Health Department

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Gloria Addo-Ayensu, M.D., M.P.H.
Director of Health

Community Public Health Work Highlighted on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Submitted by apearc on Wed, 01/18/2023 - 9:32 am

Volunteers Gather at First Baptist Church of Vienna to Coordinate Food Donations and More

First Baptist of Vienna Pastor and Minister
Min. Kennard Jones, Director of Youth and Young Adult Engagement, and Rev. Dr. Vernon C. Walton, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Vienna

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is honored as a “National Day of Service,” encouraging Americans to volunteer. To honor this tradition, First Baptist Church of Vienna welcomed more than 100 people to help local students who require food assistance on weekends.

The volunteers packed more than 1,000 bags filled with healthy, shelf-stable foods such as soup, tuna, and applesauce. Community members also packed bags for college students, and they created thank you cards for local teachers.

“The First Baptist Church of Vienna was birthed not only to meet the spiritual needs, but [also]to meet the educational needs [and] to meet the community’s needs. And, 155 years later, I’d like to think that we are still doing those things,” said Rev. Dr. Vernon C. Walton, Senior Pastor.

First Baptist Church of Vienna has been a public health system partner for decades. Most recently, the church partnered with the Fairfax County Health Department on COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

“A great deal of work [with the Health Department] has been through covid vaccines, and creating an equity plan, and being intentional about making sure that the most vulnerable in our communities were vaccinated. We recognize that access was a real issue, so we partnered with the Health Department, we partnered with the County of Fairfax, and we opened not only our church doors— but a significant number of church doors throughout Fairfax County – because we knew that there were transportation issues, there were language barriers. There were just barriers around people being afraid,” said Rev. Dr. Walton.

Public health system partners like First Baptist Church of Vienna exemplify Rev. Dr. King’s vision of a Beloved Community – a community in which everyone is cared for, absent of poverty, hunger and hate.

First Baptist of Vienna Volunteers
First Baptist Church of Vienna Volunteers

“I believe that no one person, no one institution, no one organization can do it alone. The work really requires partnership, it really requires all of us understanding what the end game - the end goal - is. That each of us do our part in helping us to achieve that goal. I believe that the more partners we have working together, the more people invested in the end game goal, the more we are able to create change, the more we are able to be our best selves and to really experience the Beloved Community,” said Rev. Dr. Walton.
 

Fairfax Virtual Assistant