Send announcements to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is Friday, two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, call Jennifer Lesinski at 703-917-6454.
This free listing is reserved for activities and events that are open to the public at no or minimal cost.
Loudoun County Master Gardener Volunteers invite the public to attend its monthly meeting Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m., at Endless Summer Harvest greenhouses, located at 36474 Osburn Road in Purcellville.
Speaker will be Ann Stewart, director of greenhouses and a member of the Master Gardener Volunteers. Visit Endless Summer Harvest Greenhouses' Web site, www.esharvest for directions or call the Loudoun Extension Office, 703-777-0373.
Volunteers are needed for the home-delivered meals program at the Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling. Can be on a regular basis or on a substitute on-call basis. Call Erik at 703-430-2397, Ext. 123.
The Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling, is looking for volunteers to care for the center's fish aquarium. Contact Margaret at 703-430-2397, Ext. 102.
The Loudoun Museum seeks a number of volunteers to assist guests as they visit the museum. Duties include greeting guests, providing basic tourist and heritage information, collecting admission fees and answering the telephone. Hours are flexible with both morning and afternoon shifts available. Training will be provided.
The Loudoun Museum is located at 16 Loudoun St., S.W. in Leesburg. Museum hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. on Sundays. E-mail bfriedmann@loudounmuseum.org or call 703-777-7427.
Operation Pinecone is a grassroots organization based in South Riding consisting of volunteers who compile gift and care packages for soldiers in Iraq, as well as wounded soldiers, families and loved ones at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The support group is growing but there is a need for support from the citizens. Some people in the group are also volunteering to do some sewing to alter garments to create "adaptive" clothing for wounded soldiers with this need. Anyone who would like to get involved either through volunteer work or through contributions, visit the Web site www.geocities.com/operation.pinecone, send an e-mail inquiry to operation.pinecone@yahoo.com or call Mary Hacker, 703-327-4919.
La Voz, conduit between the Hispanic/Latino and immigrant populations, government agencies and other groups in order to promote self-sufficiency, is in need of volunteers for a range of different activities such as grant writing, ESL instructors and child care for educational presentations. In addition, it is seeking a minimal amount of office space to initiate the Newcomer Welcome Center. La Voz is always in need of financial support. All donations are tax deductible. Contact La Voz of Loudoun at 703-777-1417.
The Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging (AAA) is seeking volunteers to assist them with the Virginia Volunteer Income Tax (VITA) program for the 2005 filing year. VITA is a national program that is sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service to aid seniors in filing their taxes.
The AAA will provide the tax training for free. An exam that is given by the IRS via computer will have to be passed before the volunteer to become a certified preparer. The VITA program will begin in February 2006 and run through the first week of April. In addition to tax preparers, there are many other positions that need to be filled including tax preparers, appointment schedulers, technology assistants, site coordinators and administrative assistants.
Seniors who volunteer may receive volunteer hours through the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and reimbursement for travel. AAA is also recruiting persons who can speak Spanish as tax preparers, appointment schedulers, administrative assistants and interpreters.
Call Lynette Jacob, VITA volunteer coordinator, Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging 703-777-0257.
The Western Loudoun Tour Committee is seeking planning and event volunteers for this year's Artist Studio Tour June 24-25. Contact Jeff Stern, 540-338-7973, or visit www.franklinparkartscenter.org.
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors is seeking volunteers to fill vacancies on the following county and regional advisory boards, commissions and committees.
* Cable and Open Video Systems Commission: Sterling District
* Commission on Women: Dulles and Sugarland Run districts
* Commuter Bus Advisory Board: Potomac and Sugarland Run districts
* Disability Services Board: At-large business representatives or representatives who have a disability or who have a family member with a disability
* Dulles Town Center Community Development Authority: At-large representative
* Equal Employment Opportunity Plan Committee: At-large representatives
* Historic District Review Committee: Two at-large representatives
* Industrial Development Authority: One at-large representative
* Library Board of Trustees: Broad Run District
* Open Space Advisory Committee: Sterling and Sugarland Run districts
* Road Viewers Board: At-large representatives
* Social Services Board: One at-large representative
* Transportation Safety Commission: Broad Run District
* Woods Road Special Exception Oversight Committee: At-large representatives
For information about specific vacancies, contact Cherie Giles in the Board of Supervisors' Office, 703-771-5034. Information about each board, committee and commission is available on the Loudoun County Government Web site at www.loudoun.gov/advisory.
The Aspect Foundation is looking for host families in the west Fairfax County and Loudoun County areas for the school year. Host families offer room, board and friendship and show the visiting students around. Students from South America and Asia are still available for placement. If you are interested in hosting an exchange student please call Kathleen or Robert Rawls at 703-433-0362.
Loudoun Volunteer Services (LVS) announces its volunteer-match Web site, a service of the Points of Light Foundation, corporately sponsored by Dominion Power. The Web site is aimed at both volunteers, who are seeking to find opportunities best suited for their particular interest or skill, and organizations seeking a way to publicly advertise their volunteer opportunities. To register for this free service, visit www.loudoun.gov/pio/volunteer.htm and click on "register your organization's volunteer opportunities," or to volunteer click on "looking for volunteer opportunities." Contact Lisa Rose at 703-777-0113.
The Loudoun County MADD Chapter is seeking additional court monitors for Loudoun Traffic court program in which trained volunteers observe and gather data on DUI court proceedings, including arraignments, pretrial hearing, trials and sentencing. The data collected focuses on three prongs: to evaluate the courts, to track the offenders and to plot trends in punishment and case outcomes. Training is provided. Volunteer one day a week or one morning or afternoon a week. Leave a voice mail message on 703-771-8127 or send an e-mail to maddloudoun@aol.com.
Loudoun Interfaith Relief Inc., is seeking volunteers that can pick up food from local grocery stores in the Leesburg and Ashburn areas. Drivers are needed every morning. Loudoun Interfaith Relief Inc. is a nonprofit food pantry that provides emergency food supplies to residents in need living in Loudoun County. Call 703-777-5911.
LINK, an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization, is seeking volunteers for its food-bank, assisting needy families in selecting five-day allotments of food items, to restock shelves and load food into family vehicles. Call Roberta at 703-450-4643.
Loudoun Families for Children, a nonprofit, volunteer organization providing temporary homes for children in crisis and a mentoring program for at-risk children, needs volunteers. Anyone interested in more information about the orientation program, call Kim Burk, 703-771-9505 or e-mail kburk@burkinc.com.
Prison FellowshipÕs National Office, located in Lansdowne, supports the work of thousands of churches in their hands-on ministry to prisoners and their families. Volunteer opportunities are primarily during business hours, which are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. The fellowship is looking for people who have skills or interests in any of the following areas: office administration, marketing, hospitality, data entry, library administration, prayer support and Web research. There are also opportunities for high-school students during the summer months. Contact Dawn, volunteer services, 703-554-8440 or at volunteers@pfm.org.
TuesdayÕs Children, a national nonprofit organization that provides services to Sept. 11 families, is recruiting adults in the Loudoun to serve as positive role models for children ages 6 to 16 who lost a parent on Sept. 11, 2001. TuesdayÕs Children provides a wide range of services for Sept. 11 families including mentoring, advocacy for children, next-step life skills and leadership training for adults.
The Mentoring Program pairs these children with specially-trained adult role models who support each young personÕs emotional and developmental needs and help them build the confidence, skills and resources necessary to meet their potential. Mentoring candidates will be screened and trained by mentoring experts and then matched with a child in their area. Mentors must be 18 years of age and agree to a one-year commitment. Contact TuesdayÕs Children at 202-558-5120 or brooke@tuesdayschildren.org.
CrisisLink, the greater Washington region's only 24-hour, seven-days-a -week crisis, suicide and trauma prevention, intervention and response hotline, is seeking volunteers to take calls and respond directly to individuals in need. CrisisLinkÕs comprehensive training program provides volunteers with the necessary skills to give referrals and to help callers in crisis develop problem-solving strategies. Take the first step in preventing tragedies; training classes are forming. Hotline volunteers must attend 43 hours of intensive training in active listening and crisis intervention and are required to make an additional 150 hour Ñ one year Ñ commitment upon completion. Flexible hours are available upon close of training. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older. Visit www.crisislink.org or call 703-516-6770.
Inova Loudoun Hospital is looking for adults to volunteer within its Chaplaincy Services department. The mission is to visit patients and help them draw upon their own spiritual resources in order to cope with their experience of illness. Volunteers are expected to attend a 14-week training program and commit several hours per week for one year visiting patients. Classes begin in September and meet on Monday evenings. The training program, now in its third year, offers mature adults an opportunity to develop personal and professional skills necessary to offer effective pastoral care in the health care setting. The volunteers were recently recognized by Loudoun Volunteer Services and the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors as the 2004 Outstanding Adult Volunteer Team. Contact Chaplain Tom Chirdo at 703-858-8034 or tchirdo@lh.org.
Good Shepherd Alliance Inc., an organization providing shelter to the homeless, is in need of lawyers with nonprofit experience and mentors for single men, women and families. The services of local electricians, painters, plumbers, carpenters, roofers, car mechanics and landscapers are needed to restore living spaces, vehicles and outdoor shelter areas. Software engineers and technicians are also needed to establish and maintain computer workstations at all shelter facilities. Physicians, dentists and counselors support residents living in crisis situations and many volunteers are needed to help at the Good Shepherd Alliance Thrift Store. To learn more about the Good Shepherd Alliance, contact executive director John Brothers at 703-433-2631 or visit www.loudounhomeless.org.
Loudoun County Community Corrections is looking for volunteers to serve as court assistants. Volunteers must be 18 years of age and pass a criminal background check. A commitment of one year at four hours a week requested. Duties include providing court coverage, performing financial interviews on indigent defendants, data entry, case compliance, case intakes and basic administrative duties. Training is provided but a knowledge of the court system is helpful. Contact Karen McQuaid, deputy director at 703-737-8519 or kmcquaid@loudoun.gov.
The Adult Foster Care Program enables people with mental disabilities to grow and become more independent through the interaction and routines of family life. To help meet the growing housing needs of people with mental disabilities, Loudoun County Mental Retardation Services is seeking to recruit new families to the program and increase the number of placements. Foster families receive a monthly stipend and are provided with ongoing training and in-home support. Contact the Loudoun County Community Services Board at 703-777-0377 or visit www.loudoun.gov/mhmr/afc/.
The Loudoun Arts Council is looking for volunteers for its annual ÒExcellence in the ArtsÓ program, an annual arts competition for high-school sophomores, juniors and seniors in public, private and home schools. Competition will be conducted in eight categories: visual, literary, dance, instrumental, piano, vocal, theater and film.
Volunteers are needed in the areas of sponsorship development, auditions, judging, event planning and administration. Call the Loudoun Arts Council at 703-777-7839.
The Loudoun Arts Council is a nonprofit organization that advocates for the visual, performing and literary arts in Loudoun County. For more information, contact the Council at 703-777-7838 or visit the Web site at http://www.loudounarts.org.
Loudoun County's Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is seeking volunteers to join its program. RSVP provides a wide range of opportunities for individuals, age 55 and over, to utilize their experience and skills in the community. To request an information packet and enrollment form, contact the RSVP office at 703-777-0505.