Mason District residents honored by Volunteer Fairfax

Longtime ACCA volunteer Mary Lee Dispirito and James Albright and the Annandale Greenway Team are among the 49 nominees, 11 winners, and 10 Community Champions recognized at an awards ceremony hosted by Volunteer Fairfax April 20.

Dispirito, the recipient of Volunteer Fairfax’s Lifetime Achievement Award, has devoted countless hours over the past 35 years – including 1,500 this year alone – to the Annandale Christian Community for Action.

ACCA, a coalition of churches, provides rental assistance, daycare, food, furniture, and other services to low-income families in the Annandale and Bailey’s Crossroads area.

Dispirito oversees ACCA’s fundraising campaign, co-chairs the furniture repair and distribution program, collects winter coats for the homeless, and for the past 15 years, has supervised the monthly hot meals program for the homeless at the Bailey’s Crossroads shelter.

Related story: Celebrate Earth Day on the Greenway

James Albright and the Annandale Greenway Team were recognized as Mason District’s Community Champions.
The four-mile Greenway, a series of existing park trails and public walkways, connects many neighborhoods in Annandale between Green Spring Gardens and Annandale Community Park.

Albright, the Mason District representative of the Fairfax County Trails, Sidewalks, and Bikeways Committee, came up with the idea for the Greenway.

The Greenway Team has conducted trail cleanups and hikes to gain official recognition and support from the public. As a result, the Annandale Greenway has been added to Fairfax County’s Active Transportation Plan for future funding.

Community residents are invited to an Earth Day on the Greenway celebration this Saturday, noon-4 p.m. at the Annandale Civic Space, 7200 Columbia Pike.

“The Annandale Greenway Team, created by Jim Albright, and assisted by Holly Hazard and Nancy Hall, has opened hearts and minds to the delights of the natural and built environment all around us,” said Mason Supervisor Penny Gross. “By connecting existing sidewalk and trail segments, the team has connected neighbors, families, and friends to shared values – community and appreciation for the outdoors.”

See the full list of Volunteer Fairfax honorees here.