Tag: volunteers
The Greening the Greenway initiative is growing
By James Albright The Greening the Greenway initiative is expanding its efforts to bring native plantings to Annandale. The project started last November with plantings in front of the ACCA Child Development Center on Columbia Pike. The organizers are now identifying new locations along Columbia Pike for a spring planting project. The goal of Greening … Continued
Volunteers ensure students have food for the weekend
For the past nine years, volunteers with a nonprofit organization called the 2Twenty Club have been assembling food packages for lower-income schoolchildren to take home for the weekend. The volunteers – including many children – meet on the first Sunday of every month at the Korean Community Center on Little River Turnpike in Annandale. The … Continued
Free tax filing help available starts next week
Volunteers with the AARP Foundation will provide free tax-filing help at the Mason District Government Center and James Lee Community Center beginning in February. The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers help taxpayers prepare and e-file federal tax returns, while helping them get the deductions and credits for which they qualify. Although the program has no set … Continued
A bar crawl in Annandale Dec. 20 will support a local nonprofit
The community is invited to a bar crawl on Saturday, Dec. 20, at four locations in Annandale. The event is a fundraiser for Me & You, a nonprofit organization that supports projects at nine schools in the metropolitan D.C. area, including Braddock Elementary School in Annandale. The Home for the Holidays Bar Crawl features four … Continued
Gary Clause to bring holiday gifts to local kids
The Bailey’s Crossroads Rotary Club is helping to ensure local children will have a happy holiday. The club contributed $2,000 to the Mason Police District’s toy shopping spree Dec. 6 at Target to support the annual Gary Clause events. The funds come from the Rotary club’s Mustang sweepstakes. Gary Clause started nearly 20 years ago … Continued
Scouts collect food for local pantries
Thanks to the generosity of community residents, Scout Troop 150 and Pack 150 of Annandale collected 9,049 pounds of food in November during the Scouting for Food drive. That’s the largest haul in the past five years and more than 3,000 more pounds than they collected last year. The Scouts and Webelos distributed the food … Continued
New native garden graces Columbia Pike
Volunteers spent hours this past weekend creating a native plant garden on Columbia Pike in front of the ACCA Child Development Center. The garden is the first project in the “Greening the Greenway” pilot program, which is aimed at enhancing the Annandale Greenway, a five-mile trail between Annandale Community Park and Green Spring Gardens. On … Continued
Help a family get through the holidays
With Thanksgiving and the December holidays around the corner, this is the season to turn one’s attention toward helping others. Here are just a few of the many ways to help families in need ensure a happy holiday for their children: Community members are invited to donate new, unwrapped toys, pajamas, and slippers for babies, … Continued
Trash from Americana Drive cleanup not collected
Nearly 60 volunteers spent hours on Veterans Day last Tuesday picking up trash along Americana Road in Annandale. Five days later, piles of bright orange trash bags are still there. Some of the bags have opened, with trash spilling out. Amy Gould, one of the organizers of the periodic cleanups along with Philip Latasa of … Continued
Giant helps the Annandale Mission Center feed families in need
Volunteers at the Annandale Mission Center on Heritage Drive presented a plaque to the Annandale Giant earlier this month in appreciation of the grocery store’s food donations. The store donated more than 91,600 pounds of food to the Mission Center in the past 12 months, reports Dana Goward, chair of the center’s board of directors. … Continued
Greening the Greenway: Native plant pilot combats the heat island effect
By James Albright A new initiative to incorporate native plantings in downtown Annandale kicks off this fall with a pilot patch along Columbia Pike. The “Greening the Greenway” pilot is named for the still-developing Annandale Greenway community trail. The central part of the Greenway travels through the urban core of Annandale along Columbia Pike. The … Continued
Residents invited to adopt a fire hydrant
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department invites members of the public to adopt a fire hydrant. Those who adopt a hydrant will be responsible for clearing snow and ice after storms and removing grass, leaves, and trash to ensure it is visible and accessible. “This initiative is designed to enhance community safety and ensure that … Continued
Learn about volunteer opportunities at a resource fair
Empty nesters, retirees, and young people often say they want to volunteer, but don’t know how to get started. The Venture into Volunteering Fair, this Sunday, Oct. 5, 12-4 p.m., at Springfield Town Center, will feature representatives from 41 agencies and nonprofits eager to talk about volunteer opportunities. There are openings for people of all … Continued
Recycle old eyeglasses at the Taste of Annandale
Bring your old, unneeded eyeglasses to the Taste of Annandale. The Bailey’s Crossroads Host Lions Club will be on hand to collect them for its Eyeglass Recycling Center. Members of the Lions Club wash and repair discarded eyeglasses, use a machine to read the prescription strength, label them, and pack them in boxes, says Pam Martinov, and … Continued
FACETS hosts Family Day at Annandale Community Park
FACETS, the nonprofit organization that operates the Opportunity Neighborhoods initiative for Annandale, hosted a Family Day at Annandale Community Park on Sept. 13. Kids and their parents learned about frogs and toads at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center. They painted sunflowers and made greeting cards and paper hats at the Packard Center with volunteers from … Continued