Clarendon Presbyterian Church (CPC) recently announced that it will continue holding monthly drive-thru food and toiletry collections for the foreseeable future to support their neighbors who are experiencing homelessness. The outdoor Collections are held on the second Saturday of every month (weather permitting) from 9:00 AM to Noon, with curbside drop-off outside the church and masks and social distancing required.
Since the first Collection at CPC in June through the most recent one in January, the community donated the equivalent of 873 brown paper bags of groceries – an estimated value of nearly $30,000.
The food donations will continue supporting Bridges to Independence in Clarendon and the emergency shelter with ten one- and two-bedroom apartments that can accommodate up to approximately 14 families with children at a time. Donations are also supporting families that recently moved out of the shelter into independent living.
Their priority food items include: Rice, cooking oil, boxed cereal, applesauce, juice, and packaged healthy kids’ snacks (no prepared or opened food please), and other dry food items.
Toiletry donations will continue supporting Residential Program Center (RPC) on Columbia Pike. RPC is a 44-bed shelter for men and women, run in partnership with Arlington County Department of Human Services. RPC also offers a day program providing showers, laundry facilities and meals to drop-in visitors.
Priority toiletry items include: Razors (men’s and women’s), toothbrushes, toothpaste, shower curtains, queen size bed sheets, deodorant (regular and travel size), new men’s underwear (XL, 2XL, 3XL), new women’s underwear, new socks, combs and brushes, flip flops for showers, and bar soaps.
Clarendon Presbyterian Church is located at 1305 North Jackson Street, Arlington, VA 22201. The Collections are held on the Jackson Street side of building and upcoming events will be on February 13, March 13, April 10, and May 8. If you have questions about Collection events and donations, or if you’d like to volunteer to help staff the events, please contact Blair Moorhead at clarendonmission@gmail.com or (703) 527-9513.
