Peace and Social Justice
To do all the good you can... By all the means you can...
In all the ways you can...In all the places you can...
At all the times you can... To all the people you can...
As long as ever you can.
― John Wesley
In all the ways you can...In all the places you can...
At all the times you can... To all the people you can...
As long as ever you can.
― John Wesley
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NOVA continued to serve creatively during the pandemic. We collected food on porches to be delivered to AFAC, continued to deliver meals to Christ House, marched and rallied for urgent causes, continued Care for the Earth work, provided rental assistance and emergency need assistance to Arlington Public School families, met our regular social justice commitments as well as needs presented by NOVA members, continued ways to bring peace to our community and world, welcomed an asylee family of 5, and much more. So much gratitude for generosity of funds, time, prayer, and hard work.
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MORE WAYS TO HELP AFGHAN REFUGEES IN OUR AREA
NoVa RAFT Northern Virginians Resettling Afghan Families Together is one of the organizations NOVA Catholic Community supports with cash, donations and volunteers. After setting up some 200 apartments, RAFT is shifting focus to help refugees find jobs. This RAFT Presentation, presented at a March 10 meeting, outlines the need for new volunteers and RAFT’s strategy for success.
The highlights:
– Efforts will be focused on working with 20 families in the Beauregard area of Alexandria. This area was chosen because it has multiple bus routes to potential employers. The West Springfield Rotary Club has identified 20 potential employers in the area.
– RAFT is seeking volunteers to fill 20 roles, including leadership roles. At the March 10 meeting, three roles were emphasized: job scouts to find and talk to potential employers; employer liaisons to manage relationships with employers who work with RAFT; and job-seeker mentors to work with Afghans one-on-one in writing resumes and filling out job applications.
If you can help in any way, sign up here: Employment Initiative Volunteer Sign up!
Here also is a presentation by the Fresh Start Refugee Assistance Center on “cultural competency”: Fresh Start 3/10 Presentation. Connect with RAFT on Facebook
- Homes Not Borders. Eric Carroll has been a volunteer for this organization, located in Maryland. It requests cash donations and purchases through Amazon for bedding and household items.
The highlights:
– Efforts will be focused on working with 20 families in the Beauregard area of Alexandria. This area was chosen because it has multiple bus routes to potential employers. The West Springfield Rotary Club has identified 20 potential employers in the area.
– RAFT is seeking volunteers to fill 20 roles, including leadership roles. At the March 10 meeting, three roles were emphasized: job scouts to find and talk to potential employers; employer liaisons to manage relationships with employers who work with RAFT; and job-seeker mentors to work with Afghans one-on-one in writing resumes and filling out job applications.
If you can help in any way, sign up here: Employment Initiative Volunteer Sign up!
Here also is a presentation by the Fresh Start Refugee Assistance Center on “cultural competency”: Fresh Start 3/10 Presentation. Connect with RAFT on Facebook
- Homes Not Borders. Eric Carroll has been a volunteer for this organization, located in Maryland. It requests cash donations and purchases through Amazon for bedding and household items.
The NOVA Community allocates as much of its resources to social action activities as possible, while respecting the appropriate needs of other functions within the community. In responding to the imperative to “Love One’s Neighbor”, the social action activities have been widely diverse: e.g. liturgies focused on service, educational components to inform the community on issues, hands-on work, political action, financial aid and assistance to local, regional and global organizations.