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Complete the Circle Press Release 7-27-11
Contact: Lisa Whetzel
703-273-8829
MEDIA ADVISORY
FAIRFAX CHARITY INVITES PUBLIC TO UNIQUE HUNGER AWARENESS EVENT
October 16 “Complete the Circle” Food Drive and Community Gathering Uses
Art for the Sky to Highlight Poverty in the Fairfax County Area
FAIRFAX, VA. (July 27, 2011) – Fairfax based non-profit Our Daily Bread, Inc. (ODB) will hold a unique community event and food drive on October 16, 2011 in Fairfax City to engage individuals, families, community groups, congregations and businesses in the effort to end hunger and need in the Fairfax County area.
“Complete the Circle” will be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 16 in the large field at the corner of George Mason Boulevard and University Drive. Hundreds of community members will gather to create a unique “living painting” [see design below] that will be photographed from 80 feet above by artist Daniel Dancer of Art for the Sky. Participants are asked to purchase in advance a special event T-shirt for $15, which will “color” the image, and to bring at least two food pantry donations. To “complete the circle” of hope and giving, the pantry donations will create the perimeter of the picture and will later be distributed to Our Daily Bread’s Food Program clients.
A celebration with refreshments and live music will follow the photo shoot, featuring the festive, family-friendly music of The Fretful Porcupine. Groups are encouraged to participate and “Sky Sight” sponsorship and in-kind donation opportunities are available. All proceeds will benefit Our Daily Bread’s efforts to help struggling families across the Fairfax County area. Event registration, volunteer and sponsorship information is available on Our Daily Bread’s web site at: www.ODBFairfax.org. Participants are requested to register by September 19, 2011.
According to recent statistics from the national hunger awareness organization Feeding America, nearly 70,000 residents in the Fairfax County area are “food insecure,” meaning they do not know where their next meal will come from. During the 2010-2011 school year, Fairfax County Public Schools reported that more than 40,000 children, or 24 percent of the student population, qualified to receive free or reduced-price meals.
Our Daily Bread assists hundreds of Fairfax County area residents every year. During 2010, the organization provided short-term food assistance to 442 families, emergency financial assistance to 333 families, and budget classes and financial mentoring for 385 families. The non-profit also provided school supply assistance to 335 children, and Thanksgiving and December holiday assistance to more than 4,500 families. Many of the individuals and families who receive Our Daily Bread’s services are working but are struggling to pay for housing, utilities, gas and food because of unemployment, reduced work hours, or health care or other crises.
“It takes an income of about $60,000 for a family of four to thrive in Fairfax County. Most of the clients we help only make about $20,000,” said Our Daily Bread Executive Director Lisa Whetzel. “Here in one of the wealthiest areas in the nation, it is shocking that tens of thousands of people struggle with hunger and hardship on a daily basis. We hope the community will come out in force on October 16 to help us create a better understanding of the need here in our own backyard. Together, we will ‘complete the circle’ of hope and giving to improve the lives of our neighbors in need.”Everyone in the community is welcome to participate in “Complete the Circle,” as an individual, family, or small or large group. The event is an ideal service project for community organizations, companies, congregations, and youth groups. Groups of 20 or more are asked to designate a “Sky Captain” to facilitate the group’s registration and placement for the sky photo shoot.
Wren Kelly-King is a Sky Captain for her group of friends, who call themselves the “Divine Dining Divas.” The Divine Dining Divas and their colleagues at the Fairfax County Department of Public Safety Communications plan to come out in force on October 16. “We’re very excited to support Our Daily Bread’s programs to help our neighbors in need,” said Kelly-King. “And I plan to get my fellow employees to come out to enjoy the autumn afternoon and be part of this unique event that will make a difference to feed hungry families.”
Local organizations that have already registered to participate include : Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, Church of the Holy Comforter, Divine Dining Divas, Fairfax County Dept. of Public Safety Communications, Fairfax United Methodist Church Youth Group, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, Temple Rodef Shalom Fifth Grade Class, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, and Unity Church of Fairfax. Charter “Sky Sight” sponsors are: Alliance Bank, Combined Properties, and J.L. Tree Service, Inc.
Sponsors, in-kind donations and volunteers to help organize and run the event are greatly needed. All groups of 20 or more as well as event sponsors will be listed on the back of the event T-shirts. “We welcome our community’s creative ideas to partner with Our Daily Bread to make the event and celebration a success,” said Whetzel. “And most important, to be part of the solution to help our neighbors succeed.” For more information, visit www.ODBFairfax.org or call 703-273-8829.
Our Daily Bread is a volunteer-based organization focused on easing the plight of low income residents in the Fairfax County area of Virginia. In addition to its on-going Food, Financial Assistance and Financial Literacy programs, ODB provides Back to School assistance and administers an annual Holiday sponsor-a-family program. The organization has just been named as one of the featured charities for United Way of the National Capital Area’s 2011/12 giving campaign. ODB welcomes contributions of funds and volunteer time from Fairfax County area residents, businesses and community groups in order to deliver all of these services. For information, visit www.ODBFairfax.org.
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“Complete the Circle” Image:
On October 16, participants from the community will come together to create a living version of Our Daily Bread’s “Complete the Circle” image of helping hands, to be photographed from 80 feet above:
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Online Resources
Complete the Circle Information
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