JAM, SAM

R.G. Bryant Monacan Scholarship Fund

We are once again supporting the R.G. Bryant Monacan Scholarship Fund. The scholarship helps financially support students from the Monacan Indian Nation who are pursuing higher education. This year they were able to award $30,000 in scholarships to Monacan students. Let’s help them be able to award even more next year!


Tribal member Sally Latimer has this to say about the scholarship fund:
The R.G. Bryant Monacan Scholarship Fund has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, entirely due to the efforts of board members, tribal members, and contributors who wish to see the vision of the Monacan people and R.G. Bryant come to fruition: that tribal members have a chance at the education that was denied to generations of Monacans before us. The Scholarship Fund helps students with tuition, books, and computers as they attend higher learning institutes as diverse as University of Virginia, Dartmouth, William and Mary, University of Lynchburg and several Virginia Community Colleges to name a few. As with every Indigenous nation, the youth are the future of the Monacan people, and the R.G. Bryant Monacan Scholarship Fund is striving to assist these young scholars in building a brighter future for the Monacan Indian Nation each and every year. From humble and joyous beginnings almost 30 years ago, the fundraising efforts of what would evolve into the Scholarship Fund has assisted many, many Monacans achieve diverse dreams with educational assistance; indeed, lawyers, nurses, teachers, members of the business community and doctors are just a few of those whose footsteps began with R.G. Bryant Monacan Scholarship Fund assistance. We look forward to growing in scope and service to the Monacan people in the years and decades to come.
 
Our Service & Missions ministry (SAM) allocates a portion of its budget to support this scholarship fund, and we’ll be collecting donations from the congregation throughout September. We pray that our efforts will help the R.G. Bryant Monacan Scholarship Fund to continue to grow and support students as the cost of continuing education rises.

We will have a basket for cash or check (made out to Sojourners with “Monacan scholarship” in the memo line) donations on the altar every Sunday during September. You can also visit our Donate Now page and make your donation electronically. Choose the “R.G. Bryant Monacan Scholarship Fund” option.

SAM

PACEM

Our dates to help with PACEM this year are March 22 – April 4. We are working together with the Charlottesville Friends Meeting to care for PACEM guests during those two weeks of the shelter season.

PACEM has decided that the women will stay at the Church of Our Savior parsonage on Rio Road for the rest of the season. We will continue to partner with the Charlottesville Friends Meeting by contributing with meals and volunteer support. 

Sign up here, if you’re willing to bring food, help serve a meal, participate in morning or evening cleanup, or help with laundry delivery. It’s a different sign-up platform than we usually use at Sojourners, so if you find yourself needing some help figuring out signups (or have any other questions), reach out to Dave.

PACEM is also looking for some more immediate support during the 3/8-3/21 shelter session, with individual volunteers to assist with site operations and group volunteers to prepare and serve dinners. Those sign-ups are linked here as well.

Church of Our Saviour – Women’s Shelter Site

  • Operations Volunteers – we need 3 volunteers each night to help with site operations
  • Dinner Volunteers – sign up your group to prepare/cater dinner for 20 – 25 adults and serve it at 6:15pm

Ivy Creek United Methodist Church – Men’s Shelter Site

  • Operations Volunteers – we need 4 volunteers each night to help with site operations
  • Dinner Volunteers – sign up your group to prepare/cater dinner for 45 – 50 adults and serve it at 6:15pm
SAM

Toiletry Drive for Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women

This Sunday we will start our annual toiletry drive for the women at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women. Every year we collect toiletry kits to be distrubuted to women in need at FCCW. Guidelines for purchasing products are below and must be followed as instructed. Completed kits can be brought to the church anytime between now and November 19th.

CHRISTMAS PROJECT-Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women (FCCW) – Oct. 15-Nov. 19

Where to Buy. Most items can be bought at dollar stores. Giant, Food Lion, and Wegmans, have VO shampoos for around $1.25.

Hygiene Items. Put in a one-gallon Ziploc bag (extra bags on bulletin board):

  1. One individually wrapped toothbrush (in original container-no battery operated)
  2. One 6 oz. (or smaller) tube of toothpaste (in original container)
  3. One 2.6 oz. (or smaller) deodorant stick (no spray or roll-on)
  4. One15 oz. (or smaller) bottle of shampoo
  5. One 15-18 oz. (or smaller) bottle of lotion

Where to Place Completed Kits, Cards, Stationery Items. A collection container will be in the narthex.  Please keep hygiene kits in separate bag from cards and stationery items.

Cards and Stationery Items. (Please do not put inside bags with hygiene items.)

  1. Greeting cards for all occasions (avoid aluminum foil)
  2. Writing paper of any size
  3. Envelopes (3 5/8 x 6 ½ or 4 1/8 x 9 1/2)
  4. “Forever” postage stamps (not affixed to envelopes)
  5. Wooden pencils (unsharpened)

Money Contributions. For shortages in gift items and other needs of residents. Make checks to “GraceInside” write “FCCW Resource Fund” on memo line, mail to GraceInside, 2828 Emerywood Parkway, Richmond, VA 23294.

PLEASE! Follow instructions carefully. FCCW will only allow items described, and they must not exceed size parameters.