For some, this was just a three-day weekend.
But for 100 Reston volunteers of all ages, Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend provided an opportunity to give back to their community. Reston Association and Reston Community Center partnered with Southgate Community Center, Cornerstones and The Closet on several community service projects Saturday.
Among the projects completed by volunteers were an outdoor cleanup; the sorting of donated toys and preparation of bagged lunches for the residents of the Embry Rucker Community Shelter; and the organization of the Southgate Community Center library and kitchen.
“Volunteers demonstrated that we each have the power to make our community a stronger and more vibrant place to live, work, play and get involved,” said Ha Brock, Reston Association’s volunteer supervisor. “Many thanks to everyone that participated in the National Day of Service.”
Brock says it’s not too late to volunteer.
“If you would like to continue to get involved, Reston Association offers a variety of opportunities in our community,” she said.
More information about Reston Association’s volunteer program is available at their website.
Fairfax County Public Library Reveals Most Popular Books of 2016 — The Fairfax County Public Library yesterday announced that the books locals checked out the most this year were “The Girl on the Train” for adult fiction, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” for adult nonfiction, “The Fault in Our Stars” for teens and “Green Eggs and Ham” for children. [Fairfax County]
Reston-Area MLK Day Service Projects Planned — The Reston Community Center is partnering with the Reston Association, Southgate Community Center, Cornerstones, The Closet and other local organizations to host a day of community services projects in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. on Saturday, Jan. 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. [Reston Community Center]
What’s Open, Closed in Reston for Christmas — Christmas is nearly here. In Fairfax County, many government and Reston Association buildings will shut down for the holiday. [Reston Now]
There is still time to give back at Works Sunday this weekend.
Works Sunday, this year on Aug. 16, is a day of community service organized by Reston’s faith communities.
For 20 years, congregants have worked side-by-side on Works Sunday projects that help a spectrum of people in need –from serving lunch at the Embry Rucker Community Shelter to giving blood to helping out at Ronald McDonald House (which houses the families of sick children) at Inova Fairfax Hospital.
Signups have gone around at many of Reston’s churches and synagogues, but help is still needed.
Some project details (some involve time, some just a donation):
Donate to a shelter for abused women
Stock Shelves at Cornerstones’ Food Pantry
Diaper drive for families in needÂ
Help senior citizens with home repair
Help run a prayer service at Lake Anne Fellowship House
Donate blood Saturday at United Christian Parish
Sing and play music at a talent show/ice cream social at Tall Oaks Assisted Living
See the entire list, as well as registration info, on the Works Sunday website.
Photo: Works Sunday 2014/Credit: Tim Barwick
Fairfax County Public Schools is collecting school supplies in order to ensure every student is prepared for the upcoming school year.
Collect for Kids is a coordinated school supply drive to benefit needy FCPS students. The drive will provide school supplies for the 2015-16 school year for students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals. Approximately 52,000 FCPS students receive free and reduced-price meals, FCPS says.
The drive, which will concentrate on cash, backpacks and calculators, will run through Sept. 4.
Citizens can support the students in one of three ways:
Cash donations: By partnering with Office Depot, Kitz for Kids, and Walmart, Collect for Kids purchases school supplies in bulk, translating a $1 donation into $3 worth of school supplies. A $10 donation can fill a backpack with FCPS-approved supplies. Donations are accepted online.
Backpack donations: Donations of new backpacks can be brought to any Apple FCU or Northwest FCU branch, or to any affiliated organization. Visit Apple FCU or Northwest FCU for branch locations. There is always a need for additional large backpacks for high school students, says FCPS.
Calculator donations: Calculators, which will help support students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) subjects, can be donated to Apple FCU or any partnered not-for-profit organization. The Collect for Kids website lists partners.
Preferred models are the TI 30Xa Solar School Edition or TI-84 Series calculators, but other models may be donated.
NV Rides Reston, a free transportation service for residents 55 and older, is still looking for volunteer drivers.
NV Rides partnered with Reston Community Center to launch the service here last spring.
Volunteer drivers provide door-to-door rides for essential needs such as medical or dental appointments, shopping, personal care and banking for seniors who are no longer comfortable driving.
The service area covers residents in the Small Tax District 5 boundaries of Reston. Volunteers self-select ride requests and may choose not to drive farther distances.
To volunteer, visit NV Rides on RCC’s website and download an application. They will pay for a DMV and background check. You can choose your own rides and hours.
