ECHO: Ecumenical Community Helping Others
Lisa writes: For Lent, Catholics try to do fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. As part of our almsgiving, Tom was looking for someplace that we could volunteer part-time, during our after-work hours.
I currently work in the Appeals department of a large and much-hated insurance company. Our unofficial motto is "Appeals: Shattering hopes and dreams." I was looking for someplace that would help me work my way back into heaven after denying medical claims all day.
We found ECHO through VolunteerMatch. ECHO is just one of a series of very well-organized charity organizations in Northern Virginia. Each is arranged to serve a particular geographic area. For example, ECHO services Springfield, ACCA serves Annandale, Fairfax FISH services Fairfax, etc. They provide food, clothing, bedding and kitchen supplies, school supplies, emergency rent assistance, and financial education. Patrons must schedule an appointment in advance in order to meet with a counsellor who helps them figure out what services they will receive. Donations are received at certain times in the evening and are sorted and organized by teams of volunteers (including me and Tom). Everything going in and out is tracked in the computer system. Volunteers are scheduled a month in advance and must first attend an orientation.
ECHO is smart. So often, volunteer orgs are staffed by people who are well-meaning, but too kind or clueless to get organized and therefore end up getting taken advantage of or falling apart. ECHO really, really has their act together, and they've been doing this since 1968.
ECHO's website is here, and the phone number to volunteer is 703 569-9160. You have to call during their office hours of Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Don't get discouraged if you can't get through to somebody on the first try -- the phones are very busy. If all else fails, email me and I can give you the volunteer organizer's direct number.
I currently work in the Appeals department of a large and much-hated insurance company. Our unofficial motto is "Appeals: Shattering hopes and dreams." I was looking for someplace that would help me work my way back into heaven after denying medical claims all day.
We found ECHO through VolunteerMatch. ECHO is just one of a series of very well-organized charity organizations in Northern Virginia. Each is arranged to serve a particular geographic area. For example, ECHO services Springfield, ACCA serves Annandale, Fairfax FISH services Fairfax, etc. They provide food, clothing, bedding and kitchen supplies, school supplies, emergency rent assistance, and financial education. Patrons must schedule an appointment in advance in order to meet with a counsellor who helps them figure out what services they will receive. Donations are received at certain times in the evening and are sorted and organized by teams of volunteers (including me and Tom). Everything going in and out is tracked in the computer system. Volunteers are scheduled a month in advance and must first attend an orientation.
ECHO is smart. So often, volunteer orgs are staffed by people who are well-meaning, but too kind or clueless to get organized and therefore end up getting taken advantage of or falling apart. ECHO really, really has their act together, and they've been doing this since 1968.
ECHO's website is here, and the phone number to volunteer is 703 569-9160. You have to call during their office hours of Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Don't get discouraged if you can't get through to somebody on the first try -- the phones are very busy. If all else fails, email me and I can give you the volunteer organizer's direct number.
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