At Annandale Christian Community for Action, Tough Choices and Volunteers Who Make the Difference

"Annandale Christian Community for Action (ACCA) has been around for 43 years, through good times and bad," says volunteer Mary Anne Lecos. "We know the difference, and this is bad."

In the past year, ACCA, which provides short-term emergency assistance to families and individuals in Fairfax County, VA has been forced to reduce the services and aid it provides to clients because of the increased demand for those services.

A coalition of 26 churches, ACCA was founded in 1967 to provide child care for low-income parents. Since then, the organization's mission has grown to include delivery of food and hygiene items; financial assistance for rent, security deposits, utilities, prescription drugs and medical and dental care; furniture delivery; and rides to medical appointments. All support is provided by hundreds of unpaid volunteers from ACCA churches, schools, and the community. Some volunteers have been involved for four decades.

"People are under a lot of pressure," continues Lecos, who has been an ACCA volunteer for 10 years. "How do we know? When we deliver food or furniture to homes, we see that families are doubling up under one roof. We see people sleeping on the floor or on lawn furniture. We've met individuals who are working three jobs and still can't pay their rent. We have stories you wouldn't believe."

She offers several examples. One client, who recently lost both her mother and son, became homeless after leaving an abusive relationship. She lives in her car. When she ran out of funds, ACCA covered her car payment. Another woman with a master's degree lost her job after she missed work due to an injury. She was at risk of eviction when ACCA stepped in.

"You can be rich today and poor tomorrow," says ACCA President Norman Hicks, a volunteer since 1970. ACCA reports that the number of families and individuals who have needed assistance for the first time has increased because of the economic downturn's effects on employment. In fact, in the past year, clients served increased by 12 % over the previous year—including formerly middle-class families.

As demand for services has sharply increased, ACCA has been forced to dip into its reserve funds, eliminate aid to adjacent geographic areas, cap funding for utilities, substitute food delivery for some financial aid, and reduce guidelines for aid to households by anywhere from 25% to 49%.

Recognizing the need to restore some of ACCA's services, The Community Foundation provided the organization with a $10,000 grant through the Neighbors in Need Fund. The grant provided emergency financial assistance that helped 55 individuals in 20 households move out of shelters, avoid evictions, restore utility service or prevent cutoffs, get essential medications and dental care, buy gas or make car payments.

"It was wonderful how quickly The Community Foundation was able to get the funds to us and how quickly we, in turn, were able to get the funds to our clients," reports Lecos. "The Community Foundation has found a way to eliminate the red tape that so many people face in these already trying times."