May 17, 2012 Edgewood/Brookland Collaborative Honors Campus Ministry
The Edgewood/Brookland Family Support Collaborative (E/BFSC) has selected the Office of Campus Ministry for its 8th Annual Violet Collins Strengthening Families Award in recognition of the University's commitment to the collaborative and to needy families in northeast Washington, D.C.
As part of its five-year partnership with E/BFSC, Campus Ministry donates food for Thanksgiving dinners and gifts at Christmastime for families that otherwise could not afford them. Campus Ministry gathers the contributions through its Thanksgiving Food Bag Collection and the CUA Giving Tree project.
Last Thanksgiving, Campus Ministry donated more than 100 bags of food and more than $1,000 in gift cards that were collected during the University's Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. As part of the Giving Tree project, the University community donated 300 new toys to the collaborative's annual toy store, where parents can chose gifts for their children.
"Catholic University's Office of Campus Ministry has been a critical support to the collaborative's holiday campaign and the families served," says Sharon Crytzer, the organization's deputy director.
"They have coordinated the efforts of CUA students, faculty, and staff in donating hundreds of bags of food for families over the Thanksgiving holiday and thousands of toys to the collaborative's toy store. The additional resources from CUA have been invaluable to our most vulnerable families during these difficult economic times."
The collaborative, whose service area follows the boundaries of Ward 5, will present the award at its Annual Partner Reception on May 17 at Arena Stage in southwest D.C.
Jamila Evans, associate campus minister for women's ministry and social justice, says that members of the CUA community donate "a lot of great gifts." Every year Campus Ministry receives a couple of new bicycles, dolls, toys for babies and toddlers, CD players, gift cards, and a wide assortment of sporting equipment, she notes.
Emmjolee Mendoza Waters, associate director of campus ministry and community service, says "I'm always impressed by the generosity of our students. They're very focused on giving back to our community in Brookland.
"Our students do a lot of service, but they're also very mindful of the idea of charity," she adds. "They're not looking for recognition. They give with joy and the excitement of knowing that they're going to make a child happy."
Established in 2005, the Annual Violet Collins Strengthening Families Award is one of several given annually by E/BFSC. The organization presents the awards to an individual or organization that has significantly advanced the collaborative's mission and in so doing has honored the memory of its resident founders.
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