Heritage Bazaar

Many thanks to all who attended, donated and volunteered at this year's bazaar on Saturday, October 5, 2024.

The funds raised from the sales at our bazaar will be donated to these four organizations:

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Reading is Fundamental (RIF) of NOVA

Reading is Fundamental (RIF) of NOVA helps build a lifelong love of learning through book donations to children and organizing other fun activities around reading. “Each year the NOVA RIF board raises funds to provide books to over 20,000 children at 36 schools and sites in Northern Virginia,” including schools in Alexandria, Arlington, Eastern Fairfax County, Western Fairfax County, and Prince William County. You can find the list of schools and different activities sponsored by RIF, including author and illustrator talks in schools, at rifnova.org. RIF’s National Organization is nearly 60 years old and NOVA RIF has already celebrated 50+ years.

Bridges to Independence

Bridges to Independence is a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 1985 whose goal is to break intergenerational cycles of poverty through providing shelter for those experiencing emergency homelessness, housing assistance, youth development, workforce development and a community services center. Bridges (bridges2.org) focuses on families and especially on children. The community services center in Green Valley organizes community events; offers a range of referrals and information; and can also offer case management, community classes on topics like parenting or tenants’ rights. Clarendon UMC supports Bridges to Independence in many ways including through the annual Bunny Hop.

Preschool tuition assistance for disadvantaged children

We have committed to covering annual tuition costs for two children to attend the Little Beginnings Child Development Center in Arlington (www.littlebeginnings.org) in order to overcome financial barriers. Little Beginnings (LB) is a cooperative child care development center that involves parents in their children’s early education. LB has been a non-profit, year-round, full-day childcare center since 1986. It rents space from the Clarendon UMC but is a completely separate entity that cares for children ages 3 months through 5 years.

Clarendon UMC’s Youth Group and their mission work

Through a bake sale and pancake breakfast and other efforts, Clarendon United Methodist Church’s Youth Group raised almost $1700 to sponsor the attendance of three elementary school students at the Honduras Independence Bilingual School (HIBS) founded in 2006 in Quimistán, Honduras (artforhumanity.org/what-we-do/hibs). The elementary school is “dedicated to empowering students from underprivileged backgrounds.” Sponsorships help cover costs for school uniforms and shoes, supplies, and other needs.

Sponsoring 3 students costs approximately $2,000 and the CUMC Youth Group hopes to be able to support a 4th student this year. HIBS does a lot with very little—they report that “[i]n 2023, we delivered approximately $740,000 worth of humanitarian aid with a budget of only $160,000.”