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By Rob Paine, RSVP Marketing and Outreach Specialist Welcome to October. We hope your autumn is off to a great start!
RSVP-Northern Virginia has put together list of volunteer opportunities for October and a little beyond provided by our partners and friends for our great retired and senior volunteers in Northern Virginia. Most are one time events that we hope you will find convenient, fun and great opportunities to meet great people.
Not a member of RSVP-Northern Virginia yet? If you are 55 or better, please visit www.rsvpnova.org to find a schedule of our upcoming free volunteer info sessions including Thursday, Oct. 17, in Fairfax City and Oct. 23, in Arlington.
Take part in VolunteerFest 2019 with RSVP
Come join us for one one our two RSVP VolunteerFest 2019 projects, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019.
The 2019 VolunteerFest, a project of Volunteer Fairfax, takes place on Saturday, October 26th and Sunday, October 27th. VolunteerFest is a region-wide day of community service. Your help is needed to make a difference in your community.
Now in its 24th year, volunteers have donated tens of thousands of hours through VolunteerFest, helping to make our community a vibrant place to live, work, and play. VolunteerFest mobilizes hundreds of volunteers to help nonprofits accomplish tasks that they would not have the time or resources to do on their own.
One of the RSVP VolunteerFest projects will take place at United Community! We will be helping with their monthly Mobile Market Fresh Produce Distribution. Volunteer tasks include stocking, organizing, and distributing fruit and vegetables, as well as help clients “shop”.
When: Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m
Where : United Community, 7511 Fordson Road, Alexandria, VA 22306
Sign up now by visiting RSVP and VolunteerFest sign up
Since 1969, United Community Ministries has served our community by empowering adults, children, and families to transform their lives. Founded by several faith-based groups and a handful of dedicated volunteers, the organization evolved from a small grassroots effort to now the only comprehensive human services nonprofit agency in southeastern Fairfax County serving more than 9,000 disadvantaged individuals annually.
Our other RSVP VolunteerFest project will with CRi
CRi is hosting a Harvest Festival this year as the culmination of its Farmers Market program. The Harvest Festival is to congratulate the residents for their hard work caring for their gardens and selling their produce and baked goods. Come celebrate the end of the harvest with good food, great company, and fantastic games. We are looking for volunteers to help make the final touches on set up and then, once the party starts, to help run the games, serve food, and interact with residents.
CRi, Choice. Respect. independence. (formally Community Residences), is a community-based organization with a focused effort on providing people with developmental disabilities and/or mental health needs the resources, supports and services they need to live their lives with purpose, actively engaged in communities of their choosing.
When : October 26, 2019, 10:00 am-3:00 pm
Where : Arlington Central Library , 1015 North Quincy Street
Barbara M. Donnellan Auditorium, Arlington, VA 22201
To register for the CRi VolunteerFest project, please visit CRi Sign up
To see the complete line-up of VolunteerFest 2019 projects for the entire family, please visit https://www.volunteerfairfax.org/events/volunteerfest/
Volunteer opportunities at Riverbend Park
Riverbend Park in Great Falls has a variety of volunteer opportunities. For a full list of Riverbend’s service openings, please visit Riverbend Park Volunteer Experiences. You can also contact Valeria Espinoza at 703-759-9018 or email Valeria at valeria.espinoza@fairfaxcounty.gov
Volunteer at the City of Fairfax Fall Festival
Volunteer Fairfax will host a booth at the 43rd Annual City of Fairfax Fall Festival, Saturday, October 12th from 10:00am to 5:00 pm. Our booth will have easy games and promotional materials. There are several two-hour shifts at the booth beginning at 9 a.m. for set up and closing down at 5 p.m.
To sign up please contact Lorna Campbell Clarke at Volunteer Fairfax at lclarke@volunteerfairfax.org
Capital Caring seeks volunteers for Tuck-In Call
Capital Caring is in need of volunteers who would like to call patients or caregivers as part of our Tuck-In Call program. This is calling and asking if they have enough supplies, answering questions and lending some verbal support.
It is every Wednesday and Thursday, they can choose one day if they wish from about 10:00 to 2:00, depending on when the calls are completed.
If interested please contact Ilene Thorman, Volunteer Services Coordinator at703-712-4870 or email ithorman@capitalcaring.org
Volunteers needed at Multicultural Health Fair in Alexandria, Oct. 26
Everyone benefits from a healthy community and workforce. Approximately 2,000 non-elderly adults, many the “working poor,” still struggle to obtain timely and affordable health care when they need it. The fair takes place at the Leonard “Chick” Armstrong Recreation Center and is expected to serve between 400 to 500 low-income uninsured resident adults and children in the City of Alexandria.
Clinical and non-clinical volunteers will staff the fair and we need you to help. Attendees will be offered a broad array of health screens and services, health professionals and counselors will be available to discuss their risk factors and recommend strategies for reducing risk and pursuing a healthy life style. Most importantly, all attendees will receive information on enrollment with Neighborhood Health for primary care follow-up services and the many that qualify will be assisted with their application. Register online.
Literacy Council Seeking Volunteers at Sherwood Library
The Literacy Council of Northern Virginia has a brand new ESL class at Sherwood Library in Alexandria and last week a huge number of people came to register for the class. We currently have volunteer teachers and class aides to staff 2 beginning-level classes, but we’d like to be able to offer a third class at a high-beginning level. In order to do that, we need more teachers!
The class will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30pm-8:30pm starting ASAP and running through December 11. We are looking for individuals who have some experience teaching – not necessarily adult ESL, though that would be ideal! We will of course provide curriculum, materials, and support. To volunteer to help with these classes, please contact Amy Tristan at ATristan@lcnv.org
New Hope Housing Urgent Volunteer Need
The First Christian Church on Leesburg Pike runs a drop-in program for those in need every Thursday from about 9am-2pm. It’s called Safe Haven and New Hope Housing collaborates with the church to put it on.
Safe Haven has a need for more volunteers to help out in the kitchen and with their clothing closet. It is a good group of people with a very friendly, service-oriented atmosphere. To volunteer with this project, please contact Leo Patrician at lpatrician@newhopehousing.org
2020 Census Community Event Volunteer Needed
The position of 2020 Census Volunteer serves as an extension of the Fairfax County Complete Count Committee (CCC), supporting the County’s mission to ensure the complete count of every resident of Fairfax County on April 1, 2020. The 2020 Census Volunteer represents the CCC to the public at identified community events. To sign up please email census2020@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Training for this position will be provided on November 7, 2019. In addition, the CCC members, Fairfax County and US Census Staff are available for training, development and support.
Key Responsibilities: The 2020 Census Volunteer shares and disseminates 2020 census information to the public as necessary at identified community events via organized presentations to the public. This positions also answers questions regarding the 2020 Census as posed by the public and directs any unanswered questions to the appropriate resource (i.e. Fairfax County website, the CCC, a regional resource, US Department of Commerce, etc.). Set-up and breakdown of 2020 Census displays using a table, folding chairs, and marketing materials.Other duties as assigned.
Responsible to: The Fairfax County Complete Count Committee Volunteer Coordinator
Length of Appointment: The 2020 Census Volunteer is appointed from November 7, 2019 through May 1, 2020.
Time Commitment: Varies based on the number of community events scheduled.Weekdays, Evenings, and Weekends as scheduled for 2-4 hours shifts. Flexible, approximately 15 hours/week.
Qualifications: Basic knowledge of a computer and powerpoint. Pleasant manner, patience, problem-solving ability, dependability, comfortable interacting with community members, confident public speaker, ability to work independently.
Plan ahead! Register to volunteer during the holiday season.
Come help RSVP and Volunteers for Change (also a program of Volunteer Fairfax) by hosting carriage and train rides at Reston Town Center during the upcoming holiday season! Help us manage the lines, collect donations, educate people about RSVP & Volunteer Fairfax and have a little holiday fun in the process! Parking is FREE!! There are two different dates/activities available:
Register to volunteer now for this event by visiting Reston Holiday Event
Friday, November 29, 2019 from 6- 10 pm Carriage Rides at Reston Town Center: Volunteers will manage the lines, collect donations, educate people about RSVP & Volunteer Fairfax and have a little holiday fun!
Sunday, December 22, 2019 from 11:30 – 4 pm Train Rides at Reston Town Center: Volunteers will manage the lines, collect donations, educate people about RSVP & Volunteer Fairfax and have a little holiday fun!
If you’re not able to help as a volunteer and want to get into the holiday spirit, come out and enjoy a carriage ride!
If you need more information or have any questions, please contact RSVP Program Manager, Brandi Morris at bmorris@volunteerfairfax.org.
More about RSVP-Northern Virginia
RSVP-Northern Virginia, the largest volunteer group for seniors and retirees in the region, offers more than 300 meaningful, fun and social opportunities that include helping seniors age in place, assisting local food pantries, supporting local parks and teaching financial literacy.
RSVP also recruits volunteers for various community events including the annual Northern Virginia Senior Olympics taking place Sept. 14-28. Several of RSVP’s nonprofit partners offer opportunities in the Alexandria Area including New Hope Housing, Green Spring Gardens, United Community (Formerly UCM Alexandria) and Huntley Meadow Park.
RSVP volunteers have more than 300 opportunities to choose from including supporting the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics each September.
RSVP volunteers enjoy flexible schedules, free accident and liability insurance while serving, optional mileage and meal reimbursement and are also invited to monthly volunteer group service projects, free training and enrichment classes and social gatherings.
To learn more about RSVP, please visit http://www.rsvpnova.org or call Brandi at 703-403-5360. RSVP-Northern Virginia is a program of Volunteer Fairfax, Volunteer Alexandria and Volunteer Arlington.
