To the Editor:
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Share Inc. of McLean, I would like to extend a huge thank you to all the members of the McLean and Great Falls communities who support their neighbors in need throughout the year. Among our major programs for clients are our food pantry and clothing rooms, furniture exchange, crisis interventions to ward off evictions and utility shut-offs, transportation for medical appointments, refurbished computers, and back-to school supplies.
The 2008 economic downturn was particularly hard on the working poor, the majority of Share’s clients. Similarly, the people at the bottom of the earnings ladder are among the last to see the benefits of our prolonged economic recovery. These events have caused a large increase in the numbers of clients seeking our assistance and a doubling of the amount of groceries we are distributing through our food pantry.
Due to the generosity of our many benefactors, we have been able to maintain historic levels of assistance to satisfy increased client needs during this period. Share would like to provide public recognition to the faith communities, service organizations and local businesses that, along with a number of private donors have made this possible. And of course we are most appreciative to the hundreds of volunteers that support our programs.
Last year Share’s programs provided significant assistance to more than 1250 families including 3000 household members. Established in 1969, Share is an all-volunteer operation with no paid staff, no offices and no expenditures for professional fund raising. Share relies solely on community support as we receive no government funding. If you are interested in learning more about Share visit the SHARE website, www.shareofmclean.org or visit food and clothing rooms on Wednesday and Saturday mornings located in space generously donated by the McLean Baptist Church.
We would like to express gratitude to the Giant of McLean, which hosts food drives for Share on a regular basis, Chesterbrook Safeway, which regularly donates bread and bakery items, The Gannett Foundation, BB&T Bank, Sharon Chapter #63 Order of the Eastern Star, Winter Fest, the Lewisville Residents’ Association, the Reserve Residents Association, Potomac Hills Women’s Club, Keller Williams, Salon Daniel, The Women’s Club of McLean, New Dominion Women’s Club, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, students and faculty from Spring Hill School, Cooper Middle School, Longfellow Middle School, Langley High School, The Langley School, Churchill Rd. School and Franklin Sherman School. We have also been frequent beneficiaries of grants from the Mclean Community Foundation.
In addition Share receives generous financial support for our programs from a large number of individuals, too numerous to mention, and many faith communities in our area. We would like to thank McLean Baptist Church, St. Luke’s Catholic Church, Temple Rodef Sholom, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Charles Wesley United Methodist Church, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Lewinsville Presbyterian Church, St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church, St. John’s Catholic Church, St Thomas Episcopal Church, St. Francis Episcopal Church, Garfield Memorial Christian Church, Langley Hills Friends Meeting, Vision of Peace Church, the Dominican Sisters, Christian Science Church, Trinity United Methodist Church and many others!
Vic Kimm
President