Mission Giving

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Mission Giving is one way we can live out the Gospel and share the love of Christ with our community and those in need around the world. Each month our Communion offering, and other donations are designated for a particular organization, along with funds from the Church mission budget.

Below is the list of the various mission activities that Covenant supports during the year, as well as a brief description of each:

• January: Arlington Pediatric Center. The center provides low-cost medical care for eligible families and is operated by Virginia Hospital Center. Every January, Covenant supports the center both with our dollars and children’s books for patients and their siblings.
• February: Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). Covenant supports AFAC through financial contributions and with cans of soup collected through our Souper Bowl Sunday event. We also support AFAC in August by collecting cereal.
• March/April: One Great Hour of Sharing. Our special offering for Easter is a gift to the Presbyterian “One Great Hour of Sharing.” This offering enables us to share God’s love with our neighbors in need around the world by offering relief to those affected by natural disasters, providing food to the hungry, and helping empower the poor and oppressed.
• April: Michelle’s Earth Foundation (MEF). Covenant supports the work of Michelle’s Earth Foundation (MEF), an organization dedicated to the environment and founded in memory of Michelle Gardner-Quinn, a member of Covenant whose untimely death her senior year in college saddened us all. Her legacy lives on with MEF and her belief that each of us can make a difference inspires us.
• May: Support for South Sudan. Covenant provides a special donation to Othow Okoti to support the peace and well-being of the people of Pochalla, South Sudan, and to support Othow’s work with Resource Centre for Civil Leadership (RECONCILE), an organization receiving support from PCUSA and the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan. Othow has a special connection to Covenant as he worshipped with us when he was in the DC area at the Institute for Peace.
• June:  Arlington Neighborhood Village is an organization of neighbors helping neighbors to age in place. Every dollar you give will directly enable its amazing volunteers to help more seniors live independently in their own homes and community. ANV’s offices are located in the Church of the Covenant but they serve seniors all over Arlington. 
• July: Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR). We support the work of Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR) founded years ago by Arlington’s faith community, including by one of our members, the late Frank Young. OAR provides alternative sentencing and diversion programs with a 98% success rate. As prisoners leave jail, they need help with housing and employment and OAR is ready with transition programs to assist.
• August: Doorways for Women and Families. Doorways provides shelter for victims of domestic violence along with support for moving forward to safe, stable lives. For many years Covenant has supported this work with funds and household supplies.
• September: Arlington Thrive. Arlington Thrive is a non-profit that provides emergency assistance for Arlingtonians in need of help with rent, medical bills, car repairs or other one-time problems. Founded as AMEN (Arlingtonians Ministering to Emergency Needs), this organization has prevented many evictions and crises in people’s lives.
• October: Capital Caring. Capital Caring (Hospice) has a special place in the hearts of people at Covenant. Our former pastor was the Chaplain and one of our members, the late Jerry Tannahill, was a decades-long volunteer. Flowers from our sanctuary are often taken to the inpatient facility nearby and our contributions subsidize care for dying patients and their families. (The Arlington facility is closed for renovation.).
• November: Virginia Hospital Medical Brigade. Covenant supports Virginia Hospital Medical Brigade, a team of Arlington doctors who work in Honduras, bringing health infrastructure, preventive care and surgeries to needy communities.
• December: Christmas Joy Offering. Traditionally collected by Presbyterians on Christmas Eve, a gift to this offering helps provide financial assistance to current and former church workers and their families, and also enables deserving students to attend Presbyterian-related racial and ethnic colleges and schools.