Join Volunteers for Change, a volunteer program for adults, featuring a flexible calendar of weekend and weekday evening projects to fit your schedule. The only commitment necessary is to a one-time orientation at Volunteer Fairfax’s office in central Fairfax.
Upcoming orientations will be held Sunday, Feb. 29 from 2-3 p.m. and Wednesday, March 3 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. After orientation, volunteers can choose from any of the 40+ monthly community service projects throughout Northern Virginia. Projects include planting trees, bagging food for homeless families, tutoring adult ESL students, playing bingo with the disabled, special community wide events throughout the year, and more. To register for the next orientation, contact Emily Swenson at 703-246-3460 or eswenson@volunteerfairfax.org. Visit the website at
www.volunteerfairfax.org for more information.
Volunteer opportunities currently exist for Information Desk Volunteers and Mobile Guides at Washington Dulles International Airport. A Travelers Aid Volunteer must have a "friendly, helpful manner and enjoy interacting with people from all over the world." Volunteers are asked to make a commitment to work one 3-4 hour shift per week. Early morning, mid-morning, afternoon and evening shifts are available seven days a week. There is a great need for volunteers who can work early morning, evening or weekend shifts. Experience in airline/airport operations, customer service work or knowledge of a foreign language are a plus but not necessary.
Travelers Aid provides training, themed attire and courtesy parking. Training is ongoing. For more information regarding the program and upcoming training opportunities, contact 703-572-7350 or email Volunteer@mwaa.com.
The Northern Virginia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is seeking volunteers for nursing homes or assisted living facilities in their communities and weekly visits. Listening, observing and mediating, the ombudsman works with the residents, their families and the facility staff to ensure that resident's rights are protected and they are being adequately helped. Applicants must successfully complete training and must be available to volunteer four hours per week during regular business hours. Anyone interested who is not employed by a long-term care facility and can commit one year to working as an Ombudsman can call 703-324-5435. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ombudsman.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training is recruiting volunteers to train for marathons and races to honor local cancer patients. For more information call 703-960-1100 or visit www.teamintraining.org.
Inova VNA Home Health needs volunteers to visit homebound patients. Volunteers spend one to two hours a week talking to the patients, running errands and doing odd jobs. Visits are made during the day, evening or on weekends. Training is provided. Call 703-642-9041.
The Northern Virginia Family Service is looking for foster families for abused and neglected children. African-American families are particularly needed. Training, support and financial compensation will be provided for both full-time and short-term programs. For more information, call 703-533-9727 or visit smcallister@nvfs.org.
The Naomi Project needs volunteers to serve as mentors for high risk pregnant women. The women are referred from the Fairfax Hospital, Health Department, Human Services and private physicians. Volunteers give about one hour per week, determine by the client's needs and volunteer's availability. There is a special need for Spanish-speaking volunteers. Call 703-860-2633 or visit www.naomiproject.homestead.com.
Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is offering an optional informational session for anyone interested in learning how to help abused and neglected children in the Fairfax County court system. CASA is accepting applications and interviewing potential volunteers for the spring training session set for March 2 at 4103 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 200, Fairfax. Bilingual volunteers especially needed. Call 703-273-3526. Visit www.casafairfax.org.
The Children's Friendship Project for Northern Ireland (CFPNI) is seeking local families to help further the peace and reconciliation effort. Consider hosting a pair of Protestant and Roman Catholic teens (boys or girls ages 15 to 18) for four weeks this summer. To be eligible, families must provide a safe, neutral setting for the teens to get to know one another, a single bedroom for them to share, and day-long supervision. Applications to host must be submitted by March 2004. For more information or to obtain a host family application, contact Jenny Mullen at 703-450-4479 or nvacoordinator@cfpni.org.
The Advisory Board of the Northwest Center for Mental Health in Fairfax County is looking for volunteers. The non-profit board meets monthly on first Wednesday evenings. Applications are accepted on a continuing basis. For more information, call Cleveland Williams at 703-435-0868 or email sue.boucher@fairfaxcounty.gov.
The Volunteer Learning Program is looking for volunteer tutors to work one-on-one with adult learners who are working on the GED, high school diploma, or attempting to improve reading, writing or math skills. Tutors are needed for both day and evening tutoring one-on-one if the public libraries or in small classroom settings. A training session is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 21, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Fairfax City. Fairfax County Public Schools, the Fairfax County Juvenile Court, and the Fairfax County Public Library System sponsor the Volunteer Learning Program. To register for the workshop or for more information, call the Volunteer Learning Program at 703-246-2139 or write to us at VLP@fcps.edu.