At ACOC, our local community service and outreach ministries are aimed at demonstrating the love of Jesus to those in need – not merely telling them of his love but showing them. We aim to be his hands and feet in the areas where we serve – and we’re always looking for volunteers to assist in accomplishing that mission. Here’s an overview of our community services activities – contact us if you’re interested in learning more or volunteering.
FALL COAT DRIVE
We believe that one warm coat can make a difference. Each fall we canvas the neighborhood in our immediate vicinity to collect coats for the homeless and those in need. Our members and generous neighbors typically donate from 150-200 coats. We sort these coats and deliver those for children to the social worker at Fleet Elementary School (a Title 1 school and the nearest to us) for distribution to the children there who need them. Additional children's coats are taken to The Clothesline for Arlington Kids, an organization that serves other Arlington school children. We deliver the warmest adult coats to Path Forward, the Arlington organization supporting the homeless. All the remaining coats go to the Refugee Resource Center for distribution within the DC refugee community.
REFUGEE SUPPORT
ACOC works within the refugee community to support several different families. We have over the past few years furnished the apartments for over 5 different families. We have helped each family get needed English classes, supported them in finding jobs, bought clothing and food for them. We also help with transportation to medical appointments and generally provide a support network to see that these families feel at home in our area
AGAPE TRUST
Established in 1986, the AGAPE Trust helps needy people in our community buy their groceries or pay for essential housing or medical care. The IRS has recognized the AGAPE Trust as a supporting organization of the Arlington Church of Christ, and many of the AGAPE Trust’s trustees are members of our congregation. Prospective Trust beneficiaries include members of the Arlington congregation, members of other churches of Christ and residents of the Virginia counties of Arlington or Fairfax, the Virginia cities of Alexandria, Fairfax or Falls Church, or the District of Columbia.
ARLINGTON FOOD ASSISTANCE CENTER AND PATH FORWARD
At ACOC we try to work with those existing charities in our neighborhood that have the infrastructure and heart to do go work among the people in our community. We specifically work with the Arlington Food Assistance Center to address food insecurity in Arlington. Each year we try to have at least one food drive for AFAC and encourage members to volunteer their time with AFAC. Similarly we work with Path Forward, an organization supporting the homeless and housing insecurity in Arlington. Each year we collect underwear and socks and other needed items for donation to Path Forward.
