Christ Church Joins in Hunger Free Alexandria and Honors Bread for the World Sunday--Sunday, September 21, 2014

Christ Church Joins in Hunger Free Alexandria and Honors Bread for the World Sunday
Alexandria, VA, September 21, 2014 — Sunday, September 21, 2014, is Bread for the World Sunday at Christ Church, Alexandria, when the Church will announce its community partnership in Hunger Free Alexandria.

Christ Church is closely associated with Bread for the World, a collective voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and around the world by changing policies, programs, and conditions that allow hunger and poverty to persist. This organization has played a major role in tripling both poverty-focused development assistance and domestic nutrition assistance over the past decade. Christ Church’s guest preacher at a 10:00 a.m. service on Sunday is The Rev. David Beckmann, President of Bread for the World.

A forum will be held prior to the service at 9:00 a.m. in the Christ Church Meade Room when teen-age parishioners who have been active on hunger-related issues in Alexandria will join Rev. Beckmann and new Outreach & Mission Director Melanie Gray to review future opportunities to reduce local hunger. They will provide an update on the how Christ Church is taking action in Alexandria.

Later that day, Christ Church Associate Rector Rev. Heather VanDeventer will join with other clergy and leaders from around the city to speak on hunger initiatives at the Hunger Free Alexandria Fall Festival (12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on the lawn of the Fairlington Presbyterian Church). Hunger Free Alexandria is a new campaign created in response to a report by the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria that shows the problem of hunger in the city is wider than many churches and non-profits expected. The campaign is a partnership in the city between congregations, ALIVE!, ACT Alexandria, Northern Virginia Health Foundation, Alexandria Department of Community and Human Services, Alexandria Health Department, and other non-profits.

Christ Church is not new to fighting local hunger. Earlier this year, members of its Senior High Forum prepared and served 100 meals for $100 at an event to highlight local food insecurity. Parishioners are actively feeding many in the Alexandria community each month with food and hospitality. In August, 184 people visited the church’s Food Pantry and received food to feed themselves and their families totaling 587 people. Parishioners provided, cooked, and served meals to everyone living at the Carpenter’s Shelter twice in August; volunteers served Meals on Wheels to help feed those who are home-bound; and volunteers hauled hundreds of pounds of prizes into the Ladrey Senior High Rise for monthly bingo night. More than 40 seniors enjoyed a snack, bingo, and prizes in the form of fresh produce, canned goods, and household supplies. During the week of August 25, members of Christ Church met daily to make 325 brown bag lunches to be delivered and served at the daily free lunch at Meade Memorial Church. Christ Church parishioners are pleased to be part of a broader initiative that aims to tackle hunger as a city-wide community.

For additional information or a photo, Contact: Tara Knox, Director of Communications & Stewardship, Historic Christ Church; Alexandria, VA, 703-549-1450, 703-626-4837(cell), tknox@ccalex.org.
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The parish home of George Washington and many other government and legislative leaders since, Christ Church has long been at the center of the religious and public life of the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. Nearly all the Presidents have attended Christ Church during their term of office. Other visitors include British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, Rosa Parks, and Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Christ Church is a historic church with an active congregation. Located at 118 N. Washington St. in Alexandria, VA, Christ Church is home to 2,400 parishioners and provides ministry to communities local and global.