We donated $6,175 to charities in 2023.
We gave $4,875 through our charitable fund in addition to $1,200 we donated through our annual beer tasting event, and another $100 to the national AOH’s Freedom for All Ireland Fund.
In addition, we collected 1,621 pounds of food staples at a local supermarket as part of our local Hunger Project program. The Oct. 21 donations were transported to the Bethany Food Pantry at All Saints Catholic Church in Manassas.
The food drive was held at the entrance to the Giant supermarket in the Bull Run Plaza shopping center. As people entered the supermarket, seven Hibernians and three of their family members took turns throughout the day passing out flyers listing various staples for them to purchase and put in our bins as they left.
The Brain Foundation of Fairfax was a new donation for us in 2023. Ted Moriak, one of the founders of this nonprofit, holds the check from our division.
This nonprofit volunteer group provides affordable housing for those suffering from serious brain diseases, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, who are homeless or vulnerable to becoming homeless.
They own and operate nine homes with 36 residents, who might not otherwise be able to live independently. They pay minimal rent for a room in houses within walking distance of public transportation and everyday necessities such as grocery stores. Furnishings and decorations are provided almost exclusively through donations. https://www.brain-foundation.org/index.html
Another new charity for 2023 was Willing Warriors, which received $375.
In addition to those two new charities, our charity fund was used for nine other donations.
The largest single contribution was $600 sent to Medical Missionaries. (https://www.medicalmissionaries.org) Dr. Gil Irwin, a member of our division, is the founder.
More than 200 medical doctors, nurses, dentists, and non-healthcare professionals such as electricians, plumbers, and mechanics of all faiths volunteer through Medical Missionaries to serve the poor in the United States and overseas.
Our commitment to Medical Missionaries is longstanding. In 2022 a handful of Hibernians contributed directly to the group by purchasing tickets for a summer fundraiser at Doukenie Winery in Hillsboro, Va. At the event, former Division President Pat Sullivan presented our division’s annual donation check to Dr. Irwin.
Five other organizations each received $500 from our charitable fund. They were the Mother of Mercy Free Medical Clinic, the national AOH’s Project St. Patrick, the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, the House of Mercy, and the Irish Cultural Society of Virginia Inc.
We continued our support for the Irish arts and culture. Two local Irish dancing schools, the Boyle School of Irish Dance, and the Phoenix School of Irish Dance, each received $350.
And we made a $350 donation to the Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia. Three of our members also volunteered in this organization’s annual Buddy Walk held in October at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton.
A separately budgeted annual donation is made to the national Ancient Order of Hibernian’s charity called Freedom for All Ireland https://aoh.com/freedom-for-all-ireland/.
Our third charitable effort is our annual beer tasting held the weekend before the Super Bowl at the Old Towne Sports Pub in Manassas. All net income from the event is split between two veterans’ charities, Able Forces https://www.ableforces.org/ and TAPS www.taps.org. In 2023 each organization received $600 from us.
