Holy Trinity Falls Church plays an active role in the community by lifting up and reaching out through everyday acts of kindness. We invite you to share your personal stories of faith, family, and neighborhood actions and join other Holy Trinity members in planting seeds of hope by giving to highlighted community support initiatives through the link below.
Community Stories
PURSUING A MEDICAL CAREER TO HELP OTHERS
Submitted By: The Luoma-Overstreet Family
Gracia Luoma-Overstreet received her M.D. from VCU’s School of Medicine in May. She has now started her four-year medical residency in Ob/Gyn at the University of California-San Francisco in Fresno.
In 2018-19, Gracia completed a year with the ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program, receiving support from numerous HT members for her endeavor. She worked at a farming cooperative and a local hospital in northern Argentina, and her time there helped solidify her decision to pursue a medical career. She reports that the Spanish-language skills she polished in Argentina are serving her well at her new position.
Checking in from afar
Submitted By: The Reznik Family
Everyone here is doing well. While it is an uncertain time, with what at times feels like continuously unexpected events, we are healthy and have all that we need. We are certainly more fortunate than those next to us in the region so we try not to take that for granted, while being aware of the current fluid environment here and taking any precautions necessary.
We are within four weeks of the due date for our son and praying that continues to be a healthy and safe experience. The doctors and medical care here is comparable to what we had there so that is comforting. We’re hopeful despite animosity against Americans right now, it does not carry over during our time of need and care at the hospital. So far we have had pleasant experiences.
Taylor is in a preschool in the mornings that does half Arabic and half English and she is thriving. And teaching us Arabic! She has so many wonderful and strong connections and relationships and has really blossomed in a way just being here with me could not have provided. We are so thankful for the love and care and teaching they provide. They are Palestinian Christian teachers at a Montessori type school, and they treat us like we are all family no matter what is happening and what political dynamics impact so many.
She is also very excited to meet her baby brother soon and have him at her 3rd birthday party in June.
We miss our holy trinity family very much. She asks to go back there as well often and hope on an R&R back, we can be there for a service as well. We hope everyone is doing well there and look forward to seeing everyone again when we can.
little towels for eye care international
Submitted By: Phil Loar
The knitters of Holy Trinity have spent countless hours knitting toallitas, literally “little towels”, donated to Eye Care International (ECI). They join dozens of other volunteers around the United Stated who knit toallitas for ECI.
The idea for knitting toallitas began with Carrie Wherley from Dover, Ohio. Carrie and her husband, Dan Wherley who is an optometrist, volunteered on many eye missions in Latin America. Dan was frustrated with the fact that so many patients complained of eye irritation and it was impossible to provide eye drops to the thousands of patients seen during each mission. Most people in rural Latin America use a rag to wipe their faces and eyes exposed to dust, smoke and sun which contribute to the formation of cataracts and pterygia. Pterygia are pieces of tissue called “carnosidad” in Spanish which grow over the eye as a result of irritation and can be removed surgically when it interferes with vision. Using the same dirty rag to wipe their eyes often causes eye infections. Carrie began knitting toallitas to give to patients with printed instructions to use the toallita only to clean their eyes and only with clean water when they experience irritation. We estimate many thousands of eye infections have been prevented thanks to the education of patients receiving the toallitas.
This year, the toallitas are going to be used on the next ECI mission in March, 2024 in Santa Rosa de Lima in eastern El Salvador. ECI has been conducting eye missions in El Salvador every year beginning in 1995 except for 2021 and 2022 due to Covid-19.
great turnout at red cross blood drive
Submitted By: Joan Buscher
Holy Trinity hosted a blood drive on June 23rd, with coordination from an amazing Red Cross team (Brian, Destiny, Thomas, Patricia & Quentin). The first donor arrived at 10:00 and the last at 3:00. We had 32 donors, 13 of which were Holy Trinity members and 13 were first time donors. The American Red Cross collected 25 pints of blood, which can help up to 75 patients! The Red Cross team indicated that it was a great turnout and they are excited to return for another drive in the future. Thank you to everyone who stopped by!
Books for graham road elementary
Submitted By: Judy Baker
Educational outcomes for minority children are a product of their unequal access to key educational resources, including skilled teachers, quality curriculum, and the quality and quantity of books. In fact, the average reading achievement difference between students [with access to] many children’s books (more than 100) and those with few children’s books (10 or fewer) was very large (91 score points, almost 1 standard deviation).
As one of our Mission Endowment Fund recipients, Graham Road Elementary School received 450 books - one for every student. Thank you to the Mission Endowment Fund and Thrivent for funding this project, helping boost education for minority and low income students in our local community. Thank you also to the volunteers who helped give out the books: Amy and Phil Loar, Mark Kerr, Jane, Ray and Shannon Sparnon, Pastor Mike, Arnold and Judy Baker.
Helping graham road families at christmas
Submitted By: Judy Baker
Three families of Graham Road Elementary School students received Christmas gifts from Holy Trinity members. Seven children ages 2 to 11 years old each received a toy and an article of needed clothing. The parents received Giant gift cards. Thanks to Karen Davis, Genie Davis, Marcia and Jeffrey Ihnen, Wilma Dublin, Jane and Ray Sparnon, Arnold and Judy Baker, Amy and Phil Loar for providing the gifts. Funds for the gift cards came from the Graham Road School dedicated account.
a delivery of care for ukrainian refugees
Submitted By: Marcia Ihnen
Members and friends of Holy Trinity gathered enough personal care item donations to build 147 care kits to send to Ukrainian refugees. Sixteen boxes of personal care kits - that’s over 300 lbs! - were delivered to the Lutheran World Relief warehouse on Friday, June 17th. Thank you to everyone who contributed donations. Thank you also to Jeffrey and Marcia for delivering the kits!
If you’d still like to aid this cause, consider donating to Lutheran World Relief for shipping costs. It costs $2.65 to ship one personal care kit. Donate here >> https://lwr.org/donate/shippingfund
easter egg workshop for ukrainian refugees
Submitted By: Judy Baker
Marta Kowalczyk, a neighbor who’s been coming to the Needlecrafters group, offered to lead an egg decorating workshop in support of Ukrainian refugees. She’s of Ukrainian heritage on her father’s side and has led similar workshops over the years for other groups. Our group was 15 women who each learned the complicated process. Each of us completed one decorated egg (which takes about two hours). Donations gathered from those who participated will go to relief efforts for Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
“Listening to god” WELCA women’s Retreat
Submitted By: Marcia Ihnen
The women of Holy Trinity enjoyed our weekend retreat April 22-24 at the A. Felix DuPont Memorial House in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. With facilitator Pastor Jane Halpern, we meditated with a hearing heart and discerned our individual and group gifts and how those gifts might benefit the Holy Trinity congregation. There was much joy in finally being able to gather for study, worship, early morning walks to see the sun rise over the ocean, glasses of wine, meals, and exploration of the town. The participants thank Pastor Jane, worship leader Deacon Deb Haynes, accompanist Linda Stone, and the leadership team of Holy Trinity Women of the ELCA for creating this memorable retreat!
MAKING CHRISTMAS SPECIAL FOR NEIGHBORHOOD FAMILIES
Submitted By: Holy Trinity
In mid-December, the staff at Graham Road Elementary School reached out to Holy Trinity with a request to sponsor 12 children for Christmas. With such short notice, there wasn't time to place a request in the bulletin. Instead, several people who have supported the school in the past volunteered to provide gifts for these students and their families. Every child in each of four families received an article of clothing and a gift. The parents received Giant gift cards and a bag of non-perishable food from the Knox Food Pantry. Thanks go out to these Christmas elves: Beth Search, Kristi Poreda, Linda Beaty, Genie Davis, Wilma Dublin, Joan and Steve Vehec, Karen Davis, Marcia Ihnen, Meghan McNamarra, Amy and Phil Loar, Arnold and Judy Baker!
A Day on Chesapeake bay (reflection & renewal story)
Submitted By: Troy Martin
On June 25-26, Deb, Lynn, and I went to an inn on the Chesapeake Bay in St. Michael’s, Maryland. We enjoyed spectacular views of the Bay, wonderful meals, and leisure activities such as kakaying, floating on the Bay, relaxing on hammocks, reading, and just doing nothing! Lynn got in some time for a bit of golf, and we took a memorable two-hour sail on a historic skipjack. Perfect! Most important, we had a lot of laughs and were able to relax after a difficult year, especially for Lynn and Deb. We are so grateful to Holy Trinity for this opportunity for “renewal.” It worked! Thank you!
Yoga min-retreat (reflection & renewal story)
Submitted By: Amy Loar
After brief introductions, Alex Duchscher, our yogi, led us in a breathing exercise and a 90 minute Vinyasa Flow yoga practice. This was active yoga, and an excellent workout. We broke for fellowship and a healthy lunch from True Food Kitchen. After lunch, we began the afternoon with a different breathing exercise, which progressed into restorative yoga - holding a specific pose for 5 minutes or more. The last session involved yoga nidra, in which Alex repeated mantras intended to put us into a deep state of relaxation. The retreat was refreshing, at times vigorous and then relaxing. Wanda, Kathy, Eva, Joan, and I all marveled at how good we felt, and what a blessing it was to participate in self care. Many thanks, Holy Trinity, for this beautiful gift.
a fine day of FISHINg (reflection & renewal story)
Submitted By: Mary Minette
I grew up fishing with my dad, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to pass along to Matthew. Fishing is such a quiet activity (until you catch a fish!) and a good way to connect with creation and with your own thoughts. Matthew and I have gone bait fishing before, but the area near Asheville, North Carolina has miles of beautiful rivers and streams and tons of opportunities to learn to fly fish, so we were excited to take advantage of that in our recent visit to the area. Unfortunately, the day before we were supposed to head out for our trip, our guide called to tell us that he had been exposed to COVID-19 and had just tested positive, despite having been vaccinated (fortunately he was showing no symptoms). We were disappointed, particularly Matthew, so Steve decided to see if he could find another guide. After some calling around, he found someone who had an opening only a day later than we’d planned. It was a great day: Matthew caught a fish within minutes of stepping into the river and learning to cast. Steve was also successful in catching a fish a few minutes later; I actually hooked a really large trout but lost it! But the best part of the day was standing in the river, casting my line over and over and watching the huge smile on Matthew’s face as he stood nearby, up to his knees in the water, learning a new skill and enjoying the day in God’s beautiful creation.
CHOIR REFLECTION & RENEWAL DINNER
Submitted By: Charles Luoma-Overstreet
After some research into multiple venues in the immediate geographical area that could accommodate our group, Josh found that Northside Social (Falls Church location) would be able to host the combined vocal and bell choir members in a private room upstairs called the “Wine Nook”. The room had two long tables on either side and was simply decorated, one could say in almost traditional Bavarian style, with a lot of natural wood with iron accents. The room came with two servers/bartenders that provided a perfect balance between making sure we had everything we needed while also providing us space/privacy for the event. The venue has a separate “event” menu that allows an organizer to pre-order (with the help of a manager) appetizers and entrees served family style. Utilizing this menu, as well as the wine and dessert/bakery menus, Josh was able to completely order, in advance, a deliciously tasty meal complete with red (Italian cabernet) and white (grüner veltliner) wine options to compliment the food. There was something on the menu for all palates and/or preferences. Some highlights include panko crusted chicken bites with smoked chipotle aioli, seasonal vegetable skewers with herb chimichurri, a “Vermont” style pizza that included white cheddar, thinly sliced green apples, smoked prosciutto, fresh sage, and carmelized onions, and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. We spent nearly 2 hours enjoying the meal and the company, with many of us mingling by switching seats and/or standing in the common space between the two tables. I think at some point Josh had a plate on the end of both tables… Thank you for supporting our volunteer and staff musicians after a challenging year!
Godspeed and farewell, graduates!
Submitted By: Holy Trinity Congregation
We wish our recent highschool graduates well as they head off to college this fall.
Renee Grutzik graduated from Justice High School and will be attending the University of Virginia, with a major to be determined.
Ryan Mellett graduated from Yorktown High School on June 18th. He will be attending William and Mary with an undeclared major.
Nick Poreda graduated from Mount Vernon High School on June 2 nd. Nick will be attending the University of North Dakota with a major in Commercial Aviation.
a different sense of legacy in philadelphia
Submitted By: Brent & Linda Stone
Linda and I drove north to add the fourth ballpark to our Bucket Tour List - Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Along with enjoying the respite of time away and the historic 13-12 Nationals victory, we also found ourselves surprisingly inspired by the sense of legacy imbued at this location.
As we entered the park, we came across a plaque celebrating many of Philadelphia’s Hall of Famers. Names like Connie Mack, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove and Mickey Cochrane stirred memories from youth. As a youngster, I enjoyed learning of diamond legends like these. These giants of the game had always seemed larger than life – certainly an awareness of their humanity was there, but they seemed just a little too heroic to walk among everyday folk like us. But seeing this plaque and being near the location where they set their records gave a renewed sense of that humanity. And it occurred to us that, not unlike how we sometimes view the people in the Bible, we, for lack of a better word, idolize these individuals and put them on a proverbial pedestal. We sometimes see these very real people more as “legends of the Bible” perhaps almost to the point of characters in a fable. Yet, like the plaque reminded us that baseball heroes were not just giants of the game but very real men, we were concurrently reminded that people like Moses, Joseph, Mary, Paul, Peter and so many more, were not just giants of our faith, but very real people who walked among peers and experienced the same type of joys and challenges as do we. We had a renewed sense of the reality not just of baseball’s history but also of the Bible and the very real people who witnessed the actual events of our faith. And for this insight gained in the most surprising of places, we indeed thanked the Lord … while we also enjoyed Washington’s boys of summer taking one from the Phils.
OWLS rest & renewal
Submitted By: Leona Badger
On June 23, 2021, fourteen OWLS enjoyed two hours at Cherry HIll Park in Falls Church on a beautiful day. It was very special to spend time in fellowship with one another for the first time since COVID began. Chat was non-stop except while each attendee enjoyed a delicious box lunch from Jason’s Deli. We celebrated all of the birthdays during the last year with a single delicious birthday cake and a birthday poem reading about a naughty Itsy-Bitsy Spider. This reflection and renewal event was a truly joyous day, and we can’t wait for the next gathering.
Kendrick rest & renewal
Submitted By: Autumn Kendrick
In Pastor Mike’s last sermon before he went on Sabbatical, he talked about the definition of sabbatical being the enjoyment of what you are most thankful for. As a family, we decided that in 2021 we were most thankful for our health. Thus, we wanted our rest, reflection, and renewal activity to celebrate our health and give God thanks for our well-being.
For our rest and renewal activity, James and I rented a house on the Potomac River for us, our children, and their grandparents. The house we chose featured a hot tub, hammocks, kayaks, and paddleboards—amenities that both challenged our fitness and celebrated our ability to play and have fun as a family. Over our secluded four-day family vacation, we sat down for family meals, played board games, and rejoiced in being alive and basking in God’s creation. Cheers to rest and renewal!
THANK YOU FROM GRAHAM ROAD ELEMENTARY
Submitted By: Pastor Heidi
In a recent check-in with the principal of Graham Road Elementary School (GRES), she shared that, because of COVID, the in-person students are eating lunch outside on the lawn. The school requested beach towels for the students to sit on and have a clean and comfortable space to enjoy their meal. Holy Trinity purchased 90 beach towels for students from the "Seeds for Needs" funds.
Pastor Heidi received this photo and the following letter from Principal Lauren Badini:
“We love the towels. Please tell your congregation thank you so very much. We are enjoying safe lunches outdoors and the company of classmates as well. We appreciate all you and your congregation continues to do to support us!”
Thank you, Holy Trinity. Your generosity that has made it possible for us to meet this need in our community!
Gratitude for holy trinity’s support
Submitted By: Lynn McKay
As you know, my mother passed away unexpectedly at the end of November. COVID-19 restrictions have made our sadness more acute and threatened to isolate us in our grief. During this very sad time, the messages, virtual hugs and emails that we received from members of our congregation broke into that isolation and helped us feel less alone. As you can imagine, I have spent the past few weeks traveling back and forth between Arlington and my parents’ home in Pennsylvania. Each time that I returned to Arlington, there were cards and letters from our Holy Trinity community offering us God’s peace and love, and sharing beautiful words of comfort and memories of times when my parents joined us for worship. Thank you for helping us feel less alone and for showing us through your time and help Christ’s constant and affirming presence.
Gift cards for graham road elementary
Submitted By: Judy Baker
This year created unique challenges for families of Graham Road Elementary School (GRES) as they struggle to find regular work and meet basic needs. Holy Trinity’s fall mission initiative was to help support Graham Road Elementary with the donation of gift cards to help families in need. Pastor Mike received the following letter from Andrea Kessler (School Counselor):
“I want to reach out to you and thank you and your congregation for your generous, caring support of our Graham Road families, especially over the 2020 December holidays. With your wonderful contributions, we shared over $3,000 of gift cards to 63 families and 90 children. That is about 25% of our student population! We were touched and honored to sign Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on the note accompanying the cards. Your continued support is greatly appreciated, especially at this difficult time.”
A few additional details about our gift to Graham Road: Members of Holy Trinity donated $1,250 in gift cards. When Phil Loar learned of our efforts, he reached out to the Lions Club, who provided $1,000 in gift cards. The remaining $750+ was given by Graham Road teachers, staff, and other community sponsors. In reality, more than 90 children were recipients of these gifts, in that most of the 90 students have younger siblings. Each of the 63 families received $40 or $60 in gift cards, depending on the number of their children.
Thanks for being so generous to the families and children in our neighborhood.
A Teaching moment: Gratitude
Submitted By: Anonymous Holy Trinity Member
Like any other year, 2020 had its blessings and, of course, its challenges. Our family was particularly blessed in that we maintained employment, quarantined in a beautiful home, and remained healthy. But for many other people, we know that good health, a warm place to sleep, and food on the table have been an extra struggle.
So this year, my husband and I decided to start a new holiday tradition with our young children in an effort to teach them about our privilege and the plight of so many around the world. The week following Christmas, we woke up early one morning, purchased a dozen or so McDonald's breakfasts, and drove into downtown DC. As we circled the city blocks, we looked for individuals sleeping on benches, huddled in doorways, or wrapped in tarps trying to stay warm. Equipped with our masks and our warm meals, we hopped out to offer each individual a biscuit or two. Some greeted our offer with a heartfelt thanks. Some politely refused. Others had tears in their eyes as they took the first bite.
We didn't have much to offer -- just a few bags of warm breakfast sandwiches, something so many of us take for granted -- but we've never experienced the degree of gratitude we did that morning from those strangers in need. What started as a teaching moment for our children turned into an even larger reminder of what not only Christmas, but every day, should truly be for all of us.
Bikes for the World Sewing Machine Roundup
Submitted By: Amy Loar, Holy Trinity Member
Amy Loar has been a long-time supporter of Bikes for the World, a nonprofit that provides bicycles and other useful tools to low-income families in developing countries. During COVID-19, sewing machines have risen in demand from the need for protective face masks. When Bikes for the World put out a call for sewing machines, Amy reached out to her quilting group and came up with six of them to send overseas (after repair by her husband Phil). With the help of those like Amy and Phil, Bikes for the World has donated nearly 800 sewing machines to half a dozen partner programs around the world. Most of them go to small entrepreneurs in Costa Rica who use them to grow and improve their community businesses.
In addition to gathering these machines and making masks for others, Amy recently donated a large tub of material to Nothing in Between nail bar and spa where the owner (HT member Jade Russo) and her team have made and donated over 300 masks to a local healthcare facility.
Read more about Amy’s contribution and the sewing machine project. And when it’s time to say goodbye to your old sewing machine, consider donating it to Bikes for the World!
Food Drive for Williston Center
Submitted By: Kim Grutzik, Holy Trinity Member
Here are Renee and I in early April in the Annandale “ACCA” food pantry. We have been volunteering there for a long time and are now bagging food for families every Monday afternoon.
This past week, my real estate partner and I held a food drive. Today, we were able to deliver bags of food for 34 families getting help via the Williston Center in Falls Church. We were also able to deliver over 700 lbs of food and hygiene products to ACCA, along with check donations amounting to $150.
People are good, but the need is incredibly high. ACCA used to deliver to 24 families per week. We now deliver to up to 18 families every day. We urgently need to keep helping others.
Making a difference with Justice girlup
Submitted By: Renee Grutzik, Justice High School Senior
My name is Renee Grutzik, and I am a senior at Justice High School in Falls Church, Virginia. I am one of the 84 members of the Justice chapter of GirlUp, a global organization founded by the United Nations Foundation and devoted to creating equal opportunities for women around the globe.
At my school’s chapter of GirlUp, we have a focus on menstrual equity. Menstrual equity is the idea that everyone, regardless of financial situation, should have equal access to menstrual hygiene products. Since half of the population gets their period every month, we believe that everyone has the right to care for themselves affordably, comfortably, and without indignity.
One of the most impactful projects that Justice GirlUp has taken on is providing free menstrual products in our school’s bathrooms. Each bathroom has a three-drawer bin that contains pads and sometimes tampons. This project has been the framework for Fairfax County Public School’s menstrual hygiene pilot program, where 37 schools received free pads and tampons for student use.
Through GirlUp, I have been given countless amazing opportunities like testifying to a VA Senate subcommittee, meeting with correspondents of US Senators about the Equal Rights Amendment, and even receiving a Student Peace Award.
A surprise baby basket
Submitted By: Autumn Kendrick, New Mother & Holy Trinity Member
When we arrived home from a pediatrician visit, we pulled up the drive and spotted a lovely gift bag on the porch. Could it be a secret Santa gift in April?
We brought it inside and unwrapped all the goodies. It was a welcome home basket for Ainsley Ann, our newborn baby girl, with a pacifier, some baby utensils, a little teether toy, and some chocolate (for mom). The gift was from a member in our Holy Trinity family, an unexpected expression of care and concern, a reminder that we were not alone and have an entire congregation we can lean on for support.
This package was full of tiny little gifts but was mighty in so many ways. COVID-19 has drastically changed the world we imagined introducing to our baby girl. We've had limited contact with family and our dearest friends have only been able to meet her through video calls and photos. Our outings have been limited to neighborhood stroller walks instead of the zoo or national monuments. Although it seems small, this one gift lifted our spirits in a big way. Someone was thinking of us. Someone was reaching out to us when we felt so isolated. This was a little seed of love and hope for our entire family.
Thank you Shoun Family for this gift.
Bagged BBQ Lunches at Lamb Center
Submitted By: Deacon Deb Haynes, Assistant Director of Case Management at the Lamb Center
A huge thank you from the guests of the Lamb Center to HTLC and the Kress and Gutzler families! Y'all provided an excellent meal from Smoking Kow BBQ that was nourishment for hungry bodies and a treat that made hurting people feel loved. The Lamb Center is known for loving hospitality with lots of good food at breakfast and lunch, but in this time of social distancing and great precautions for the vulnerable, we offer grab-and-go breakfast/lunch combos. We always provide good nutrition - sandwiches, fruits and veggies in addition to the chips and cookies - but our guests are missing the hot lunches and normal variety of foods.
So I hope you can imagine the excitement when the Smoking Kow catering truck pulled into our parking lot! Pastor Mike was on hand to help us bring in the BBQ, rolls, sauce, coleslaw and macaroni and cheese. Our volunteers swiftly turned them into bagged BBQ picnics to go, and by closing time, everyone was well fed and feeling comforted.
Pastor Mike also had the good timing to see the Fastran pickup several of our guests to go to the "Isolation/Quarantine Shelter" the county has started to protect the most vulnerable and allow them to practice the same kind of social distancing in a motel that we do at home. Guess what they took with them? Bagged BBQ picnics to go! One guest said she wasn't getting on that van without it!
There really is something about a special meal that makes you feel loved. I heard about it the next day (and people were hoping for leftovers!). Thank you for making our guests feel loved and deserving of a special treat.
Seeds for Needs Fund
In the end of April, God's continual work of abundance in our congregation showed itself once again. As many of us received stimulus funds, one family saw an opportunity to plant a seed of hope and inspire the congregation to join in the planting. The family’s gift of $5,000 started a “Seeds for Needs” fund to help meet future needs of congregation members who may suffer economic difficulty due to the pandemic. The congregation rose to the challenge, more than matching the $5,000 gift during the month of May.
"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree." -Martin Luther