Centreville — To the Editor:
Because of the generosity of our churches, businesses, and individuals, more than 1,700 students will go back to school with the backpacks and supplies they need for success.
Western Fairfax Christian Ministries (WFCM) partnered with Collect for Kids (http://collectforkids.org) in a county-wide effort to ensure that the neediest children in our community receive the backpacks and school supplies they need to succeed in school. The program is made possible through a partnership with Kids R First, Fairfax County Public Schools, and the numerous community-based organizations and businesses in the Fairfax County area who are working to provide supplies in a more cost-effective and efficient way.
WFCM collected 1,729 backpacks which were delivered to 23 high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools in Fairfax County for students on the free and reduced lunch program. Last year, we provided 1,055 backpacks for students returning to school. This year, our goal was to help 1,500 students. We exceeded that goal by 15 percent. Thank you to our churches, businesses, and individuals for supporting our efforts.
Thank you to these churches, businesses and organizations for helping with the WFCM Backpack Collection: Access National Bank; Apple Federal Credit Union, Chantilly and Centreville Branches; Centreville Baptist Church; Centreville United Methodist Church; Chantilly Baptist Church; Chantilly Bible Church; Christ Central Presbyterian Church; Christ Presbyterian Church; Church of the Epiphany; Clifton Presbyterian Church; Fairfax Church of Christ; Junior League of Northern Virginia; King of Kings Lutheran Church; Korean Presbyterian Church; Lord of Life Lutheran Church; Mount Olive Baptist Church; Neustar, Inc.; New Life Christian Church; Ox Hill Baptist Church; Pender United Methodist Church; Philanthropic Education Organization (PEO); Quest Diagnostics; Saint Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church; St. Timothy’s Catholic Church; Wellspring United Church of Christ, and WFCM individual donors.
Thank you especially to the many generous individual donors to WFCM who saw the need advertised on our website or in the local papers and dropped off backpacks at our offices, many of them who didn’t give a name but just wanted to help. We love and appreciate you.
If you would like to learn more about Western Fairfax Christian Ministries’ Backpack Program to help next year, contact Jennie Bush at jbush@wfcmva.org.
Western Fairfax Christian Ministries