March Newsletter
Tree of Life Annual Report for 2025
2025 was an exciting year for Tree of Life – we continued to grow our footprint and our ministries, all while keeping Jesus Christ foremost as we served those in need in our community.
We were able to impact more than 34,000 in Loudoun County and beyond, thanks to the generous support of our donors, volunteers, sponsoring churches, and community partners. We hope you’ll take a moment to look at our annual report and read about the difference your generosity has made in the local community.
Thank you for your support!
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, a time to celebrate belonging, independence, and purpose for individuals with developmental disabilities. At Tree of Life, this commitment has been part of our mission for more than a decade. Through Still Waters, Work Heartily, SimplyBe Coffee, and supported housing, we work to ensure individuals with disabilities are known, valued, and meaningfully included in our community.
In 2025 alone, we hosted 192 free Still Waters events, provided inclusive work experience to 43 individuals through SimplyBe Coffee, helped 22 individuals find employment or volunteer roles in Loudoun County, and supported four residents in independent living. These numbers represent more than programs — they represent friendships, confidence, dignity, and opportunity.
Because belonging isn’t seasonal. It’s year-round.
You can make an impact:
VOLUNTEER with our Still Waters Ministry.
VISIT SimplyBe for your next coffee, meeting, or catering need.
HIRE INCLUSIVELY – let us know your business is open to interviewing individuals with disabilities!
Gathering our Volunteer Leaders
This year’s Tree of Life Leadership Conference, held annually for our staff and volunteer leaders, was our biggest yet.
So many of our dedicated volunteers joined us on Saturday morning at Leesburg Community Church for breakfast and conversation. Our Regional Directors each gave a ministry update for 2025 and shared the goals and vision for 2026. We also heard from our Executive Team about their department plans for the new year and heard impactful stories from the managers at our Gospel Enterprises – SimplyBe Coffee and The Clothing Closet.
Each regional volunteer team also had the opportunity to all sit down together and discuss how things are going in each of their ministry areas, what should be focused on for 2026, and share their ideas and needs.
Thank you to everyone who took time on their Saturday morning to join us and for giving your time regularly to help lead our ministries! We also want to thank LCC for once again graciously providing us with space for this event.
Day Break Chili Bowl
Our Day Break Ministry’s 4th Annual Chili Bowl was a fun and inspiring afternoon filled with delicious chili, friendly sports trivia, and great community fellowship. We were encouraged by powerful testimonies from local students involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Heritage High School, who shared how they’re making an impact for Christ through their schools and teams.
Congratulations to Lois Hartley, this year’s Chili Bowl Champion! Thank you to everyone who joined us, and to Purcellville Baptist Church for hosting us!
Make sure you join us for our next event:
Bingo and Banana Splits
Wednesday, March 11th
2-3:30pm
TOL Center
115 East Main Street
Purcellville, VA
Give Choose is March 24
Save the date for this community wide day of giving!
This year, Tree of Life is raising money for our FOOD BRANCH!
Your gift will help sustain pantry and meal operations, and cover the costs of food storage and deliveries. Together, we can continue to ensure that our neighbors have access to fresh, healthy food while offering dignity, consistency, and hope when it is needed most.
Early Giving starts March 10th… we’d love your support!
Pickleball Registration is OPEN!
Our Pickleball Tournament Fundraiser is April 18th! Open to all skill levels, this event is a fun way to compete, connect, and support the work of our ministry.
All proceeds benefit Tree of Life Ministries, and sponsorship opportunities are available—a great way for local businesses to get involved and give back.
Registration and sponsorship info is at the link here.
Volunteer Highlight
During Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, we wanted to highlight one of our amazing volunteers from this community… meet Stacy!
Stacy started helping at our Western Loudoun Pantry and the Clothing Closet in Purcellville last fall. She shows up for her volunteer shifts happy and ready to serve.
At the food pantry, she works diligently to date our incoming food donations and help keep the pantry clean.
When she volunteers at the Clothing Closet, she helps sort donations, tag and fold clothing, and does an fantastic job checking the racks to make sure everything is tagged correctly and in the right spot.
Her attention to detail is amazing and greatly appreciated by our managers. We are so grateful to have her be a part of our team and utilize her strengths to serve the community.
Thank you, Stacy!!
Donor Spotlight
Our Donor Spotlight this month continues our focus on the Developmental Disabilities community. View of Heaven Farm is an incredibly meaningful partner of Tree of Life and is dedicated to providing employment to individuals with disabilities.
Through their generous in-kind donations of fresh produce and faithful financial support (including sponsoring our Annual Golf Tournament) they play an important role in helping us serve our community.
Beyond their generosity, their family is a treasured part of our Still Waters Ministry, faithfully supporting and encouraging individuals with disabilities through their involvement and passionate advocacy. We are incredibly grateful for their partnership and for the many ways they invest in the mission of Tree of Life.
If you’d like to support View of Heaven Farm, you can find them selling their delicious, fresh-picked produce at our Tree of Life Center in Purcellville on Saturday mornings during growing season!
STILL WATERS WINTER/SPRING EVENTS
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month is the perfect time to check out our awesome social programs for individuals with disabilities! We have so many great opportunities coming up, we hope you’ll join us.
Here are a few highlights for March:
• Bible Study at Hamilton Baptist Church (3/6)
• Games & Movie Night (3/20)
Want to make an impact? Get involved and VOLUNTEER with this amazing ministry! Click here for our volunteer interest form.
View our Still Waters Page here.
Save the Dates!
Weekly Day Break Bible Study
Thursdays, 11am, Blue Ridge Bible Church
Storytime at SimplyBe
First Wednesday of Every Month, 10am
Coffee with a Cop @ SimplyBe
Wednesday, March 11, 9am, Leesburg
Volunteer Introduction Program:
Monthly – Click HERE for dates and registration.
WHAT’S LUCK GOT TO DO WITH IT?
March has a way of turning our attention toward luck. Shamrocks show up in store windows. People talk about being “lucky” when something good happens. We may even catch ourselves saying, “I was just lucky,” when a door opens at exactly the right time.
But as followers of Christ, we know something deeper. It’s not about luck.
Romans 15:13 states, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
This verse reminds us that our relationship with God is rooted in trusting and believing Him.
When we trust and believe in God, He fills us with joy and peace. Joy and peace are fruits from the Holy Spirit, and by His power we may abound in hope.
In this life, we need hope. Hope reminds us that Jesus is watching over us, providing at just the right moment, encouraging us on the hardest days, and strengthening us when we are empty and depleted.
At Tree of Life, we see the power of hope daily, when a volunteer shows up “just in time,” or when a donation arrives “when needed most.” From the outside, it may look like fortunate timing, but for those who walk closely with the Lord, we recognize His fingerprints in times like those.
When we know it’s not about luck, everything changes. We pray with expectation. We serve with confidence. We wait with hope-filled anticipation. We thank God for all that He has done and all that He is about to do.
And when our hearts are filled with hope, we give thanks to God for His timing. And that is far better than luck; it is the faithfulness of God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
May you be blessed,
Chaplain Wayne Ruckman
