CHO was organized in 1969 by a group of concerned churches and individuals in the Dunn Loring, Merrifield, Oakton, Vienna community to provide simple, loving charity to those in need of goods and services they were unable to provide from themselves or obtain from government social service organizations. Membership in CHO is open to all churches, synagogues, civic and service organizations, as well as concerned citizens in the community. While no boundary lines are firmly established, efforts are made to avoid overlapping services with those provided by similar neighborhood service organizations. A CHO newsletter is distributed periodically to members, friends, and interested persons. Copies may be obtained by writing to CHO, P.O. Box 233, Vienna, VA 22183. Our phone number is (703) 281-7614. CHO is an all-volunteer organization operated by a board of directors comprised of representatives of each of the member organizations, elected officers, and no more than five directors-at-large. Board meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of the month at the Vienna Presbyterian Church, 124 Park Street, NE, Vienna, VA 22180, and are open to anyone interested in our objectives. The executive committee, which meets at the call of the chairman, may act on matters arising between board meetings or as authorized by the full board. There are no scheduled meetings in December, July or August. The CHO fiscal year begins July 1st. CHO has NO PAID staff members. Everyone who works for CHO is a volunteer. Requests for CHO assistance are received from a wide range of sources, including Fairfax County Social Services, Hotline, churches, teachers, visiting nurses, medical and mental health groups, other organizations and individuals. Concerted efforts are made to verify the validity of each request. It is our firm intent to help those individuals who are truly in need while assuring the most judicious use of our resources and avoiding abuse of our services. CHO respects the dignity of persons receiving assistance, never purposely revealing their identity. Daily operations are carried out in the various functional areas outlined below on our Web site. Needs CHO has two continuing needs: Volunteers and Funds. Volunteers. In a community where the norm is both spouses in a family working outside the home, it is difficult to maintain a viable volunteer pool in most service organizations. CHO is blessed to have dedicated volunteers who are retired or are students working after school. Still, it is difficult to maintain enough volunteers to keep up with the ever growing list of needs. Consequently, we always welcome new volunteers. Funding. Our monetary resources come from member churches and organizations, and from concerned individuals and entities. Aside from participation in the Combined Federal Campaign and assistance and a grant from the Town of Vienna, CHO receives no allocation of funds or grants from any public service or other governmental unit. With no paid staff, CHO services are all provided by volunteers. We have no central office and operate out of member churches and homes. Except for the furniture trucks, volunteers provide and donate the cost of operating their own vehicles. Thus, our operating costs are minimized and nearly all contributions are made available to aiding those in need. Anyone wishing to donate time, talents or money to CHO may call the appropriate chairman, listed separately on the Web site. Contributions may be mailed to: CHO, INC. P.O. Box 233 Vienna, VA 22183 (703) 281-7614 CHO is designated as a 501(C)(3) tax exempt organization by the Internal Revenue Service. All donations are tax deductible. Combined Federal Campaign # 29063