Send volunteer notices to gazette@connectionnewspapers.com or call Rebecca Halik with any questions 703-917-6407.
Vendors needed for Mason Neck State Park Oct. 20 harvest festival. Planners of the Mason Neck Old Fashioned Harvest Festival seek arts and craft vendors for the 2007 festival, held at Mason Neck State Park, Oct. 20, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. All crafts must be handmade. Crafts could include natural art, paintings, basket weaving, dolls, puppets and art toys, crochet, floral arrangements, quilting, jewelry, leather goods, musical instrument making, needle work, pottery and wood carving.
The booth fee will be waved for vendors demonstrating their craft during the festival. For more information, or to register, contact Assistant Manager David Stapleton at 703-339-2385.
Community Lodgings' Transitional Housing Program is in search of adult mentors to meet weekly with our Transitional Housing Clients. Mentors will assist clients in setting, evaluating, and reaching goals, budgeting, making career decisions, etc. Volunteers must make a six-month minimum commitment. Contact Emily Barnes, Learning Center Coordinator, 703-739-5856. Located at 607 Notabene Drive, #1, Alexandria.
The Alexandria Jaycees seek sellers and buyers for a community yard sale on Saturday, Oct. 27 at Anthony Lane Elementary School parking lot, 7137 Beulah St. The cost for sellers is $15 per space. Free to browse. For more information, visit www.alexjaycees.org or leave a message on our event line 703-866-7171.
Carpenter's Shelter has various volunteer opportunities: front desk attendant, breakfast servers (1st Saturdays and Sundays of the month), lunch servers (2nd Saturday and 4th Monday), and chaperones for children's fieldtrips. Contact Jasmin Witcher at 703-548-7500 or jasminwitcher@carpentersshelter.org.
Friends of Guest House needs a volunteer for a small database entry project putting client records into a new database. Contact Kari Galloway at 703-549-8072 or director@friendsofguesthouse.org.
INOVA Home Health needs "Friendly Visitor" volunteers to provide companionship to homebound patients throughout Northern Virginia. Flexible hours and days. Training provided. Contact 703-916-2885.
The Lee-Fendall House Museum seeks volunteers to guide visitors through this historic Lee Family home. Volunteers will interpret the house's history from its Revolutionary War era beginnings, through the Civil War and the modern Labor movement. Seeking individuals who are available to volunteer a minimum
of six hours each month - weekday and weekend shifts are available. Training provided. Contact Kristin Miller Lang at 703-548-1789 or
contact@leefendallhouse.org.
The Lyceum needs volunteers for three positions: front desk attendant (duties include greeting and orienting visitors, answering the phone and providing area information), museum shop volunteer (assist customers with selection and purchase of shop merchandise), and education program docent.
Contact Pam Budde at 703-838-4994 or Pam.Budde@alexandriava.gov.
Shelter House needs volunteers for Kid's Night, held Tuesdays through Thursdays. Your job would be to have fun with the kids and provide structured play to increase social skills and learning. Contact Victor Dooley at 703-536-2155 or volunteer@shelterhouse.org.
Venture into Volunteering Boomers and Seniors Wed. September 26 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Sherwood Regional Library in Alexandria. This will be a volunteer fair designed to find opportunities that fit senior’s and boomer’s expertise and lifestyle.
Be a Hero for Capital Hospice. Make a difference by helping those who need hospice care. Capital Hospice is participating in the 26th Annual Hospice Cup Sailing Regatta in Annapolis on Sept. 8. Volunteers are needed for a variety of Capital Hospice committees to support Hospice Cup XXVI. Reply to Caroline at 703-531-1111 or specialevents@capitalhospice.org.
Doorways for Women and Families offers a free support group for survivors of domestic violence. The group meets every Tuesday in a confidential locationi n Arlington. Please call 703-237-0881 for more information. Free childcare is provided.
Doorways for Women and Families is seeking volunteers for its Safehouse domestic violence shelter program. Volunteers are needed for weekend and evening shifts and to answer our 24/7 hotline. Some weekday opportunities are also available. Training begins August-September. Call 703-522-8858 x13 or e-mail volunteer@doorwaysVA.org. For more information visit www.doorwaysva.org/volunteer.
The Alexandria Office on Women is recruiting new volunteers for its winter training with the Speakers Bureau. The Office on Women's Speakers' Bureau is a group of volunteers who present an education program on domestic violence, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and teen pregnancy prevention to Alexandria youth. The Speakers Bureau presents to 5th-, 7th- and 9th-graders throughout the school year. The expected volunteer commitment is four to six hours per month and volunteers must have the flexibility to present during the school day. Contact Jen Harris at 703-838-5030 or send an e-mail to jennifer.harris@alexandriava.gov.
Doorways for Women and Families invites you to attend a monthly volunteer orientation meeting the first Tuesday of every month to learn more about volunteer opportunities with our family shelter, domestic violence Safehouse and other community programs. Visit www.doorwaysva.org/volunteer or e-mail volunteer@doorwaysva.org for more information.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training (TNT) is recruiting volunteers to help in the fight against blood cancers by raising funds as they train to walk, run, cycle or swim in honor of local patients. Team In Training provides personalized coaching, group training and support, and the chance to meet new people and be part of a team. In addition to weekly training sessions under the guidance of a certified coach, TNT offers training events and clinics on nutrition, equipment, injury prevention and safety. Area Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at (703) 960-1100; or visit: www.teamintraining.org/nca.
The Del Ray Artisans – Seeking volunteers for all aspects of community arts organization and gallery operations. Opportunities include mailings, gallery and garden maintenance, grant writing, fundraising, special events, gallery sitting and outreach activities. Age: 15 and older. Wheelchair accessible. Alexandria. 703-979-8996 or 703-838-4827
Port City Playhouse – Volunteers needed to help with set construction and painting. Need ushers for performances. Groups of up to10 are welcome. Youth ages 15 and older are welcome. Alexandria. 703-838-2880
SOHO: A Space of Her Own – The Art League - Volunteers are needed to work with a unique art and mentoring program which serves at-risk, low-income girls, ages 12-16. Girls and mentors attend workshops in art and design, then work together to remodel the girls' bedrooms. A one-year commitment is required, as is a criminal background check and attendance at 3 mentor orientation sessions. Alexandria. 703-519-1741.
National Organization for Victim Assistance – Volunteers needed to update databases, handle correspondence, mailings. Alexandria. 703-535-6682.
Northern Virginia Family Services -- Volunteers needed plan and coordinate special events, fundraise or provide clerical and graphic support. NVFS offices are located throughout the area and have a wide range of volunteer opportunities available at multiple locations. Alexandria office 703-370-3223.
The Arts Council of Fairfax County is searching for adult volunteers to assist children and their families with arts, crafts and games at the 37th annual International Children’s Festival. Volunteers may contact volunteericf07@artsfairfax.org or the volunteer hotline at 703-642-0862.
CrisisLink's 24/7/365 hotline for the Washington Metro Region is currently recruiting volunteers for their October 2008 training. Visit www.crisislink.org, e-mail volunteer@crisislink.org, or call 703-527-6016 to learn more. Come help CrisisLink continue to save lives and prevent tragedies in our community. Volunteer for three hours a week.
The Orphan Foundation of America (OFA) is seeking volunteers to serve as virtual mentors for youth transitioning out of foster care into college and post secondary education. vMentoring encourages teens to stay in school and develop the skills and confidence necessary to lead productive lives. Through a secure internet portal, mentors communicate with their mentees at any time around the clock. The time requirement is typically an hour per week. They must be 25 years old or older. Background check is required. Training is provided on foster-care issues through conference calls, and supported with online materials. A two-year commitment is requested. Visit http://www.orphan.org for more information. Call 571-203-0270.
Volunteer Emergency Families For Children (VEFC) needs volunteers willing to open their homes and provide short term (1-21 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. Local leaders are also needed to serve children in crisis by sharing VEFC's mission within their community. Call 703-969-3795 or e-mail MMiller@VEFC.org for details. Visit www.vefc.org.
The Alexandria Domestic Violence Program is looking for volunteers to provide hotline coverage and crisis counseling to survivors of domestic violence. The program is also specifically seeking children's group leaders and bi-lingual translators. Volunteers are required to participate in 40 hours of training and requested to donate 10-15 hours per month over weekends and holidays. The next volunteer training will kick off on Saturday, March 10, with a retreat from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Contact Lacie Hughes at 703-838-4911. Visit www.alexwomen.com.
You are invited to make a difference in one child's future learning success by volunteering through the Alexandria Tutoring Consortium (ATC) to tutor a first or second grader in the Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS). There are still children who do not have tutors who were identified last fall by teachers and pre-testing as needing additional help in reading. To register to tutor for the remainder of the 2006-2007 school year, visit www.alexandriatutors.org or call 703-549-6670 ext 119 to have information mailed to you.
UCM's Transitional Housing Program is looking for volunteer groups to help provide a prepared well balanced meal for about 60 people, this includes children. Groups would be asked to sign up for 1 meeting per year on the third Tuesday evening of each month. The grocery bill would be at the group's expense and a tax donation slip would be provided. Assistance with child care is needed. Call Betsy Damitz, volunteer coordinator 703-768-7106 ext. 328.
Carlyle House Historic Park is looking for docents to give tours of the museum. Teachers for school programs are also needed. Weekday and weekend shifts are available. Free parking is provided. Training will begin in late September. Call 703-549-2997 for more information or to sign up. The Carlyle House, located at 121 N. Fairfax Street, is a property of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Visit www.nvrpa.org <http://www.nvrpa.org/> for more.
The Child & Family Network Centers has many volunteer opportunities, including volunteering in classrooms, field-trip assistants, ESL and Spanish language tutors, clothing drive assistant and office assistant. They also need volunteers to help prepare for their annual wine tasting fundraising event in the spring. Contact Patricia Chapman at 703-836-0214 or pchapman@cfnc-online.org.
Higher Achievement seeks teacher mentors to work with motivated scholars at Hammond Middle School from 6-8 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Karen Berry, Volunteer Coordinator, 202-544-3633 or kberry@higherachievement.org
The Hispanic Committee of Virginia needs volunteers for their youth programs, including volunteers to mentor Hispanic teenagers and for "Arroz Con Leche," a weekly reading and writing enrichment program for immigrant 2nd and 3rd graders. Spanish language proficiency is not required, training and support is available, and average commitment is just 1-2 hours/week. Contact Jodi Hammer at 703-671-5666, ex. 20, or educationcoord@hcva.org.
Project Northstar needs volunteers to tutor children who live in homeless shelters, transitional housing programs and foster care. Project Northstar matches adult volunteers with the same student for one evening per week to work on basic math and reading skills. 202-223-0144, ext. 10
RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) seeks volunteers for the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline, which provides live, secure, anonymous, instant message-style crisis support to the growing number of people who prefer communicating via the Internet --- giving those affected by sexual assault a safe place to turn when they can't find their voice. Contact Darcey West at 202-544-0227 or darceyw@rainn.org.
Stop Child Abuse Now of Northern Virginia is holding trainings for Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers. Trainings will be held in the winter and the spring. For more information, contact the SCAN office, 703-820-9001, info@scanva.org.
WETA seeks a volunteer immediately to assist with WETA's online auction that takes place the first week of June. Good Computer and communication skills for a job that includes soliciting items for the Auction, follow up, data entry and fulfillment. Contact Janet Riksen, Senior Projects Officer,WETA, jriksen@weta.com or 703-998-2442.
If you are looking for a dynamic volunteer experience with the chance to make a difference, the Sexual Assault Response and Awareness (SARA) program is the volunteer opportunity for you. The SARA program is looking for compassionate listeners, both English speaking and bilingual, who would be comfortable talking to sexual assault survivors and their families. Volunteers take evening or weekend shifts from home or anywhere accessible by phone. The next SARA training is scheduled to begin in October and meets two evenings a week from 6:30-9:30 p.m. and on two Saturday mornings. For more information or to register for the SARA training, contact Stacey Calhoun McCullough at 703-838-5030 or stacey.mccullough@alexandriava.gov.
Wright to Read seeks volunteers to tutor elementary school students in Alexandria Schools, and for Book Buddies, an after-school reading program held at William Ramsay Elementary on Tuesdays and at Jefferson-Houston Elementary on Wednesdays. They also need pediatric waiting room readers to read to children at the Saint Asaph Street Clinic. To register for orientation, contact Ginny Biggs at 703-549-0111, ext. 339
The Alexandria Tutoring Consortium (ATC) needs tutors! Call 703-549-6670 or e-mail atc@opmh.org to learn how you can give a child the gift of reading. Visit www.alexandriatutors.org to learn more.
United Community Ministries Backporch Thrift Store is looking for volunteers to help accept donations, sort and price items and place on store floor. Contact Betsy Damitz, volunteer coordinator at 703-768-7106, ext. 328.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore is a store located at 7770 Richmond Highway that combines business with philanthropy. The 16,000 square foot store in filled with donated home-improvement goods ranging from doors, appliances, furniture, floor, tile and hardware. All items are donated by local contractors, suppliers and individuals; they are then sold to the general public for 50-90% retail price. Contact Virginia Patton from Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia at 703-521-9890 ex. 105 for moreinformation or e-mail her at vpatton@habitatnova.org.
If you enjoy meeting people, particularly the elderly, and can serve during the weekday, the volunteer ombudsman position may be for you. Volunteer advocates are assigned to a specific local nursing home or assisted-living facility in Northern Virginia convenient to where they live or work. Applicants must be available to volunteer four hours per week, primarily during regular business hours. Interviews of applicants will be held this summer in preparation for the next annual training, scheduled for Sept. 17, 18 and 28 from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day. For further information and an application, call 703-324-5435, TTY: 703-449-1186 or visit our Web site www.fairfaxcounty.gov/LTCOmbudsman.
The Alexandria Commission for Women is seeking volunteers to work with its Court Observation Program. The Court Observation Program is a volunteer-based court monitoring and research project which tracks sexual and domestic violence cases. The program is designed to provide feedback on sexual and domestic violence cases that helps the criminal justice system improve its response to them. Volunteers must commit to working at least one morning each month in the Alexandria City Courthouse, located at 520 King St. Training will be provided on one of two Monday evenings, Aug. 20 or Sept. 10. For more information or to sign up for the training, contact Laura Mandala at 703-798-5452 or Laura@MandalaResearch.com.
ESL and Immigrant Ministries needs volunteers to teach English as a second language to adult immigrants in 16 locations in Northern Virginia. Training is provided. Day and evening classes begin in September. For more information or for an application, visit http://www.eslim.org. You may also send e-mail to eslim02@gmail.com or call 703-271-8341, Ext. 3, and leave a message.