<i>Send announcements to the Reston Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, send an e-mail to reston@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is Thursday 5 p.m. for the following week's paper. Photos/artwork encouraged. Call Meghan Williams at 703-917-6437 with questions. This free listing is reserved for activities and events that are open to the public at no or minimal cost.</i>
Volunteer Tutors Needed: Volunteers are needed for day and evening hours to work one-to-one with adult learners in public libraries or adult learning centers. Additional opportunities are available working with adolescents in alternative school settings. The Volunteer Learning Program trains tutors, assesses learners and provides materials with follow-up support. VLP is a joint community project of the Fairfax County Public Schools (Adult & Community Education), Fairfax County's Juvenile Court and the Fairfax County Public Library. Call 703-246-2139 or e-mail VLP@fcps.edu.
Reston Museum is offering a free training program for anyone interested in volunteering as a museum docent. Training classes will be held on the third Thursday in November, 7-9 p.m., at the Reston Museum, 1639 Washington Plaza at Lake Anne Village Center. Advance registration is required. Call 703-709-7700.
Fairfax County's Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers. Meals on Wheels needs drivers to deliver meals to house-bound elderly in areas including Herndon and Reston. Both regular and substitute drivers are being sought. Drivers can volunteer on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis. Meals are picked up from a designated site in the community between 10:30-11 a.m. It takes about two hours to complete a delivery route. To volunteer, call the Meals on Wheels Volunteer Intake Hotline at 703-324-5406, TTY 703-449-1186, or send an e-mail to beverly.mullis@fairfaxcounty.gov. For reasonable ADA accommodations, contact Pam Graff at 703-324-5410, TTY 703-449-1186. Additional information and volunteer job descriptions can be found online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/service/aaa.
The Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry is looking for adults interested in mentoring a child through the agency's PALS Mentoring Program. Volunteers make a one-year commitment to a child and visit with their "Pal" twice a month. PALS mentors are needed throughout Northern Virginia for minority children ranging in age from 6 to 15 years old. Training and ongoing support is provided by NOVAM, and an agency funded background check is required. Contact Briana Jordan at 703-746-0440, Ext. 15.
World Heritage is a non-profit organization seeking families, couples or single parents who are interested in hosting a high-school-aged foreign-exchange student. Call Judith at 800-888-9040 or visit www.world-heritage.org.
Odyssey Healthcare, a hospice provider, is seeking volunteers in the Northern Virginia community to visit and/or assist terminally ill patients and their families for one to two hours per week. Training will be provided. Call Karen Baroody at 703-821-9200 or e-mail kabaroody@odsyhealth.com.
The Bargain Loft is a local thrift store located at 336 Victory Drive in Herndon. It is run by an all volunteer staff, and is clean and air conditioned. All the money made by the Bargain Loft goes to help Herndon/Reston FISH, which helps people with emergency needs such as money for rent, utilities or medicines.
Bargain Loft is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. There are two shifts, mornings from 10 a.m.-noon and afternoons from noon-2 p.m. The Loft particularly needs people on Saturdays and can always use teenagers who want to acquire some Community Service time. Call Mr. Stringer at 703-437 0600.
Volunteers needed at the Herndon Adult Day Health Care Center. The center is looking for individuals to run the following programs: bingo, ceramics, any musical programs/sing-alongs, horticulture programs and individuals interested in helping with community trips. Process involves an interview, filling out paperwork, criminal background check, TB screening and orientation. Contact Kelly Fowler at 703-435-8729.
People who are looking for an opportunity to help folks directly and can stay by their home phones for just one day a month can become a Family Assistance volunteer, providing "Friendly Instant Sympathetic Help" to your neighbors in need. Last year FISH helped 931 families and individuals with financial assistance totaling more than $120,000. FISH also needs drivers to take elderly and disabled persons to local doctor appointments and to help pick up furniture donations, Call 703-437-0600.
Volunteers are needed weekdays, 10 a.m.-noon, to guide individuals and families through four rooms of the Kidwell Farmhouse at Frying Pan Park in Herndon. Training is provided. Preferred commitment is at least two shifts per month. Kidwell Farm, located at Frying Pan Park and operated by the Fairfax County Park Authority, recreates the era from 1920 to 1950 when family dairy farms blanketed the local landscape. Call Sherry Bizette at 703-437-5318 or apply online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks.
Travelers Aid is seeking volunteers to serve as mobile guides and information desk staff at Washington Dulles International Airport. Volunteers provide access to agency social workers, airport information, directional services, transportation options, tourist information and more. Trained to be information experts, our volunteers welcome people to the Washington capital region and add a personal touch. We have a need for weekday evening, 6-9 p.m., information desk volunteers. Mobile guide scheduling is flexible. Contact Travelers Aid at 703-572-7350 or volunteer@mwaa.com.
The Reston-Herndon American Association of University Women's tutoring/mentoring program at Forest Edge Elementary School in Reston needs volunteers to spend an hour on Tuesdays, from 3:15-4:15 p.m., working with academically at-risk young girls, supporting them with friendship, homework help and some fun. The program also needs substitutes and donations of games or books. Call Elisabeth Pugh at 703-759-4494 or e-mail Metrigero@aol.com. Visit the Web site www.aauwofva.org/branches/reston.htm.
The Fairfax County Health Department is launching a major volunteer recruitment drive to staff the Fairfax Medical Reserve Corps, a program of the Fairfax County Citizen Corps. More than 13,000 medical and nonmedical volunteers are needed to respond to a full-scale public-health emergency in Fairfax County. In the event of a bioterrorism attack or a naturally occurring epidemic, MRC volunteers would be called upon to staff vaccination or medication dispensing sites. In a worst case scenario, this could mean providing for all residents in Fairfax County — more than 1 million people — in three to five days. To accomplish this, 96 teams, comprising 142 people per team, would staff dispensing sites at all county public-high schools and George Mason University. In addition, a large number of non-medical volunteers are needed to provide general support, such as assisting patients with forms and performing data entry and other administrative tasks. Contact Foster at 703-246-2485, TTY 703-591-6435, or by e-mail at donna.foster@fairfaxcounty.gov or visit www.fairfaxcountycitizencorps.org.
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. Call 703-324-5435. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ombudsman.
The Greater Reston Arts Center is calling for volunteers to assist in its nonprofit arts space in Reston Town Center. Volunteers are needed in many capacities, some of which require specific job skills while others do not. All volunteer help is invaluable to the operation of GRACE.
* Immediate help is needed with the final processing of artist applications and slides for the 2005 Northern Virginia Fine Arts.
* Reception area: Answer phones, sales and customer service. Friendly, outgoing personality and organizational skills helpful.
* General office duties: Filing, copying, mail sorting. No experience necessary.
* Mailings: Addressing, stuffing and stamping. No experience necessary.
* Data entry: Familiarity with Microsoft word and Excel helpful. Good typing skills and attention to detail a must.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training is recruiting volunteers to train for marathons and races to honor local cancer patients. Call 703-960-1100 or visit www.teamintraining.org.
Volunteer Emergency Families For Children needs volunteers willing to open their homes and provide short-term — one to 21 days— emergency shelter to local children who are victims of abuse, neglect, etc. Volunteers can choose the age, gender and length of stay for each placement. Most requests in this area are for three- to five-day stays. Call 800-756-6167 or e-mail MMiller@VEFC.org for details.
The Center for Multicultural Human Services is seeking CHAMPS mentors to provide children of prisoners in Northern Virginia with friendship, recreational activities and constructive example. Contact Ellen Klene at 703-533-3302, Ext. 107 or eklene@cmhs.org.
Fairfax County General Court Services is seeking volunteers and interns to assist in the Fairfax County General District Court performing administrative tasks. All applicants must be at least 18 years of age and successfully pass a criminal background investigation. Call Lorraine Lottahall at 703-246-4760 or e-mail lorraine.lottahall@fairfaxcounty.
Volunteer tutors are needed for day and evening hours to work one-to-one with adult learners in public libraries or adult learning centers. Additional opportunities are available working with adolescents in alternative school settings. The Volunteer Learning Program trains tutors, assesses learners, and provides materials with follow-up support. VLP is a joint community project of the Fairfax County Public Schools Adult and Community Education, Fairfax County's Juvenile Court, and the Fairfax County Public Library. Call 703-246-2139 or e-mail VLP@fcps.edu.
Fairfax County Police are seeking volunteers who are interested in becoming auxiliary police officers. APOs are trained to perform a variety of operational support and administrative duties, which include patrol, traffic control, security of prisoners, communications, desk assignments, fingerprinting, crime prevention and special events. Auxiliary officers undergo almost as much training as regular police officers, but because they offer their services on a volunteer basis, they provide a considerable savings to county taxpayers while relieving patrol officers to handle assignments that only they can perform. The police department provides uniforms, equipment and insurance. Auxiliary officers must perform an average of 24 hours of volunteer service a month to maintain their status in the unit.
To be considered applicants must live in Northern Virginia and be at least 21 years of age. Applicants must be in good health and without a criminal record or history of drug use, and not be an applicant for police officer in any jurisdiction. Contact the auxiliary coordinator at 703-280-0576.
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. Call Cleveland Williams at 703-435-0868 or e-mail sue.boucher@fairfaxcounty.gov.
The Fairfax County Public Library seeks volunteers to assist staff in its Public Information Office a minimum of two hours per week. Candidates must read English well, be detail-oriented and able to work at the Fairfax County Government Center near Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax. Familiarity with local newspapers a plus. Contact Linda Gifford at 703-324-8324 or Linda.Gifford@fairfaxcounty.gov.