Call to Action: Black History Month Exhibit to Open

Good morning  – Brain Injury Services is looking a 12-month PALS friendship with a young Burke area man in his 20’s, loves any and all sports and would love a once or twice a month outing to enjoy sports and varied activities. Several more volunteers are needed to visit clients in specific neighborhoods. They have a client in Manassas who would like company to help with her crafting. They also have a gentleman who would love the company of a Columbia University alum as he is very proudly of the class of 1940. Please email Michelle at: [email protected] to learn more.

· Reflections for Black History Month at the Center for the Arts invites all to the grand opening of the Reflections Exhibit on Saturday February 8 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Delta Sigma Theta is hosting this event with wine and cheese to celebrate the works of 20 artists nationally and internationally recognized from the University of Maryland Driskell Arts Center. Please visit their website at: pwcacdst.org to learn more.

· ACTS is hosting its annual Love Life event on February 15 from noon to 4 p.m. at Manassas Mall. There will be activities for kids and a variety of local resources you can connect with. It is a great way to take a break from shopping on a Saturday afternoon!

· Help feed the hungry! The SERVE campus needs some dedicated volunteers to screen clients seeking food assistance. Please contact Jan for details at [email protected]. Also please remember to mark your calendars for Saturday March 8 for the Annual Strike Out Hunger Bowl-a-Thon for SERVE. Start gathering your friends and family and form a 5 member team to compete in this fun event at Bowl America in Manassas. This event gets better every year and of course for a great cause. Please email Pam at: [email protected] for sponsorship opportunities and more info.

· BEACON Adult Literacy needs volunteer tutors at a couple of their sites. The next tutor training is Saturday February 15 to give you all the info you need to make this a very rewarding experience for you and your student. Please visit their website for more details at: beaconliteracy.org or by calling (703) 368-7491.

· Literacy Volunteers of America- Prince William needs you to help an adult learn to read and write. The next Tutor Training Workshop is March 22, 2014. There is a one-time fee of $35 for materials. Imagine the difference you can make in someone’s life! Contact at [email protected].

· I have a very special request for volunteer drivers on Saturday mornings to give a lift to gentlemen living in and around the Winter Shelter in Woodbridge. It’s as simple as picking up 2 or 3 individuals and taking them to the Laundromat for 2 hours and giving them a ride back to the shelter with their clean clothes. This is a super easy, quick volunteer project. Please call Juan at (703) 583-7440 for more info. It’s just a little far and a lot cold for these gentlemen to walk there!

· SERVE has an urgent need for adult volunteers to help screen clients for food assistance on weekdays. As you can imagine with this tough winter, this is a very busy time of year for them. You must be able to work with computers, pass a background check, and Spanish speaking skills would be extra helpful. Please Jan at (574) 748-2621 to learn more about this very important community service.

· Birmingham Green Nursing Home has a very special need for a volunteer who can speak polish. If that is you, please call Zach at (703) 257-6252 to learn more.

· Habitat for Humanity still needs volunteers at the home of a senior veteran. Repairs include installing grab bars, repairing plumbing problems, fixing gutters and siding and other accessibility accommodations. These repairs will allow this very cute couple to continue living in their home. Please call (703) 369-6708 to learn more or visit their website at: habitatpwc.org. Habitat for Humanity also has a great volunteer program for scouts and middle schoolers by distributing door hangers in this neighborhood during the workdays. These door hangers have lots of good info on the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, the Restore and the Cars for Homes Program and give Habitat a special link to this neighborhood.

· If you are looking for other opportunities, please don’t forget to call my wonderful team at Volunteer Prince William. Coleen can help you with the Retired and Senior Volunteer (RSVP) opportunities at (703) 369-5292 ext. 207, Shelley can help with any individual or group project and send you weekly updates if you’d like. Shelley is at (703) 369-5292 ext. 201, and Bonnie can help you with opportunities available in Disaster Preparedness at (703) 369-5292 ext. 202. Please visit our newly re-vamped website at www.volunteerprincewilliam.org. Thanks so much for all you do in our community.