St. Aidan’s has a strong history of outreach activities that help people in need inside and outside our church family.

Organizing Now for February and March
VICHOP  (Ventures in Community Hypothermia Outreach Program)

Many homeless people who are located along the Route 1 corridor are unable and/or unwilling to seek the services in a shelter. The VIC Hypothermia Outreach Program provides an overnight place for them to stay during the coldest nights of the winter. It’s intent is simply to SAVE LIVES. The goal is to have local zero death from exposure.

This program is being managed by Route One Housing. Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church has agreed to make their building available for this program. There is room there for up to 25 guests each night. The churches in VIC are asked to provide volunteers so that the center can be open every night during the months of December through March. This period has been divided into two, two month sessions. Churches are asked to take responsibility for one day of every week in one session

As with last year, St. Aidans is joining with the Alexandria-Mt. Vernon Friends Meeting House to take responsibility for Sunday nights during the second, February/March session. We will alternate weeks, so we have committed ourselves to fully staff the center on five Sundays - February 1, 15 and March 1, 15 and 29. This commitment includes providing people to stay all night, people to cook and serve the guests an evening meal. The outreach committee has budgeted money to reimburse volunteers for the cost of the groceries, though contributions will be encouraged.

Who would be needed

Overnight leader (1) and Alternate (1). One must stay overnight each Sunday. Must take the Training session. Will schedule overnight volunteers. I have already agreed to take this position, but won’t be available until 9 pm.

Mealtime leader (1) and Alternate (1). One on site from 6:30 to 9 pm each Sunday. Will oversee menu’s and schedule the Meal people. Should also take the training.

Overnight people (15) - Minimum of Three persons (plus leader) needed on each night. 6:30 pm to 7:00 am. If you are willing to come more then one night, fine, but we will are asking for commitments for a single night. You will be able to get some sleep (maybe 4 hours). Bring your own sleeping bag, etc.

Meal people (10-15) - Two each night, preferably three. 6:30 to 9:00 plus the time needed to do the cooking. Single night commitments. Cook, serve and cleanup. We expect that the teen groups will help with cooking, but cannot be onsite.

Overnight Alternates (2) - somebody available to fill in on any night needed. May not be called at all.

Driver (1) - somebody with a 4-wheel drive car to get people there and back in case of heavy snow.

This adds up to 37 slots. Please consider signing up for more then one slot. All volunteers must be 18 years or older.

ST. AIDAN’S OUTREACH PROGRAM

Regular meetings of our Outreach Committee are held the first Tuesday of every month to consider community needs and how we can help meet them.  Everyone is invited to some and lend their ideas and support.

Nineteen people from the church took a mission trip to the Gulf Coast this summer to help with clearing and building necessitated by Hurricane Katrina.  The group was made up of high schoolers, youth leaders, and interested adults from the parish.  We stayed at Mission on the Bay, a joint Episcopalian/Lutheran camp site in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.  This trip was an opportunity to reach out to a devastated community, live out our baptismal calling, and enjoy fellowship and prayer with both our church community and other groups staying at the camp.  If you missed this trip, don't worry - there will be opportunities for future trips of this nature!

Examples of our involvement in other ministries include food and clothing efforts with United Community Ministries and Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church, which serve the poor and homeless along the Route One corridor.  For years, we have provided juice for families at Mondloch House, a transitional housing unit for displaced families.  We have helped build homes with Habitat for Humanity in Virginia and West Virginia.  We have delivered meals to the elderly through Meals on Wheels. And we have contributed to material and spiritual needs of select people and organizations in Malawi, Thailand and Sudan.

In the late 1990s, St. Aidan’s congregation agreed to build a parish hall of hospitality, which community groups, such as the Boy Scouts, use for meetings and events.  White Hall has become just such a place, with a constant influx of drama camps, exercise classes, Boy Scout meetings, birthday parties, and wedding celebrations.  We are delighted to have become such an integral part of our community.