Supervisor John Cook (R-Braddock) brought his vast experience and expertise in community organizing to a larger stage Wednesday, Oct. 21, as he kicked off his Braddock District Community Engagement Initiative.

The initiative, unveiled to an audience of more than 100 at Lake Braddock Secondary School, aims to foster community involvement and volunteerism through a series of programs and events that will educate the public on how to become active in their neighborhoods.

“A lot of people want to help out, but they don’t know what they need to do,” Cook said. “We want people to go back into their communities [after taking part in these programs] and generate enthusiasm and unity.”

Cook invited several guest speakers to the event, including David Ellis, assistant to the county executive and members of the Braddock District Council. Each speaker emphasized the importance of communication and involvement within individual communities. If those two things are present in a neighborhood, Cook and the speakers said, quality of life will improve as negative elements like crime and blight will wane.

“We have so many ways to communicate now, with Blackberries, cell phones, blogs and social networking sites, but people are more disconnected than ever,” Ellis said. “We have to find ways to recreate a sense of community and tap into the strengths of its individuals.”

If the most effective way to improve the quality of life is to tap into the strengths of members of the community, then Cook is well-equipped to do so. Before becoming a district supervisor, Cook revitalized the Kings Park Civic Association during his time as its president, resulting in increased membership and an expanded volunteer base. For his efforts in the civic association, he was awarded as the 2008 “Community Champion” by Volunteer Fairfax. After his election to the Board of Supervisors, he kept the success of his programs in Kings Park in mind and soon began work on tailoring the program to be a district-wide initiative.

The initiative builds upon the Neighborhood College Program, which Cook helped bring to Kings Park as a pilot program while president of the civic association. Instead of simply having the college, however, the Braddock Leadership Institute will take place before the college, serving as a “graduate program” for those who have already completed the Neighborhood College.

The institute, slated for Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010 is for people on homeowner association, civic association or other community boards or for those considering community leadership. According to Cook, attendees will learn how to recruit volunteers, organize and structure community meetings and learn about the fiduciary responsibilities of organizational leadership. Then, the attendees will be invited to share their successes and failures with the group, so that neighborhoods can find out what others are doing.

The Neighborhood College Program will follow, with two sessions scheduled for February through March and April through May. This program is for people who are just starting to get involved and do not know where to begin. Attendees will hear from graduates of the program, meet local elected officials and learn how to communicate with their fellow neighbors more effectively. In both programs, Cook promised little government involvement, putting the success in the hands of the citizens.

“Government won’t come in and say this is what your community should look like,” Cook said. “We say, ‘Let’s get neighborhood leaders together to discover their strengths and weaknesses. We play the role of facilitator.”

AFTER HEARING from the speakers and a description of the two programs, attendees were given the chance to meet with representatives from organizations that offer volunteer opportunities, such as the Fairfax County Park Authority, the library system, Department of Community Services, Volunteer Fairfax and more. The attendees were then asked to vote for the organizations that piqued their interest by putting a sticker on a board next to the name of the organization they liked.

“I came out to learn more about what going on in the district,” said Rich Juchnewicz. “Good things come out of networking and volunteering, and it’s great to see people here from the 20-somethings to the octogenarians. It crosses all ages, and this initiative shows a lot of potential.”

Others echoed Juchnewicz’ sentiments, not only saying that they attended the meeting in order to get more information on how they can give back to their communities, but also that the turnout of the younger generations was encouraging. Tom Lint, a Burke resident, was one of the people responsible for involving the youth in the initiative, bringing his son and his son’s friend to the meeting.

“I was able to kill two birds with one stone tonight,” Lint said. “It was a chance for me to come and get information on volunteer opportunities, but it was a great chance to get them involved as well.”

It is that commitment that Cook is seeking from the community to make his initiative a success. He repeatedly stressed throughout the meeting that the only way for this program to work is if the community embraces it, and people of all ages, cultures and political persuasions participate.

“The key to all of this is your involvement and engagement,” Cook said. “It’s not just a process of helping out your community. You will grow so much as an individual for getting involved.”