Neighborhood Notes - Foxhall: 17 January 2001

Last week it emerged that a Russell T. Gould was found frozen to death in an unheated Foxhall Village garage. Last week also saw the amazing funeral of Marjorie Gould ("Peggy") Lincoln, a stalwart at Grace Episcopal Church who died peacefully in bed after her weekly volunteer day at the Georgetown Ministry Center based in the Grace Church building. We do not know if they're related, for it appears Russell wasn't well known to homeless advocacy services.

He simply didn't have to die from hypothermia. United Planning Organization run a 24-hour shelter hotline number 800-535-7252. They will provide emergency transportation to shelters: in this local area virtually every house of worship takes turn during the winter, to provide a week of overnight shelter, with a simple hot dinner cooked by volunteers and cots with clean sheets.

The services offered by GMC will be expanding in the next year. Thanks to accumulated funds dedicated to improving their facilities, they will move out of current cramped office space that lacks privacy for counseling. Their new spaces at Grace will involve renovation of a basement, an unused under-sized alley garage and an old boiler room. Their new area will include a shower, washer and dryer, so that homeless can clean up and retain their dignity.

Peggy Lincoln almost single-handedly rescued Grace Church from closing down in the 1970's when regular attendees dwindled to a handful, and she or Rose Mitchell had to take home the communion silver so it would not be stolen! Today Grace Church still survives, able to host GMC as an outreach while having a small but energetic congregation. For more info. on GMC's services to homeless people, call them at 338-8301 or visit them at 1041 Wisconsin Ave.

© Bob Andrew, Foxhall