Good morning – Northern VA Family Service needs your help to provide Craftsman tools to their client working on his Master Mechanic Certification. The list of needed tools include wrench set, swivel socket set, pry bar, lisle impact screwdriver to name just a few or make it easy on yourself with a Sears gift card. Please check in with Andrea with the latest needs for this gentleman at (571) 748-2605 or via email: [email protected]
· SERVE has an urgent need for volunteers to help in the food pantry on Mondays and Tuesdays. Teens age 16+ are very welcome; under 16 must have a parent present. Please email Jan at: [email protected] to learn more.
· Brain Injury Services is seeking a summer intern who is interested in excel to organize program information. Some event and research involved but mostly administrative in nature. Best news is that you can telework for this position! Contact Michelle for more information: [email protected] or 703-451-8881 X232.
· Project Mend a House is asking you to please support them in providing a new roof for a local Vietnam veteran. You can give as little as $5 and every cent will go to this project! Click this link for details: https://de.gofund.me/7znxxbp8
· Habitat for Humanity ReStore needs lots of volunteers at their beautiful new store in Manassas. Positions include receiving donations, clean, test and price products, merchandise the store or help customers with their purchase. You can check out all the openings on their volunteer site at: www.habitatpwc.org.
· Covenant Presbyterian Church is supporting Streetlight Ministries, a nonprofit that assists the homeless in our community. Please consider joining their effort by brining gently used winter items including: gloves, hats, coats, hand warmers, and backpacks to Covenant Presbyterian, 12700 Black forest Lane #204, Woodbridge, VA 22192.For details please contact: [email protected].
· Historic Manassas has a number of super fun volunteer’s positions. Positions include assisting with the farmers market on Thursday and Saturdays from April through November. They also are looking for volunteers to give tours at the Historic Liberia Plantation from May 29 through September 4th on Sundays at noon or downtown Manassas walking tours on Thursdays and Fridays at 12 noon. There’s always lots of fun event going on throughout the spring and summer with Historic Manassas. Please call Erin at (703) 361-6599 to learn more.
· Catholic Charities –Hogar Immigrant Services has an urgent need for ESOL teachers for the classes in Manassas. You don’t need teaching experience or speak another language to make a huge difference in the life of another. Please call Cynthia at (571) 208-1572 ext. 103 to join this great team.
· Contract Solutions Inc. supports homeless individuals through their Hope in a Bag program. They are looking for partners in the community to help them provide little basics in a bag. This is a wonderful opportunity for scouts, teams or families to gather socks, snacks, granola bars, personal toiletry items and a positive message to these folks. This program runs through March. Please email Carole at: [email protected] to learn more about this wonderful outreach to a vulnerable population.
· The American Heart Association needs volunteers for their Annual Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting & Auction on March 9-12th. Positions include guest registration, auction monitoring, serving wine and others. Please email Joellen at: [email protected] for more information.
· Spring is right around the corner! Mark your calendars for Saturday April 2nd for the Civil War Trust Annual Park Clean-up Day at Bristoe Station Battlefield. The event is 8am-12 noon. Come maintain, restore and preserve this little jewel. Duties include litter pick up, trail maintenance, cleaning the cemetery throughout the 140 acre park. Wear sturdy work shoes, bring gloves and don’t forget the sunscreen. Tools and snacks provided, please no pets. Meet at the parking lot off of Iron Brigade Unit Ave. Call Bill at (703) 366-3049 with any questions.
· Mark your calendars for the 25th Annual Strikes for SERVE Bowl-a-Thon on Saturday March 12th at Bowl America, Mathis Avenue, Manassas from 1-4pm. This super fun event is full of music, prizes and bowling for a great cause. Please visit their website to register at: nvfs.org/bowlathon or call Pam at (571) 748-2537 for more info.
· Join in the 28th Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup on Saturday April 16th 9am-noon. Check out their website for all the possibilities at: potomaccleanup.org or call them at (301) 292-5665
· 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. 1, 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. 0, and Bonnie can help you with opportunities available in Disaster Preparedness at (703) 369-5292 ext. 3. Please visit our newly re-vamped website at www.volunteerprincewilliam.org. Thanks so much for all you do in our community.
Call to Action is a column written by Volunteer Prince William Director Mary Foley.
Recent Stories
The Prince William County School Board is considering a proposal that would redistrict three new residential developments in the Brentsville District due to overcrowding at The Nokesville School, Insidenova.com reports.Â
The School Board in November directed division staff to develop a redistricting proposal related to the three developments. The division brought the proposal to the board at its Jan. 22 meeting.
The three developments – Bristow Corner, Bristow Crossing and Thomas Farm at Bristow Station – have already been approved by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors and would be districted to The Nokesville School.
Flanked by UVA Health-branded bags filled with pregnancy supplies beside a table of neatly-aligned cupcakes, nurse Teresa Baltuano-Post addressed a crowd of expectant mothers and their families, alternating between English and Spanish, Insidenova.com reports.
“I’ve been doing the baby shower for about 24 years,” Baltuano-Post told InsideNoVa. “The goal … is to educate our moms and to make sure they know what to do when they need to come to the hospital.”
Get ready for a windy Wednesday across the region, as conditions are expected to be quite blustery throughout the day. The National Weather Service is forecasting a more widespread wind event, with gusts reaching between 40-50 mph in most areas, except for parts of central Virginia and southern Maryland.
A Wind Advisory will be in place from late Wednesday morning into the early evening as a potent front drops south across the area. The gusty conditions will be accompanied by lower relative humidity, raising concerns for fire weather in central Virginia. The winds will slowly subside by late evening but be prepared for sustained gusts during the day.
Weems Elementary School in Manassas has seen remarkable progress in recent years, particularly in reducing chronic absenteeism and improving student literacy. Under the leadership of Principal Michelle Huppman, the school has created an environment focused on equity, achievement, and community involvement, leading to academic improvements.
One of the school’s most notable achievements is reducing chronic absenteeism. In the 2022-2023 school year, Weems faced a concerning % chronic absence rate of 28%. This figure, which emerged after the pandemic, reflected the challenges many schools faced. However, the school has halved that number through dedication and hard work. “I am so happy to share with you that Weems’ current chronic absence rate, as reflected in the school quality profile, is half of that number, down to 14%. This is a school community that rose to the challenge,” said Sarah Brescia, a Manassas City school board member.
The improvement in attendance has had a direct impact on student achievement. Huppman explained, “Last year, we had a 24% increase in literacy pass rates for our students in kindergarten through second grade. For the Virginia Standards of Learning reading test, we had a 6% increase in pass rates for our students in third and fourth grade.” While math scores dropped slightly due to virtual instruction during the pandemic, Principal Huppman is optimistic about the future. “This year, we are fully staffed in all classrooms and in all instructional support positions without the need for virtual instructors,” she said.
Travel to French soil and join us for a night filled with two of the most beloved French traditions—no plane ticket required! ?
On January 25th, we invite you to experience the magic of Galette des Rois, a 700-year-old tradition celebrated across France throughout the entire month of January (and even beyond!). This sweet, almond-filled puff pastry topped with a golden crown isn’t just a treat—it’s a celebration! The lucky person who finds the fève (a porcelain charm hidden in one of the slices) becomes the King or Queen for the Day, and don’t worry—there will be plenty of royalty to go around! ??
But that’s not all! In France, Les Voeux (New Year’s wishes) continue throughout January, often accompanied by Champagne and good cheer. We’re bringing that festive spirit to you, with a lively evening packed with French food, wine, and music.
What’s in store:
Experience the passion and drama of Puccini’s “The Girl from the Golden West”.
Featuring special guest musicians from The Chesapeake Youth Orchestra,
this performance brings Puccini’s masterpiece to life with an extraordinary cast.
