps prepare breakfast at Miriam’s Kitchen on the fourth Friday of each month.  We also help by participating in the after breakfast program, and by raising funds through various efforts.  The Miriam’s Kitchen’s poet group visits our youth group annually, and our sixth graders and youth groups also help prepare breakfast at least once each year.

Primary Contact Person:  Mary Frase

SHARE:
McLean Baptist Church (operates from)
1367 Chain Bridge Road, McLean VA 22101
www.shareofmclean.org/

SHARE (Self Help And Resource Exchange) distributes affordable nutritious food to participants and helps needy families in our area in other ways.  SHARE provides nearly 13,500 packages of food monthly. Lewinsville assists SHARE by providing food donations (both our first Sunday of the month collections and other collections throughout the year).   We also prepare and contribute Thanksgiving and Christmas family dinners, and we make donations of gifts for SHARE’s Christmas gift project.  We have recently begun supporting SHARE’s school supplies project by helping to purchase and distribute backpacks and various supplies needed by children attending our local schools.

Primary Contact Persons: Barbara Odenkirk and Renie Ruehlin

Unity Health Care:
3020 14th Street NW, Washington DC 20009
202-612-3126
www.unityhealthcare.org

Unity Health Care provides medical care to uninsured, underinsured and homeless men, women and children in the District of Columbia. It provides its services at 23 facilities and operates two mobile vans. More than 60 percent of its patients live at or below the poverty level. Lewinsville volunteers assist with UHC’s programs by collecting blankets to be distributed to the homeless from the vans in cold weather. Used clothing is also collected and distributed.

Primary Contact Person:  Jan Jacewicz

Updated September 5, 2009