Happy to report that the DWC had our most successful collection yet for the soldiers in Afghanistan holiday project.  We completed the packing on November 14th.  The DYNAMO soccer team, the VFW Post 5412 from Burke, members of the DWC, and residents of the greater Clifton community came together to fill 49 boxes.  We have heard that the boxes have arrived and items are being enjoyed by the soldiers as of this week.  We thank everyone for your support on this worthwhile project!

At this time of the year, we are thankful for all we have.  For the past several years, we have expressed our gratitude at our November General Meetings by collecting, packing and mailing requested items for soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan and by donating grocery store food gift cards to Our Daily Bread, a local non-profit, non-sectarian organization that feeds needy Fairfax County families.

On Sunday, November 14th from 3-5 p.m. at the Clifton Community Hall, we will gather together to honor our young service men and women and to help needy families once again.  You do not need to be a DWC member or even a Democrat to contribute to either project.  Giving is non-partisan and we welcome any and all support from the community.  This year, members from the Burke VFW will provide money for package mailing and other community groups are uniting to help with both projects.

We welcome donations for the troops which include:  International phone cards, ITunes gifts cards, DVDs, Powdered drink mixes, ground coffee, tea bags, beef jerky (non pork), Slim Jims, Rice Crispy treats, nuts, chewing gum, Ramen Noodles, Trisket and Goldfish Crackers, Trail Mix, Baked goods (in plastic containers or zip lock bags) – nothing that melts, card/poker games, athletic/tank tee shirts (sand-colored from BX/PX only), white socks (no logos), lip balm, baby wipes, good razors and blades, shaving cream, deodorant, hand sanitizer, toothpaste and tooth brushes, bar soap and shampoo.

To participate in the Our Daily Bread grocery food card project, pick up a gift card from any of the local grocery stores (Giant, Safeway, Shopper’s, etc.) and bring it to the meeting on the 14th or mail it to:  DWC, P.O. Box 143, Clifton, VA 20124 anytime before the end of the year. To contribute by check, please make the check out to Our Daily Bread with “Food Program” on the memo line and mail to DWC. All donated food cards and checks will be delivered to Our Daily Bread for distribution in January.

Your donations will make a difference and brighten the holiday season for some deserving soldiers and local families.

Please help us fill a cargo container for Haiti by July.

The earthquake in Haiti caused the largest natural disaster in the past 35 years, killing more than 250,000 people, injuring over 300,000, and leaving over 1,000,000 homeless. Many of the people in Haiti have lost everything and are still living in tents with no electricity.

Antoine and Addie Cornet live in Fairfax County and come from Haiti. They both rushed there right after the earthquake and began working to help survivors in and around Port-au-Prince. Because of the great work by the Fairfax County Firefighters, Antoine’s medical license from Fairfax County gave him and his group access through road blocks to help under served areas of Haiti.

Antoine and Addie are back in Fairfax working to fill a cargo container with much-needed long-term supplies for the people of Haiti. They need many simple things we take for granted. The Fairfax County Democratic Party is collecting items to fill the cargo container for Haiti the weeks of May 24 to June 15. Please bring your items boxed and labeled to: 2815 Hartland Rd, Suite 110, Falls Church, VA 22043 (map: http://tinyurl.com/fcdc-hq) from 10 am to 4 pm or call to make other arrangements: 703.573.6811.

Items Needed

• tents and tarps (light colors)
• crutches and wheel chairs
• clothes and shoes (all ages, sizes)
• school supplies and paper
• pencils and sharpeners
• crayons and coloring books
• safe durable toys
• balls, jump rope, etc.
• board games, dominoes
• picture books, comic books

UPDATE:

Please contact Jane Barker at cliftonwomendems@aol.com for pick up arrangements before June 10. Thank you in advance for your participation and the Cornet’s  for their work on this great project.

Project Report sent from Fairfax County Dem Committee:

Tuesday June 15 was our last day for collections at FCDC and Antoine and Addie Cornet packed up a truck full of great stuff this weekend. They have 3 cargo containers going to Haiti. 2 from Miami and one filled up here and leaving from Baltimore. The Cornets will meet the containers at the docks in Haiti and make sure everything gets to the hospitals, schools and orphanages they are intended for.

We’ve asked them to take many pictures and hope all goes well when they get to Haiti so we can continue to help. Thank you to all who donated, and helped make this a successful operation on this end. It’s a big challenge getting through customs and the docks in Haiti, so keep prayers and positive thoughts that it all gets through in good order and I will keep you informed.

May is National Military Appreciation Month and the Democratic Women of Clifton wish to say “Thank You” to all those in       uniform  who have served and are serving the United States of America.  The statement below is from the website National Military Appreciation Month.  Check it out to find out how you might participate at: http://www.nmam.org/.
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In February, DWC members will participate in the Empty Bowls fundraiser sponsored by the local nonprofit organization Our Daily Bread.  For a donation of $25, attendees may purchase a ceramic bowl from a collection made by local artists and community members, then enjoy an evening of fellowship and a meal of soup and bread.  The event also includes live music, raffles, and a silent auction.   (We thank the DWC members who have donated items for the silent auction.)   All proceeds help provide food for Northern Virginia families in need.  This year, Empty Bowls will take place on February 23 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Robinson Secondary School.  For more information, go to www.our-daily-bread.org or contact us at CliftonWomenDems@aol.com

We are saddened as we watch the devastation caused by the recent earthquake in Haiti and want to pass on some information about how you can help out, as President Obama asked us to do today during his remarks on the U.S. Government’s response and the efforts of many relief organizations.

The President has promised Haitians that “you will not be forsaken; you will not be forgotten.”

Please go to the White House blog at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/01/14/president-haiti-first-waves-our-rescue-and-relief-workers-are-ground-and-work to read a transcript or watch a video of his remarks and read ways that you can personally help.

Throughout November and December, the DWC will continue to collect food gift cards purchased at local grocery stores in any amount.  These gift cards will be distributed to area families through Our Daily Bread,  a Fairfax County nonsectarian, non-profit that serves 60 families each month.  Cards may be mailed to DWC,  P.O. Box 143, Clifton, VA 20124.  We are accepting donations through December 31st.

Recently,  Lisa Whetzel of Our Daily Bread wrote to the DWC, thanking us for our past participation.  She said that needs requests continue to rise: “Last summer we went from 15 families on the waitlist to 70… This fall it shot up again to 75 … then 90 this month!”  She  quoted Steven Fuller, an economics expert from GMU, who said that families will continue to struggle for the next 18 months to 2 years before the country’s economy recovers fully.  In the meantime, she wonders,  “how are we going to keep up with demand?”

In response to this need, the DWC has set a goal of collecting $2000 in food cards.  So far, we have collected only $650.  We need everyone to help.  Anyone wishing to contribute by check should make it payable to Our Daily Bread and write “food program” on the memo line.  All donated gift cards and checks will be delivered to Our Daily Bread in time for January distribution.

On Sunday, November 15^th, the Democratic Women of Clifton devoted our monthly meeting to packing 42 care packages for American soldiers serving overseas.  This was the third year for our “Packages for the Troops Project.”  The project has always been a great success, drawing participation from both the DWC membership and the wider community.

This year, the care packages went to PFC Ronald Gravois, who serves as a medic in Afghanistan and is the nephew of DWC member Jeanne Chutuape. PFC Gravois will share the contents of the packages with his fellow soldiers.  The items requested by the soldiers included a variety of snack foods, toiletries, international phone cards, ITunes cards, and other items such as writing pens, playing cards, DVDs, and books.

Even more than in previous years, the greater Clifton community responded with generous contributions to this year’s project.  The Burke VFW Post contributed 3 boxes of books in addition to other items.  Another huge box of donations came from the VISTA Dynamo U-14 Boys Soccer Team of Clifton/Centreville.  Donations came from many throughout the Clifton community, including cash and checks to cover the $486 in postage fees.  The packages are expected to reach the soldiers sometime during the week of November 16.

The DWC wishes to extend special thanks to Tom Troy and members of the Burke VFW Post 5412, who contributed several boxes of books and other items to our mailing.  Also, thanks go to the VISTA Dynamo U-14 Boys Soccer Team of Clifton/Centreville and their coach Jeff Reaman.  The soccer players donated many bags of food and toiletry items to the project.  Finally, to Barbara Miller and Jeanne Chutuape, who delivered 42 boxes to the post office on Monday–thank you both for cheerfully taking on that task.

The DWC is happy to anounce that we will be participating in two holiday service projects again this year at our General Meeting on Sunday, November 15 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Clifton Community Hall, 12641 Chapel Road, Clifton, VA.  See below for details about how you can contribute to these worthwhile projects.  We hope to see you at our meeting, but if you cannot attend, you can still participate in the projects.  Contact us at cliftonwomendems@aol.com if you have questions.

Our Daily Bread Food Card Program

During November and December, the DWC will collect food gift cards in any amount purchased at any grocery store for the Our Daily Bread (ODB) food distribution program. ODB is a non-sectarian nonprofit that feeds needy families in Fairfax County. Food gift cards may be brought to the meeting or mailed until December 31st to DWC, P.O. Box 143, Clifton, VA 20124. Last year, the DWC donated about $2,000 in food cards to ODB, with contributions coming from as far away as France, from a woman who had read about the food project on the National Day of Service website! When you donate a food card, please be sure its value is clearly indicated. If you want to contribute by check, please make it payable to Our Daily Bread and write “Food Program” on the memo line. We will deliver all donated food cards and checks to ODB in time for January distribution.

Packages for the Troops Project

At our November 15th meeting, we will prepare care packages for delivery to PFC Ronald Gravois, who serves as a medic in Afghanistan and is the nephew of DWC member Jeanne Chutuape. Suggested food and toiletry items for donation are: powdered drink mixes, baby wipes, snack foods (Ex: non-pork jerky, Slim Jims, Rice Crispy treats, nuts, chewing gum, Ramen Noodles, Trisket Crackers, cheesy Goldfish, Trail Mix, baked goods in plastic containers or Zip Lock bags), lip balm, good razors and blades, shaving cream, deodorant, hand sanitizer, toothpaste, tooth brushes, bar soap and shampoo. Also welcomed are international phone cards, Itunes gift cards, athletic (tank-style) t-shirts, DVDs, card or poker games, and nice writing pens.

Donations for the care packages may be brought to the November 15th meeting or dropped off at the homes of Jeanne Chutuape (7421 Willowbrook Drive, Fairfax Station) or Donna Netschert (12714 Chestnut Street, Clifton). If you would like to make a monetary donation toward the mailing cost (which was more than $300 last year), please make checks payable to the Democratic Women of Clifton and either bring them to the November 15th meeting or mail them to DWC, P.O. Box 143, Clifton, VA 20124.