The Lorton Community Action Center's Purse and Prom Dress Extravaganza is This Weekend

You can support the cause by dropping off an old prom dress or purse.

The Lorton Community Action Center is in need of donations for their food bank, which feeds thousands of Lortoners in need. Those donations can be made in may ways - even by visiting Lorton's Attic - LCAC's Thrift Store, which is hosting a purse and prom dress sale this weekend.  By the way, the LCAC food pantry also needs canned fruit, canned chicken, canned tuna and granola bars. LCAC Events:  Purse and Prom Dress Sale When: Friday, April 26 - Sunday, April 28 Store Hours: Friday - 10am – 5pm; Saturday - 11am – 4pm; Sunday -12pm – 4pm (Drop-off deadline for old purses and dresses is Wed., April 24) Food Drive at the Workhouse Arts Center When: Sat., April 27 Time: 10-4pm  The food drive will be held at Clean Fairfax's Springfest. Guests …

• Photos (1)

Lorton Community Action Center Gives Christine Herbstreith Founders Award

The LCAC presented the award earlier this month.

Lortonian Christine Herbstreith is the recipient of the Lorton Community Action Center's Founders Award. Herbstreith, a Lorton resident since 1954, was honored at the LCAC's “Spring into Action” Gala on Saturday, March 2, 2013. More than 200 people attended the event, which generated $120,000 for the area nonprofit.  Herbstreith was pivotal in starting the LCAC in 1975 after noticing the additional number of Free and Reduced Lunch program students at Gunston Elementary School.  Upon receiving the award, Herbstreith praised God, and thanked her friends associated with the LCAC. Are you following us on Facebook and Twitter? You should. 

• Photos (1)

Allen Holder Passes Go and Wins Lorton's Annual Monopoly Championship

The tournament raised more than $5,000 for the Lorton Community Action Center

West Virginia's Allen Holder, emerged the winner at the sixth annual Monopoly Game Tournament held recently at Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton.   “I’m very excited to have won,” said Allen, who took home the top prize of $500. “This was my first time attending this tournament and it’s great to be the top prize winner. Knowing when to make the right trades and deals is the key and this year, it worked out for me”. The tournament, sponsored by Ron & Susan Associates, a leading real estate team with Re/Max Gateway, was organized to benefit the Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC), whose mission is to break the cycle of poverty and prevent homelessness.   More than 100 contestants participated in the three-round tournament. The top six …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (6)

Lorton's Sixth Annual Monopoly Tournament to Benefit LCAC

Do not pass Go: Go directly to Lorton Prison!

Lorton's Workhouse Arts Center was the Lorton Reformatory for nearly a century, and on Saturday, Feb. 23, it will once agin witness people going straight to jail — at the unlucky roll of the dice. The sixth annual Lorton Monopoly Tournament will be tense, and more than 100 players at multiple tables are anticipated. The top prize is $500.  Are you following us on Facebook? Twitter?  Lorton Realtors Ron Kowalski and Susan Borrelli of ReMax Gateway have raised nearly $25,000 for numerous charities since starting the event in 2007. All proceeds of this year's tournament will go to the Lorton Community Action Center.  "Every year, Susan and I take a break from selling real houses for real money, and have fun playing with little green houses …

• Photos (2)

LCAC Provides Winter Coats for Hundreds of Lorton Families

"You can't put a price on warmth."

The Lorton Community Action Center provided more than 1,250 winter coats to 245 Lorton families at the Woodbridge Moose Lodge #583 on Tuesday night. The coat drive was held on the busiest night for the LCAC's food pantry.   "You can't put a price on warmth," said Elizabeth R., who found coats for her husband and two children. "I was an executive assistant at Georgetown University Hospital and I was laid off four-and-a-half years ago, and since I'm not working I can't even shop at T.J. Maxx."   Many families are swallowing their pride to get help from the LCAC, said executive director Linda Patterson. "Many of our families don't want their friends and neighbors to know that they need help," she said. "We are having more and more famlies who…

• Photos (5)

LCAC Stuffs Backpacks For Back To School Campaign

The nonprofit filled hundreds of backpacks with school supplies.

Last Friday, the Lorton Community Action Center filled backpacks for 475 Lorton and Fort Belvoir kids. Donations for the nonprofit's back-to-school initiative included two-inch binders, clipboards, dividers, glue sticks and pencil pouches.  The LCAC event was held between 10 a.m. and noon at the Moose Family Center at 9612 Fernedge Ln. in Lorton. Keep up with all things Lorton with the Lorton Patch email newsletter and breaking news alerts. Learn more here.

• Photos (4)

Giant Food Store Drive Raises $3,000 for Lorton Community Action Center

LCAC pantry still needs cereal, snacks for kids and mac 'n cheese.

The Lorton Community Action Center was hit hard after losing power in last month's "derecho" storm, and Giant Food answered the call for help with a food drive that has raised $3,000 worth of non-perishable items.  "This community is amazing!" wrote LCAC Executive Director Linda Patterson. "I am moved that managers at the store took it upon themselves to respond to our need. I have had volunteers and donors call me and share how much it means to them that the Lorton Valley Giant is helping to feed so many families." Managers at the Lorton Valley Giant started the food drive with a $3,000 goal, and after reaching it, decided to continue it indefinitely.  "We're happy to help," said Susy Zeballos, one of the store managers. "Our cashiers ask…

• Photos (2)

Lorton Community Action Center Announces After-School Program

The program will start this September and will serve underprivileged children.

This fall, underprivileged children at William Halley Elementary School will be provided after-school services at the school, courtesy of the Lorton Community Action Center. The LCAC has raised approximately half of the $36,400 needed for the program, which will be offered for two afternoons a week for nine-and-a-half weeks this fall and spring 2013.   "We have 750 students, and our free and reduced lunch rate is 30 percent," said William Halley Principal Jamey Chianetta to the South County Federation at their Tuesday night meeting. "And, one thing we haven't had lately is an after-schoool program, which fell off because of funding."  "Our schools are stretched. they don't have the support they need at after school programs," said Linda …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Help Is On The Way

LCAC: What You Can Do to Help

The food pantry is low on corn, canned soup and green veggies

It’s dinnertime in a home in Lorton.  Two children are enjoying a laugh while they scoop up spoons of chicken, rice and corn. They don’t always have vegetables at their meal and the oldest child states she likes the corn best. How did they get it? Mom received it the day before in a bag of groceries she was handed at her weekly visit to the food pantry at the Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC).  Without this weekly assistance, tonight’s corn would not be served, and neither would a number of other pantry essentials that make it to her table from week to week. As the children snuggle into bed that night, they are covered with a blanket given to them through Lorton's Attic, LCAC’s thrift store.  They don’t know this of course, they are …

• Photos (1)

Help Is On The Way

Partnering with the LCAC Makes for a Stronger Community

And it helps your neighbors.

When we try to do things by ourselves, we get burned out and may never get very far. Why do you think Batman works with Robin? Partnerships are critical in community work, and I'm excited about a new partnership between the Lorton Community Action Center and the Workhouse Arts Center. "LCAC Night", our first event, will be held on Saturday, April 14, at the Workhouse Theatre. Please bring a non-perishable item (canned fruit, rice or canned/dried beans) to donate! Drop off area will be located in the lobby of Building W-3. The show, “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is a musical comedy about six young people overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves. They learn that winning isn't everything and that …

• Photos (1)