Tag: volunteers
Annandale Toastmasters Club builds speaking skills – and cleans up the community
Members of the Annandale Toastmasters’ cleanup crew. If Little River Turnpike looks a little cleaner, it’s thanks to the Annandale Toastmasters Club. Since the group adopted a section of the roadway in Lincolnia in 2019, members have collected many bags of litter during cleanup events, most recently on Nov. 7.
Once again, volunteers clear trash and construction debris from Americana Drive
Trash bags line Americana Drive after the cleanup. [Amy Gould] About 30 people spent Veterans Day picking up trash along Americana Drive in Annandale. The volunteers – including many residents of the Vistas of Annandale – filled 95 large trash bags and also collected construction debris and other large items, including an entire engine block.
Terry Lavoie honored for volunteer work
SOAR! President Sister Kathleen Lunsmann (left) presents an award to Terry O’Hara Lavoie. Terry O’Hara Lavoie, co-founder of the Culmore Clinic, received an award from SOAR! (Support Our Aging Religious) at the group’s annual awards gala Nov. 5. The nonprofit Culmore Clinic provides healthcare to uninsured adults in the Bailey’s Crossroads area.
To meet local climate goals, we need a national price on carbon
The authors (left and third from left) and other Citizens’ Climate Lobby volunteers meet with Rep. Gerry Connolly (right) in 2018. By Sarah Karush and George Kralovec Fairfax County recently developed a blueprint to cut local greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Now there are signs that Congress is … Continued
Haven of Northern Virginia reopens for in-person grief counseling
Haven is based in a former farmhouse that is more than 100 years old. Haven of Northern Virginia, a nonprofit based in Annandale that helps people deal with grief, has reopened for in-person counseling. Haven offers emotional support to the bereaved and their families and friends through one-on-one counseling and support groups led by well-trained … Continued
Boy Scout Troop 150 could lose its charter with Annandale United Methodist Church
Troop 150 takes part in a Memorial Day ceremony in front of Annandale United Methodist Church. [AUMC] The following piece is a lightly edited version of an article published in Braddock Buzz. By Austin Wright Boy Scout Troop 150, based at Annandale United Methodist Church, is at risk of losing its charter with AUMC over a … Continued
Families invited to ‘Costumes for Kids’ volunteer festival
Kids make cards for first responders at a Kids Give Back event. Kids Give Back, a nonprofit that encourages elementary-age students to carry out community service projects, invites families to take part in the “Costumes for Kids” fall volunteer festival. The event is Saturday, Oct. 16, noon-3 p.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 8922 Little River … Continued
Church collects supplies for Haiti
In response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Haiti, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Lincolnia is collecting much-needed supplies. Community members can drop off items on Saturday, Oct. 16, 10 a.m.-noon, at the church parking lot at 6477 Lincolnia Road. Donations can also be dropped off at the church on weekdays, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Bill Lecos and Nancy Joyner are Mason District’s Lord and Lady Fairfax
The 2021 Lords and Ladies Fairfax with the Board of Supervisors. [Fairfax County Government] Bill Lecos and Nancy Joyner have been honored as the 2021 Lord and Lady Fairfax for Mason District. The two were selected by Mason Supervisor Penny Gross. Every year, since 1984, each member of the Board of Supervisors selects two residents … Continued
Park Foundation honors Valis family for contribution to Pinecrest Golf Center
Angela and Wayne Valis (on the right) with other family members at the unveiling of the TrackMan 4 Golf Simulator at the Pinecrest Golf Center. The Fairfax County Park Foundation has named the Valis family of Bailey’s Crossroads as one of three winners of this year’s Eakin Philanthropy Awards. Wayne and Angela Valis are being … Continued
Afghan refugees face big challenges; volunteers help them adjust to life in the U.S.
Volunteers help children with art projects at the Homework Club. Newly arrived refugees from Afghanistan often have to build a new life starting from scratch. “We left everything behind,” says N, who fled Kabul with his family last month as the Taliban took over the country. [We’re using initials rather than names to protect refugees’ … Continued
Local churches stepping up aid for Afghan refugees
Volunteers work with children in the Homework Club. Church members who’ve been aiding refugees from Afghanistan for years are stepping up their support as many more Afghanis fleeing the Taliban are expected to settle in Northern Virginia. A group of churches that are members of the Annandale Christian Community for Action (ACCA) formed a Homework … Continued
‘Stuff the Bus’ will be in Annandale Sept. 11
“Stuff the Bus,” the Fairfax County program for collecting donations for food pantries, will be back in Mason District Saturday, Sept. 11, in observance of the National Day of Service. Residents are encouraged to bring food donations to a bus 10 a.m.-3 p.m. parked at George Mason Regional Library (7001 Little River Turnpike) or Belvedere … Continued
Here’s how to help Afghan refugees
Afghan refugees arrive at Dulles International Airport. [Washington Post] As hundreds of refugees from Afghanistan pour into Dulles Airport, local aid organizations are providing basic supplies and accepting donations from the public. Those able to catch a U.S. military flight as the Taliban took over their country left with little more than the clothes on … Continued
Community members donate supplies for Afghan refugees
Local residents bring donations for Afghan refugees at NOVA. Community members came out in force Aug. 21 to help Afghan refugees sheltered at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale. The refugees were among the few able to catch a flight out of Kabul as the Taliban took over the country.