The year 2006........

Where does our strength come from? It comes from the Lord! As God guided us to step out in faith to walk into the world and be a beacon of light, we worked on mission projects through His power.

• Amy Smith assumed leadership of the Families in Transition program upon Jeanne Anderegg’s passing. On September 16th the Jeanne Anderegg House was dedicated in Jeanne’s memory.

• AGAPE RESERVOIR continues to well up wholeness for all participants on Friday evenings in the Fellowship Hall. Thanks to the many volunteers who make this a viable program!

• MVPC volunteers provided meals and oversight for the Volunteers in Community Hypothermia Program (VIC HOP) each Sunday night from the inception of the program on 5 February through 31 March 2006. The program’s stated mission of “SIXTY NIGHTS/ZERO DEATHS” was fulfilled. The project picked up again in December 2006 with MVPC volunteers hosting Friday dinners, caring for and being present with HOP guests overnight, and then serving a simple breakfast on Saturday mornings.

• Cathy Breitenfeld participated in a Rising Hope planning meeting for a series of informational sessions targeting the Faith Community in the Mount Vernon area.

• A petition to encourage the construction of affordable housing on North Hill was signed by many MVPC members. The signed petition was submitted to the board of Supervisors by Jean Glazier.

• Jeri Fields, Ruth Guirard, Glenda Martin, Therese Wiley and MaryAnn Harwell attended the Industrial Area Foundation/Northern Virginia (IAF/NOVA) Key Leaders Convocation in February. MVPC pledged $1,000 to continue supporting in the work of the organization in Northern Virginia.

• The 14 member MVPC Summer Mission team traveled to Guatemala in July. A week of fellowship, daily devotions, team building and leadership training gave strength to all as they built stoves and planted trees. Medical supplies were given to the Highland Support Project for use in the community, and thanks to Nancy Noel’s resourcefulness, boxes of yarn were donated to the Maya women’s organization, AMA, and used for micro enterprise ventures by the women. A new activity this year was teaching and playing music with the children of the Western Highlands. Thanks to Carla Okouchi and the Fairfax County music teachers who donated over a thousand recorders (simple flute-like musical instruments used to teach beginners). Carla, with Caroline Caplen’s assistance, taught music lessons to several classes and gifted the schools with several hundred of these instruments.

• Wilda Armstrong volunteered to be the MVPC point of contact for the Habitat for Humanity plan to build 50 houses in the next five years for families devastated by hurricane Katrina. MVPC volunteers went to Biloxi Mississippi in January 2007.

• The congregation came to church the first Sunday each month bearing bags of non-perishable foods for the United Community Ministries (UCM) Food collection. John Anderegg’s red station wagon was always ready to take those food gifts to the distribution center.

• UCM sent a letter of thanks on July 6, 2006 for MVPC’s $3,000 donation, which will continue to help more families move toward the goal of self-sufficiency.

• Back to School supplies were donated to UCM in August and distributed before school started.

• Twenty MVPC volunteers delivered Meals on Wheels meals to homebound residents on Sundays in 2006.

• Tri-athletes Fred and Fred Byus Jr. informed us about Leukemia and Lymphoma and we rallied behind their fund raising athletic efforts. We strongly encourage Blood and Organ donors in order to sustain and save lives.

• In April and November shoes were collected for Shoes for Honduras. We gathered a total of over a hundred pairs of shoes and slippers.

• The congregation was provided an opportunity to endorse the document Two Cents for Affordable Housing in Fairfax County, the recommendation of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee to increase funding for the Housing Flexibility Fund from one penny to two pennies to support preservation and production of affordable housing. ($17M came from the One Cent effort.

• The Mission Fair and Silent Auction to support mission trips were held on Sunday, 11 June 2006. Seekers bought Zuni Peanuts to support the Presbyterian Homes, Fair Trade Coffee and sandwich lunch to support the mission trips, and bid on items that had been donated. Thanks to Lee Hagan and Glenda Martin for managing all of those products!

• Russ Caplen and Faye Higdon attended the Bread for the World Interfaith launch of the 2006 One Spirit, One Will, Zero Poverty Campaign.

• Thanks to Russ Caplen in coordinating the One Great Hour of Sharing Easter offering, the Children’s Thanksgiving Offering for Presbyterian Homes and Family Services, and the Christmas Joy Offering.

• Dot Heil leads the Eagles Wings tutoring project and Orron Kee is the MVPC contact.

• Ken Hansen and Jug Harbottle coordinated Rebuilding Together in April.

• MVPC received a letter of thanks for the Tools of Hope and Blankets donation of $1,690 to Church World Service.

• We keep learning about the Presbyterian Hunger Project and participate in the CROP Walk to raise funds and awareness about resource issues locally and globally. In October Russ Gebhard headed up the Walk for the Homeless. The children also did a mini-walk.

• Nurturing Parenting continues to meet in the Fellowship Hall.

• MVPC volunteers donate their time and compassion to support Mount Vernon Hospital.

• Ned Neidlinger attended a Mass Disaster meeting for Fairfax County and leads the Emergency Preparedness effort for MVPC.

• As members of Interfaith Power and Light and Earth Day, we are a beacon for justice in society and play a key role in shining a light on the serious threat on climate change.

• $1,000 was provided by the Outreach Council to support the MVPC web presence. How far can we Reach Out?

Outreach Council

Faye Higdon ’06 Chair
Jean Glazier ‘06
Russ Caplen ‘08