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How You Can Help . . .
For the Holidays .
. .
The AfterShare Rent Fund . . .
Through Occoquan's "Tree of Hope" . . .
For the Holidays . . .
The Homeless Prevention Center in Woodbridge, VA has special needs for the coming holiday season. Like other shelters, we depend on collections of canned foods, shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, etc., to last us most of the year.
Currently, we specifically need cotton blankets, bath towels, wash clothes, toothpaste, deodorant, razors, large diapers, cold and flu medicines and other over-the-counter health remedies for adults and children.
If you are preparing to replace your own vacuum, microwave, TV, VCR, washing machine, or dryer this Christmas season, please consider giving your old appliance to us for use at the Center or for a family moving into a new home.
For Christmas, we are asking our current residents and some former residents who are still in need for wish lists. We ask them to be specific and practical. If you "adopt" a family, we try to give you the option of personally getting to know the child/family that you "adopt" whenever possible.
For more details and lists of specific Holiday needs, please contact Marnita Johnson, AfterShare Volunteer Coordinator, at 703-680-5403.
The AfterShare Rent Fund . . .
Ms. Johnson coordinates a fund to assist families at the Homeless Prevention Center with rent and utility deposits, for auto repairs and other special needs. Volunteers of America Chesapeake will redirect all money donated to the AfterShare fund directly to landlords, utility companies, and other businesses providing needed services for the families.
Over the years, we have seen homeless families who have received wonderful, toy-filled Holidays, with nowhere to take the toys when their time is up at the Center. Sometimes the cost of day care, transportation, medical bills, and/or past due utilities from the home they lost make it impossible to get a new start in 30-51 days.
If you can help, checks should be made out to "VOA Chesapeake" with "AfterShare Rent Fund" in the memo. The address is Homeless Prevention Center, 14945 Jefferson Davis Highway, Woodbridge, VA 22191. If you don't have funds to assist, maybe you know of a low-rent opportunity we can share with our families.
For further information, please contact Marnita Johnson at the Homeless Prevention Center at 703-680-5403. (Click here for an update of the Fund's progress this year.)
Historic Town of Occoquan's "Tree of Hope"
With the holiday season rapidly approaching, we ask you to join us in celebration of the season by supporting the Historic Town of Occoquan's "Tree of Hope". With your help, the Christmas tree outside Town Hall will be decorated from top to bottom with very special ornaments.
Kathy Smith from Simply Country, 311 Mill Street, is again selling ornaments to be hung on the tree by the people who have purchased them, with all proceeds being donated to the AfterShare Fund at the Hilda Barg Homeless Prevention Center.
We ask that you support this worthwhile effort and purchase an ornament at Simply Country. Receipts for tax deductions will be provided.
Each time an ornament is hung on the tree, a family in need comes closer to having a very special Christmas and something we all have: a home. For additional information, call Kathy at 497-7647.