ALEXANDRIA, Va. - AussieJournal -- Alfred Street Baptist Church (ASBC) has donated $1,079, 287 under their Tithe-the-Tithe Initiative to 69 community-based and national organizations to support COVID-19 relief and other needs.

On Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020, ASBC's pastor, Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, announced in his sermon that 10% of all tithes raised will be donated to the community. "I believe that the black church has the opportunity and the obligation to reach into segments of our community that are always overlooked by government," he said. "We're taking 10 percent of everything that is raised every week and donating it to organizations that are on the front lines fighting and dealing with the coronavirus."

The historic Alfred Street Baptist Church, located in Alexandria, Virginia (outside of the nation's capital) is one of the oldest and largest African American congregations in the United States. "A few years ago we were blessed to be able to donate $1 Million to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. That's why I'm so grateful to God that Alfred Street Baptist Church can continue to be a blessing to so many people in the community throughout our nation during this pandemic." continued, Pastor Wesley.

Key partners in the initiative include Microsoft and Apple, both of which have provided technology to support distance learning for underserved children.

Among the organizations that received funding to support COVID-19 initiatives were Children's National Hospital ($50,000) for testing of children; Simon Elementary School ($130,000), in a partnership with Microsoft for Go Tablets for every student; Hopkins House Preschool Academy ($27,000) for daycare for essential workers; Unity Health Care ($25,000) for personal protective equipment (PPE), supplies and medicine; Polk Elementary School ($10,000) for iPads for special-needs children to aid distance learning; D.C. Rape Crisis Center ($20,000) for a new database system to help meet emerging and transition needs of providing tele-health services to survivors of sexual violence and emergency crisis support sessions to survivors of sexual violence; Bright Beginnings ($25,000) for supplies for remote learning; Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington ($4,000) for safe space for childcare for first responders and frontline workers; and Union Baptist Church, Hartford, CT ($15,000) for providing hot community breakfasts.

The Tithe-the-Tithe Initiative is helping other churches that have had to close their doors during the pandemic. "There are smaller churches that minister to people in real and relevant ways that don't have resources [that ASBC has], and during this season of not being able to worship, some of them may struggle financially. So one of the things that we're going to do is, take some of that 10% and identify a church and/or an organization every week and just give a donation to them. And this is because we are not competitors, we are brothers and sisters in the same work and we want to support everyone with no strings attached."

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The initiative has also funded organizations that support victims of domestic violence, citizens returning from incarceration, and youth in crisis.

If you would like to learn more about our Tithe the Tithe Initiative visit this webpage https://www.alfredstreet.org/tithe_the_tithe/ on our website.  Alfred Street Baptist Church is still seeking opportunities to fund organizations in need under the Tithe-the-Tithe Initiative. Requests for funding should be sent to deacons@alfredstreet.org.

The following is a partial list of recipients under the Tithe-the-Tithe Initiative as of September 21, 2020:

·       Children's National Hospital ($50,000), COVID-19 testing for children.

·       Simon Elementary School ($130,000), in partnership with Microsoft, Microsoft Go Tablets for every student (267).

·       Hopkins House Preschool Academy ($27,000), daycare for parents considered essential workers.

·       Unity Health Care ($25,000), medical supplies, including personal protective equipment, plus COVID-19 testing and medicine for clients, including people in shelters and DC Jail.

·       ALIVE! (Alexandrians Involved Ecumenically) $20,000, groceries for Alexandria community.

·       DC Central Kitchen ($10,000), groceries, meals to shelters, breakfast and lunch stations to families of students in the free and reduced lunch program.

·       Martha's Table ($7,500), groceries.

·       Salvation Army National Capital Area ($7,500), to Red Shield Box initiative, which provides groceries.

·       Polk Elementary School ($4,200), 10 iPads to children with special needs.

·       LaColectiVA ($7,500), groceries and rent support for 30-plus families in Herndon and Arlington that lost labor jobs.

·       Capital Area Food Bank ($7,500), toward feeding over 18,750 individuals

·       Fairfax County Domestic and Sexual Violence Services ($15,000), iPhone SIM cards, $25 gift cards.

·       DC Rape Crisis Center ($20,000), new database system, crisis support sessions, transportation assistance, additional staff to respond to increased hotline calls.

·       Community Crisis Services, Inc., Prince George's County, MD ($25,000), support for domestic violence and homeless shelters.

·       Alexandria City Domestic Violence Program ($20,000), rental and other living and medical expenses for affected families.

·       Bethany House of Northern VA ($20,000), housing, medical, and other assistance.

·       Union Baptist Church Hartford, CT ($15,000), assistance for food programs, stipends for volunteers.

·       Good Samaritan Missionary Baptist Church Houston, TX ($10,000), operating costs and community programs.

·       Epps Christian Center Pensacola, FL ($6,000), large refrigerator and food for community assistance.

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·       Antioch Missionary Baptist Church Emporia, VA ($5,000), to help fund community service programs.

·       Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington (BGCGW) ($4,000), safe space for childcare for first responders and frontline workers.

·       Collaborative Solutions for Communities (CSC) ($4,000), housing placements for homeless youth and young adults

·       Peaches and Sour Cream Children's Foundation (PSCF) ($4,000), to help defray costs for providing learning materials to keep students on track while schools are closed.

·       I Support the Girls (ISTG) (Chicago Chapter) ($5,000), for personal clothing and supplies for homeless women and other women in need.

·       Bright Beginnings ($25,000), supplies for distance learning for homeless children 5 and under.

·       Capital Youth Empowerment Program ($28,000), social and emotional development programs for black boys and young men ages 12 to 18.

·       Restoration Praise Ministries Re-Entry Program ($10,000), programs for economically disadvantaged youth and adults, especially those affected by an incarcerated loved one.

·       Friends of the Guest House ($10,000), support for women newly released from incarceration.

·       Opportunities, Alternatives & Resources (OAR) ($10,000), to assist those involved with the justice system and their families.

·       Thrive DC Re-Entry Program ($10,000), to aid individuals recently incarcerated and/or released from jail or prison.

·       Bridging the Gap ($10,000), to help programs for formerly incarcerated persons, veterans, at-risk youth, substance abusers and the homeless.

·       United Community Ministries ($10,000), to aid food-distribution efforts in Alexandria.

·       Bread for the City ($5,000) to help provide food, clothing, social, legal, advocacy, and medical services to DC residents.

·       Miriam's Kitchen ($5,000), to help provide food and shelter to individuals and families.

·       The Good News Community Kitchen ($5,000), for meal and other programs.

·       Fairfax Central Baptist Sunday School Union ($5,000), to help continue a scholarship program unable to raise funds this year due to the pandemic. Beneficiaries are high school seniors from member churches.

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About Alfred Street Baptist Church
Established in 1803, Alfred Street Baptist Church is home to the oldest and largest African American congregations in Alexandria, Va. With nearly 10,000 members, the church serves as a prominent religious, educational and cultural organization in the Northern Virginia community. Alfred Street Baptist Church currently offers four online services on YouTube, Saturdays, 6:00pm and Sundays at 8:00am, 10:00am and 2:00pm.  For more information, visit alfredstreet.org.