Tag: volunteers
Public urged to ‘Stuff the Bus’ with food for the needy
The 2011 Stuff the Bus campaign [photo from the Office of Public Private Partnerships] The Stuff the Bus food drive, aimed at helping restock local food pantries for the needy, will be in our area this Saturday. The initiative is managed the Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services department and the Office of Public Private … Continued
Lake Barcroft explores aging-in-place network
Who wouldn’t want to retire in a place like Lake Barcroft? As people age and find it more difficult to take care of themselves and their homes, they usually have to rely on family and friends, hire a caretaker, move to a retirement community, or, eventually, into an assisted living facility. Residents of Lake Barcroft … Continued
Illegal dumping is a huge problem in Annandale parks
Trash found in the woods near Medford Drive, Annandale By Elizabeth Kirchner A drippy stack of soiled mattresses, spackle buckets brimming with larvae, dented metal drums seeping something you can smell. A mound of rotting baby clothes. This is what you’ll find in the maple and oak forests along Accotink Creek. This stream valley is … Continued
AARP volunteers provide free tax assistance
AARP volunteers are providing free walk-in assistance with federal and state taxes at the Mason District Government Center beginning today and continuing through April 17, this year’s deadline for federal tax returns. The AARP volunteers will be available Mondays and Thursdays,1-8 p.m.; Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; and Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The … Continued
Annandale volunteer named Washingtonian of the Year
Washingtonian magazine has named Annandale resident Hecda Cuadros as one of eight “Washingtonians of the Year.” The magazine singled out Cuadros for her volunteer efforts for Food for Others, Northern Virginia’s largest distributor of food to the needy, and her work to represent the interests of abused and neglected children in court as a Fairfax … Continued
Students at Phillips School bring holiday cheer to those in need
During the month of December, students at Annandale’s Phillips Program for Children and Families participated in several activities to support the community and bring holiday cheer to those in need. Students assembled 50 stockings, filled with toiletries and treats, for the Operation Santa program. The stockings were mailed to Marines serving overseas in Unit 73915. … Continued
Volunteers wrap gifts for the elderly
Annandale area volunteers are brightening up the holidays for the elderly, who can sometimes feel especially isolated and lonely this time of year. More than 110 people attended a huge gift-wrapping party at the Annandale fire station’s Ossian Hall Dec. 13 as part of the sixth annual Be a Santa to a Senior program organized … Continued
‘Santa’s Ride’ brings toys to children at Fairfax Hospital
The 2010 Santa’s Ride The Fairfax County Police Motor Squad is heading up the 2011 Santa’s Ride for Children, an annual toy drive for kids at Fairfax Hospital and for those who might not have a cheerful holiday season without your help. Members of the public are encouraged to donate new, unwrapped toys, games, and … Continued
Attorneys with Just Neighbors help immigrants resolve legal problems
When local immigrants need legal help, Just Neighbors provides a lifeline. The nonprofit organization based in Bailey’s Crossroads was established 15 years ago “in response to the lack of immigrant legal services for the community,” says Executive Director Rob Rutland-Brown. Just Neighbors helps people apply for green cards and other documents they need to stay … Continued
Church members raise produce for the poor at Annandale’s Pine Ridge Park
Volunteers working at the Bo White Gardens Lots of people take advantage of Fairfax County’s community gardens program to grow vegetables for their families. A group of dedicated volunteers from Columbia Baptist Church has taken the concept to another level. They are using a garden plot at Pine Ridge Park in Annandale—along with other gardens—to … Continued
Volunteers clean-up Americana Drive
Sidewalk uncovered on Americana Drive Marsden Last Saturday, Sen. David Marsden, Fairfax County Supervisor John Cook, community members, volunteers from VDOT and Fluor-Transurban, and inmates supervised by the Sheriff’s office took part in a clean-up along Americana Drive in Annandale. Representatives from Dominion Power contributed to the effort earlier in the week. While the crews … Continued
Friends of Accotink Creek seeks new leadership
Sediment from the beltway HOT lanes project is clogging the Accotink watershed The Friends of Accotink Creek (FACC) has been keeping watch on Annandale’s major watershed since 2004, organizing clean-up and monitoring actitivies. The group also educates the public on watershed protection and takes part in environmental advocacy. But now that the founders of the group, … Continued
Local volunteers heading to Haiti on a medical mission
You might not be willing to give up your vacation time to help people in Haiti get needed medical care—as several local residents are doing—but you can support their efforts by contributing money and supplies. The team going on the Nov. 8-14 medical mission to Chantal, Haiti, includes 41 doctors, nurses, dentists, and other … Continued
New volunteer group formed to oversee Mason District Dog Park
The Mason District Dog Park has a new sponsor: A group of dog owners who use the park frequently formed a volunteer organization, the Annandale K9 Community, to take responsibility for working with county officials to maintain the park. The Mason District Dog Park, accessible from Little River Turnpike and Roberts Avenue, is one of seven fenced-in … Continued
Learn how to be an advocate for abused or neglected children
A new case of child abuse or neglect enters the FairfaxCounty Domestic and Juvenile Relations Court system once every 38 hours. These children need dedicated, caring advocates to help ensure that their best interests are represented in court. That’s where Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) enters the picture. CASA volunteers gather information for the … Continued