Table of Contents
2013 Best of Reston Honorees and Reston Interfaith Partners Revealed
A Client Says Thanks
Preventing Weather-Induced Illness and Loss of Life
Our Heartfelt Thanks
2013 Best of Reston Honorees and Reston Interfaith Partners Revealed
Best of Reston Honorees recognized for their tremendous commitment to community service and improving the lives of others in the greater Reston area.
Honorees, Reston Interfaith Partners and Best of Reston sponsors will be formally recognized at the 22nd Annual Best of Reston Awards and Community Service Gala on April 11, 2013.
The 2013 Best of Reston Honorees and Reston Interfaith Partners were formally announced on Thursday, January 10, 2013, at the Revealing the Best Kickoff Reception held at the Rooftop Club Level of The Metropolitan (Reston Town Center). Mark Ingrao, President & CEO of Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and Kerrie Wilson, CEO of Reston Interfaith recognized the selected businesses, organizations, and individuals for their tremendous commitment to community service and improving the lives of others in the greater Reston area. The reception was generously catered by Clyde’s of Reston.
The Best of Reston annual event, now in its 22nd year, is produced in partnership by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and Reston Interfaith. Robert E. Simon, founder of Reston, Virginia, and the Honorary Chair of the 2013 Best of Reston event, inspired the principles – “Live, work, play and serve,” which celebrates our community’s values and this unique philanthropic partnership.
Community members submitted nominations between September and November. The nomination categories were individual community leader, civic/community organization leader, small business leader, and corporate business leader, and the newly created Vade Bolton-Ann Rodriguez Young Leaders – Entrusting Our Community’s Future Award. This award is designed to recognize a younger leader in our community who serves as a role model or mentor for community service and philanthropy to the next generation. An anonymous selection committee panel reviewed all nominations and this year seven winners were chosen.
The 2013 Honorees are:
Individual Community Members:
Doug Bushée
Ed Robichaud
Civic/Community Organizations
Friends of the Reston Regional Library
Small Business Leader
Mayflowers A Floral Studio at Reston Town Center
Corporate Business Leader
Vade Bolton-Ann Rodriguez Young Leaders — Entrusting Our Community’s Future Award
Amanda Andere
All the Honorees, Reston Interfaith Partners and Best of Reston sponsors will be formally recognized at the 22nd Annual Best of Reston Awards and Community Service Gala on April 11, 2013, at the Hyatt Regency Reston. Click here for sponsorship information. Proceeds from Best of Reston support the social service programs of Reston Interfaith.
The support of the community makes Best of Reston event possible. To date, Reston Interfaith’s Partners are:
Visionary Partner:
The Charles A. Veatch Family
Strategic Partners:
2013 Community Builder:
A former client of Embry Rucker Community Shelter sends a letter of appreciation to Reston Interfaith.
Read this letter from a former client who is just one of the many thousands we help each year. Your commitment to Reston Interfaith is what makes this type of success possible.
Preventing Weather-Induced Illness and Loss of Life
Reston Interfaith partners with Fairfax County to operate the North County Hypothermia Prevention Program
During the winter months of December through March, unsheltered homeless adults living around our community have a place to seek shelter from the cold weather. Read more…
Every night from December 1 through March 31, Reston Interfaith runs the North County Hypothermia Prevention Program in the North County Human Services Building at 1850 Cameron Glen Drive. Up to 25 homeless individuals come in out of the cold and enjoy a hot dinner meal and a warm place to sleep for the night.
Volunteers help to support this program by providing and serving the hot meals – enough food to serve 40, to allow guests to have seconds, and servers join them for the meal. Beginning in early October, groups and individuals sign up for as many nights as they would like to lend their support. Some help weekly, some semi-monthly, some serve several dates and others a single night during the season.
One week prior to its date of service, a group receives an e-mail from Reston Interfaith, reminding them of their commitment and requesting a menu for the evening. When the date arrives, the group prepares its menu in the kitchens of its volunteers and arrives with hot meals at the hypothermia room at 5:30 PM to set up for the evening’s dinner. At 6:00 PM, the guests are allowed into the room to enjoy a hot meal, served by the evening’s volunteers, who are encouraged to enjoy the meal alongside the customers they serve.
Chili, venison, casseroles, hot dogs and hamburgers, hearty soups, turkey with all the trimmings, and cuisines from Chinese to Tex-Mex to Italian to Indian are served throughout the season, as each group brings its own style and favorite comfort food to serve to its neighbors in need. Some groups provide entertainment, whether playing bingo or singing carols over the holidays, and everyone enjoys an evening of socializing and leaving the cold outside.
By 7:00 or 7:30 PM, most groups have finished for the evening, cleaning up, preparing meals of leftovers for any latecomers, and taking any other remaining food to the Embry Rucker Community Shelter to serve to its own overflow clients. The guests at the hypothermia room are now able to settle in for the night, with a belly full of good food, and a warm place to rest.
If you or your group would like to participate in next season’s hypothermia meals program, or for more information regarding participation in the program, please click here or contact Nate King or call 571.323.9569.
These committed supporters enable us to increase our impact for our clients and the community.
With more and more people experiencing economic and social stress, our supporters make it possible to meet the needs of families and individuals every step of the way.
Thank you to our financial donors:
- Everyone who supported the mission of Reston Interfaith in 2012.
- The individuals who included Reston Interfaith in their wills in 2012.
- The corporations and small businesses which that supported Reston Interfaith with their financial support, their volunteer time and the contributions of gifts in kind.
- Boomer Foster and Long & Foster Real Estate as the Capitol Steps 30th Anniversary sponsor.
- Boofie & Joe O’Gorman, St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, and Lisa and Bob Van Hoecke as the Presenting Sponsors of the Capitol Steps Benefit Performance.
- A special thank you to the Capital Steps committee for their significant work to produce a grand 30th Anniversary event scheduled for February 10th.
- The growing list of sponsors for the Best of Reston Gala.
Thank you to our volunteers and in-kind donors:
- Reston YMCA for collecting and donating wrapping paper and gift bags for clients receiving holiday gifts through the Gifts for Kids Drive.
- Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church for providing food for the Supportive Housing Holiday Party.
- Knights of Columbus at St. John Neumann Catholic Community for hosting the Healthy Families Fairfax Holiday Party, and for the wonderful meal they prepared.
- The Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston for hosting an Alternative Gift Market where donors can make donations in support of Reston Interfaith programs.
- Reston Community Center for hosting Gifts from the HeArt at the Jo Ann Rose Gallery and to the artists for donating proceeds.
- German Armed Forces Command US/CA for donating the proceeds from their annual Christkindlmarket.
- Maude Hair Salon for providing the “No Mother Left Behind Gifts Bags.”
- Rossen Landscaping for holding a food drive to benefit Reston Interfaith’s Food Pantry.
- Wiygul Automotive for holding a toy drive.
- Exxon Mobile for donating bikes.
- Whole Foods at Fair Lakes for collecting food donations for Reston Interfaith’s Food Pantry.
- Sprint Volunteers at the Reston Community Center’s Martin Luther King Day Celebration who put together 60 bagged meals for ERCS.
- Beloved Yoga for coordinating a coat drive.
- FasTran and Fairfax County for organizing the Stuff the Bus food drive – collecting over 1,000 lbs. of food.
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