ECHO | News & Service Opportunities - Nativity Catholic Church

ECHO needs your help and support!

ECHO (Ecumenical Community Helping Others) is an organization staffed by volunteers from local churches and organizations which provides temporary or emergency assistance, including food, clothing, household items, transportation and financial support to about 1,500 Springfield and Burke families each year. Nativity Parish supports ECHO.

UPDATE: ECHO, along with other food-providers, cannot place large orders for food or hygiene products now because of supply chain problems. This will impact our food distribution dramatically because we will be unable to use funds to purchase cartons of basic items that run low. We are asking donors to step up once again to bring food and supplies directly to ECHO, or to one of the ECHO collection sites at the Braddock District or West Springfield Government Offices or the Bingo Hall of Springfield’s Volunteer Fire Dept., or to a food drive so that we can keep our pantry stocked. Thank you!

Upcoming Food Drives in the Community

Nativity Monthly ECHO Food Drive
When: June 3 & 4 | All Masses
Where: Nativity Catholic Church

Donation Note: Due to food safety and handling guidelines, ECHO must distribute food in the manufacturer’s packaging. We cannot accept donations repackaged from bulk food items. “Regular” sizes work best for us.

People who would be willing to hold a food drive in their organization, congregation, or neighborhood should contact echofoodroom@gmail.com to get details of how that can work.

How to Hold a Food Drive

ECHO Clothing and Houseware Needs

Clothing Room: ECHO is now distributing spring and summer clothing

- New & gently used Girls Clothings, sizes 3 – 18
- New & gently used Boys Spring & Summer Clothings, sizes 6 – 18
- Children’s Sneakers, sizes 1 – 5
- Men’s Sneakers, sizes 7 & 8
- Men’s Jeans, sizes 30/30 &32/30
- Men’s Summer Shirts, all sizes
- Men’s Underwear (new only)

Housewares Department:

- Queen or King sized sheets
- Queen or King sized comforters

Used items that are clean and in good repair are welcome—except for underwear and socks (these must be new). Scroll below to see when and where you can donate items.

Donate Directly to ECHO

Donate directly to ECHO’s Food Pantry, Clothing Room and Housewares Department. A current list of needs is always posted at www.echo-inc.org

ECHO is open to accept donations Monday through Friday, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and also on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings, 7:00 to 9:00 pm, as well as one Saturday a morning a month (check echo-inc.org for the date each month). Please drive to the west side of the building and stop at the Donation Door where volunteers will assist with your donation and offer written receipts.

ECHO
7205 Old Keene Mill Road
Springfield, VA 22150

Needed Items

Donate Online

Donate financial assistance to help with rent and utility payments and fresh food coupons. Monetary donations can be made to ECHO, Inc. by check or PayPal.

Shop for ECHO on Amazon by visiting the ECHO Wishlist for a variety of items needed by ECHO’s Food and Clothing Departments. In order to assure deliveries when ECHO is closed, please choose the delivery address: ECHO c/o A King in Alexandria VA

Amazon Wishlist

Volunteer at ECHO

ECHO volunteers do meaningful things to help local people who have immediate challenges. Currently, volunteers are needed for:

- Housewares on Thursday evenings
- Clothing on Monday mornings
- Counselors or assistant counselors on Tuesday or Thursday evenings
- Packing school supplies into backpacks for ECHO’s Back to School Program, during July–August
- Help organize ECHO’s popular Holiday Meals program, from home/remotely (make calls, recordkeeping)

Contact VolunteerCoordinator@echo-inc.org if interested in any of these volunteer roles, or for more information.

Volunteer Positions Needed