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In Word and Deed
Good news of mission and ministry from churches in the Diocese of Virginia
Archive

Trinity, Manassas MDG Study Group Takes Action

In just a few short months, a handful of parishioners at Trinity Episcopal Church in Manassas have gone from studying the Millennium Development Goals in an upper room during coffee hour to reaching out to the community and putting their take on the goals into action.

In January, the Trinity group sponsored a screening of the new documentary, The Business of Being Born, by Ricki Lake, and took in donations for Birth Matters Virginia, a midwifery group.  A panel of health professionals led the post-viewing discussion.  Because of Trinity’s commitment, other venues on college campuses and in community centers throughout central and northern Virginia soon opened up.  The film explores intimate birth stories and facts about the high caesarean rate and maternal and infant death rates in the United States, and is available on Netflix.

In February, the group invited Michelle Schuller, executive director of the Prince William Area Free Clinic to speak at the Sunday adult forum about the clinic’s work for indigent and uninsured residents of Manassas City, Manassas Park and Prince William County.  As a result, the group donated $500 to the free clinic and is in the process of organizing volunteers for the clinic, which is always in need of volunteer dentists and dental assistants, pharmacists and pharmacy techs, physicians and nurses, computer data entry persons, interviewers/screeners and translators.  The church also plans to prepare meals for clinic volunteers on Thursdays.

In March, the group hosted a discussion about environmental sustainability by Sue Lhotka, the Refuse and Recycling Coordinator for the City of Manassas, and made plans for an Earth Day Clean Up at the end of April.
Also in March and April, the group collected baby items – parking a bassinette in the church narthex and taking in everything from formula and diapers to car seats – for young mothers with AIDS through the Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry.

In May, the group will be contacting Project Mend-a-House to volunteer to do house repairs for the needy in the local area.

“It’s awesome what the power of one can do - it's what we do with our hands once our hearts have been moved,” said the Rev. Vinnie Lainson, the group’s advisor.

Submitted by Trinity, Manassas parishioner Cindy Brookshire.