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 an area where both spouses in a family working outside the home is the norm, it is difficult to maintain a pool of volunteers able to work on a regularly scheduled basis. CHO is blessed to have such dedicated volunteers. Still, it is difficult to maintain enough volunteers to keep up with the ever growing list of needs. Funding. Our monetary resources come from member churches and organizations, the Town of Vienna, and from concerned individuals and entities. Aside 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. CHO has no central offices and operates out of member churches and homes. With the exception of the furniture truck, volunteers furnish and donate the cost of operating their own cars. Our operating costs are minimized which makes nearly all contributions available for aiding those in need. Anyone wishing to donate time, talents or money to CHO may call (703) 281-7614 or email cho@cho-va.com. Also, contributions may be mailed to: CHO, INC. P.O. Box 233 Vienna, VA 22183 CHO is designated as a 501(C)(3) tax exempt organization by the Internal Revenue Service. All donations are tax deductible.