We need able-bodied volunteers, so that we can open doors to the public. Please extend a hand, and thank you!

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

Faithful parishioners, please continue to remember your parish at this time through weekly remote giving via Faith Direct. Without weekly Mass attendance, our financial support is lower than average, and we still depend on donations to keep our church doors open. Thank you sincerely for your support, as always.
 

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Hello Volunteers!

All of our Volunteer Services Department here at SOME, So Others Might Eat, hope you had a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. We also wish the best of health to you, your friends, family members, and coworkers as we continue through this pandemic. Our team wanted to share with you all a quick update and also our overpouring appreciation for all of you who assisted us throughout 2020, not only through volunteering, but also through countless donations. We thank you thank you thank you!

A Quick Update:

Volunteer opportunities here at SOME will continue with only our two behind-the-scenes options listed below on our VolunteerHub Calendar. As a reminder, these opportunities are scheduled in the afternoon from 1:30pm-4pm to limit the proximity and interaction between guests, staff, and volunteers. If you have any questions regarding our specific COVID-19 practices and protocols, please feel free to reach out to my team.

Advanced scheduling and group sign-ups will continue to not be allowed at this point.

• Next Day Meal Preparation: Every day, from 1:30 pm-4:00 pm, 8 volunteers assist our kitchen staff with preparing food containers to be handed out to our lunch guests the following day.
• Organizing Donations: On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, from 1:30 pm-4:00 pm, 5 volunteers assist our Material Donations department sort through and organize all non-monetary donations within our Donations Room, Clothing Room, or Food Warehouse.

If you are interested in volunteering virtually with one of our programs or hosting a drive of your own, please let us know. We would be happy to assist you.
 

Learn More: some.org/volunteer

Catholic Charities DC updates their website frequently with opportunities to support our community! Take a look here.

With so much uncertainty and challenge happening in our community, it gives me great comfort to hear from so many of you wondering how to support Iona’s clients during this crisis.

One urgent need we have right now is keeping Iona’s emergency COVID-19 Food Pantry Plus stocked with shelf-stable food and home supplies.

In these unprecedented times, Iona is working hard to meet the needs of our most vulnerable clients who simply cannot go out to buy food or other necessary items. While many are receiving home-delivered meals provided by the Department of Aging and Community Living, most still need additional food to supplement the once-a-day frozen meal. And we are already getting many requests for toilet paper, paper towels, disinfecting wipes, trash bags, and the like.

Here is a complete list of what our older neighbors desperately need (items in red are most needed):

Food and Drinks:

• Canned or packet tuna, chicken, or salmon
• Hormel Compleats shelf stable meals, any kind
• Barilla shelf stable pasta meals, any kind
• Canned soups - especially those with chicken and beef but also vegetable soups
• Cup soup products, especially those with vegetables or beans and reduced sodium 
• Canned fruit, juice sweetened - peaches, pears, mixed fruits, mandarin oranges are big favorites
• Canned vegetables, reduced sodium appreciated
• Fruit cups, juice sweetened
• Dried fruits - prunes, apricots, cranberries
• Snack pack puddings - shelf stable
• Baked beans and other canned beans/legumes
• Macaroni and Cheese - box or instant "add water" cups
• Shelf stable milk unflavored
• Smooth peanut butter 
• Jelly or jam
• Granola, fruit & grain, or protein bars, preferably softer
• Cookies any kind
• Crackers - any kind of crackers, preferably softer butter or "Club-type" crackers, or whole grain
• Juice boxes any kind of fruit juice boxes, 100% fruit juice preferred

• Bleach, smaller bottles preferred
• Bleach spray or other cleaners
• Toilet cleaner
• Rubber gloves - like for doing dishes
• Dishwashing liquid, like Dawn, etc.
• Sponges
• Laundry detergent - any kind, pods or bottles
• Tall kitchen trash bags
• Paper towels
• Toilet paper
• Disposable gloves

• Razors
• Bar soap
• Body wash
• Body lotion
• Toothpaste and brushes
• Deodorant
• Incontinence products - adult pull up diapers, preferably medium and large

If you can safely do some shopping, or have some unopened extras in your own pantries and closets you can spare (please check expiration date), please bag or box them up and bring them to Iona on Saturday, April 11 from 10AM-noon. No need to call ahead; just come to our back circle and we will have staff ready to safely receive the items. One or two cars at a time can keep safe social distance and unload donations onto carts. Iona staff will move the materials into the building. (If you don’t know our back circle, you enter it by turning onto Murdock Mill Road, off of River Road, between the church and the exit for the Container Store/Target parking garage.)

If you can’t shop yourself, but would like to help our effort, you can make a donation to Iona here.

If you have questions about what or how to donate, please contact Tania Sechriest at volunteer@iona.org.

We don’t know how long this crisis will last. But we do know that it will take all of us working together to protect our neighbors and keep them healthy and safe.

I am grateful for your generosity and kindness.

Please take care,

Sally S. White
Executive Director

The 7th Annual Summer in the City campaign sponsored by the John S. Mulholland Family Foundation and Catholic Charities supports the poorest parishes in the Archdiocese. Even though the churches are all closed, they still serve 800 families a month.

Because the Lenten Food Drive donations were minimal, we need this Food Drive to take place to support our local, needy pantries, as well as the many families in Southeast Washington suffering greatly.



Our parish participated in the 7th Annual John S. Mulholland Family Foundation "Summer in the City" Food Drive to support the poorest parishes in Southeast Washington.

Marked grocery bags to fill are currently available at every entrance of the church or you may use your own bag.

Because the need is so great with the added newly unemployed and furloughed individuals, we are asking that everyone adhere to the following eight major items of need:

*Cheerios cereal
*Canned vegetables of any kind
*Canned fruit of any kind
*Peanut butter and jelly, no glass containers
*Canned tuna or chicken
*Canned soups, hearty variety
*Ready to go meals like Chef Boyardee
*Canned beans of any kind

If you weren't able to participate in the Food Drive, we welcome your monetary donations at jsmff.org/donate. Monetary donations are used to purchase fresh produce, milk and eggs, meat and poultry.

Also, if you missed the Drive, throughout the summer, you can drop off any needed items at any time the church is open! Place them in a bag at the Yuma Street church entrance underneath the table.

God love you for your assistance in this matter!

Wednesday: Food Distribution Volunteer

Join Catholic Charities at their Spanish Catholic Center location in DC to assist with the weekly food distribution. Now more than ever we need volunteers to assist our operations as more and more people in our community begin to rely upon local food donation centers to feed their families.

Volunteers who are screened and cleared will assist staff to hand bagged food to clients who are in line.

As a precaution: Volunteers who wish to continue helping may return for a shift every two weeks.

Sign Up to Volunteer Here:

www.catholiccharitiesdc.org/covid-19-volunteer-opportunities

Wednesday: Food Packaging Volunteer

Join Catholic Charities at their Spanish Catholic Center location in DC to assist with the weekly food distribution. Now more than ever we need volunteers to assist our operations as more and more people in our community begin to rely upon local food donation centers to feed their families.

Volunteers who are screened and cleared will assemble grocery packages for pick up and unload food from the delivery truck.

As a precaution: Volunteers who wish to continue helping may return for a shift every 2 weeks.

Sign Up to Volunteer Here:

www.catholiccharitiesdc.org/covid-19-volunteer-opportunities

Despite the dark challenges facing us, the power of goodness can be found within St. Ann’s Center for Children, Youth and Families.

Give the Gift of Hope

"St. Ann's currently has 21 mothers and 24 children residing in our programs. Using creative means, our staff continues to offer clinical and social work services. Social workers check in with families via FaceTime. Some of our moms and older children are engaged in distance learning, and our education specialist is on-site to support them. Several of our moms remain employed in “essential personnel” positions, which are often stressful. Their children are cared for by moms who have lost their jobs. Two nights a week, our Board members provide a catered meal for the families. Other friends have food and household items delivered to St. Ann’s. These gestures of goodness and others abound and give us hope.

"Looking back at St. Ann’s 160 year history, I can’t help but feel hope. We were founded as the rumblings of the Civil War were faintly heard. We have survived two World Wars, an epidemic, the Depression, and other epic tragedies. All the while we have faithfully lived and strengthened our mission by adapting to the needs of the times. We could not live this mission today without the support of our Board members, dedicated staff, and you. Please consider making a gift today to help us continue to serve our families during this unprecedented crisis. Thank you for your continued support and for helping us make a difference in the lives of those who need us most.

"Know that I hold the St. Ann’s community, of which you are a part, in my prayers. Let us pray for the well-being of each other, our loved ones and those we serve. May we be together soon."

Make a Gift Today

Our benefactors are the instruments through which our mission is possible and we remember them everyday in our prayers. Your gifts help us to provide 36,500 nights of safe shelter for this city’s aged poor each year - medical care, clothing, activities and more than 110,000 nourishing meals.

Make a Donation

Previous Updates:
April 28, 2020
April 22, 2020
April 14, 2020

*****
Together let’s pray to Saint Jeanne Jugan to stop the spread of the virus. Click here for her novena prayer.

Click here for additional prayers for the healing of the coronavirus.

Join us in praying one MILLION rosaries to end the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our national page here for more information and to sign up.

St. Ann’s is a long-time supporter of Friendship Place in its work to help those who lack housing, and we are pleased that Friendship Place was selected to operate our neighborhood's new short-term family housing facility, known as The Brooks and located on Idaho Ave. NW.

The Brooks will offer families without housing an environment where they can heal and start the process of rebuilding, and will begin welcoming its first residents the week of April 27. 
 
We are eager to help these families get settled and make sure they have what they need in their new homes – especially during this time of shutdowns and confinement.  There are many ways you can contribute.  Friendship Place has asked for:

• New toys and activities kits that will be helpful to families while sheltering in place – things like activity pads, arts & craft kits that aren't too messy, board games, indoor toys, etc. 

• The families need new practical personal items like bathroom caddies, soft furnishings (pillows), diapers, toiletries, personal items, sanitary items. 

• Gift cards, SmarTrip cards and Lyft/Uber cards are also useful and welcome.

Friendship Place staff created an Amazon Wishlist link here for items listed in the latter two paragraphs above.

It is easy for donors to purchase items from the Amazon Wishlist and have it delivered to The Brooks (3318 Idaho Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016).

Otherwise, The Brooks is staffed 24/7 and donations (new items only please!) can be delivered to the site.  If you need items to be picked up, please contact Chris Cannedy (on the cc line).

A word about COVID-19 - Friendship Place is taking all precautions to keep the families and their new neighbors safe. Families at The Brooks will shelter in place. Common areas of the building will not be open. Staff will deliver meals to the rooms. They are sheltering down like the rest of us.
 
Please support Friendship Place and welcome our new neighbors!

You can also donate to support The Brooks financially right here.

Have a sewing machine, needle and thread? Help us by making face covers for our frontline staff in our shelters and food distribution sites.

Click here for instructions and mailing directions.

Catholic Charities needs your help. Do you have these things: a sewing machine, cloth and elastic already in your home (Don’t go out shopping!), a printer, an envelope or box and a couple dollars to pay for shipping?

If so, help us by making sewn cloth face coverings for our staff members working at homeless shelters and food distribution programs and for our homeless shelter residents.

Catholic Charities remains committed to the most marginalized in our community during this public health crisis. A donation of face coverings will help us continue to prioritize the safety of everyone while serving people in our care. Or, you can donate to our COVID-19 Response Fund to help cover the cost for essential supplies.

With your help and generosity, we can continue to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and keep our community safe. We cannot purchase surgical masks. They simply are not available, so we are turning to you.

Our Goals:

• Provide each staff member with three sewn cloth face covers twice a month.
• Give each shelter resident and food program client a sewn cloth face cover. 

The production of homemade face coverings will help alleviate the mask shortage and allow for some level of protection for members of our community who do not have access to medical-grade masks and for those whom physical distancing is not an option. This includes our front-line staff and our residents. 

Click here for sewing instructions and mailing directions.

Remember to share what you have created by joining the Catholic Charities DC community on social media. Post photos of your creations and tag us at @CCADW. And please forward this request to friends, your book club, your sewing club and others.

As you know, many individuals and families (with Social Security Numbers) are receiving sizable cash payments from the IRS. The IRS cash payments are part of the Government’s $2 Trillion economic stimulus legislation. Sadly, there are many individuals and families within your parish boundaries who will not be receiving these cash payments. Why? The reason is that the IRS has no way of knowing that individuals and families with low/no income exist. Individuals with income less than $12,200/year ($24,400 for married couples) do not need to file an income tax return. Thus, the IRS does not have a mailing address or a bank account to send these cash payments.

As you will see in a Catholic Standard story (see link below), Catholic Charities has just launched a new outreach program to help low/no income individuals and families collect $1,200/adult plus $500/child from the IRS.

We need the help of your parishioners to spread this good news! The attached flyer can be handed out: in food pantries and grocery stores, to family/neighbors/friends and to other community service organizations.

Please distribute the flyers via email and/or your electronic church bulletin?

Should you have any questions, please call:

Deacon Jim Shanahan

Director, Financial Stability Network

Senior Manager, Parish Outreach Program

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington

Jim.shanahan@cc-dc.org

Phone: (202) 262-1419

Learn More, Download Flier

Provide Legal Representation and Help: Are you a barred attorney and would like to provide pro bono legal support? Sign up through our Legal Network Attorney or the Immigration Legal Services.

Provide Financial Guidance: Make a difference by joining our Financial Stability Network as a mentor or instructor. You will assist low to moderate-income families or individuals to help build income, assets, and much more!

Friendship Place provides many services to help homeless individuals and families attain stable housing and to rebuild their lives. St. Ann’s hosts a table each year at the Friends and Neighbors Breakfast which provides a significant part of their annual budget.  This year’s breakfast, set for May 7, has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic – but the needs of their clients have increased. They project a need for an additional $100,000 in support by April 30 to:

• Buy food and toiletries for the families and individuals they serve. Many people cannot get out to buy groceries and other items.  Friendship Place staff have begun ordering items to be delivered to participants, but this need only grows.
• Continue and expand their street outreach activities. Friendship Place staff are still going out to meet with those in homeless camps, and need tools to keep those in the camps safe.
• Prepare for an influx of people who have lost their homes and their jobs, who will come into the Welcome Center and Aim Hire employment program in the months to come.

Friendship Place is conducting a pre-Breakfast outreach campaign to raise these crucially needed funds.  Please go to friendshipplace.org/give/donate-now and make the most generous donation you can. Together, we can help the most vulnerable of our neighbors.   
 
Thank you – and please stay safe!
 
Msgr. James Watkins, Pastor
Ted Hirt and Kathy Curran, St. Ann’s Table Hosts

Donate Now

In lieu of physical assistance, the Little Sisters of the Poor are welcoming letters to their elderly residents. You can write them words of encouragement and support: Let the Holy Spirit guide you!

Please send your cards/letters to:
 
Little Sisters of the Poor/Jeanne Jugan Residence
c/o Activity Department (Notes to Residents from St. Ann Catholic Church)
4200 Harewood Road, NE
Washington, DC 20017
 
Send as many as you like! The more the better - the Activity Department will bring them to residents during their one-on-one visits.
 
We won’t know who they go to, but it doesn’t matter, the Holy Spirit will take care of that! Thanks to anyone who joins in and may God bless you and your efforts!

Have questions? Contact (202) 635-2054

Donating blood is a great service during this challenging time. We are encouraging our community to sign up to donate. Use this link to find a Red Cross location nearest you.

Once you have picked a donation date, let us know, and take pictures to send to us.

The Red Cross takes COVID-19 safety seriously. Here is an article on what they are doing to take precautions for blood donors and their staff.

These difficult times have brought new burdens for people across the Archdiocese of Washington. Catholic Charities is seeing an extraordinary increase in requests for food assistance. On Holy Thursday, the washing of feet reminds us of the humility of service. It is in acts of selfless giving that our community’s growing need can be answered.

Join Catholic Charities’ Holy Thursday Virtual Drive and provide your neighbors access to a basis need — food. Going on from Thursday, April 9, through Saturday, April 11.

Donate Now