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COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS*
Please understand that I do not *do* all of these activities. I just help spread the word. :-)
During my days as an assistant Brownie Troop leader, I ran a summer collection of items in Herndon, VA, for Northern Virginia foster kids, abused women's shelters, homeless shelter, teen-age runaway shelters, and people going through Detox Centers. It began with the girls in the Brownie Troop helping some local HS girls collect used luggage to give to foster kids who carry their clothing around in trash bags for lack of luggage - a very humiliating experience. The involvement of the Brownie girls was minimal, because they are so young. I typed up notices about the project & asked the girls to hand them out to family & friends. And the girls donated some of their own stuffed animals and suitcases for the foster kids. I, in the meantime, contacted neighborhood groups by the internet, posted signs at stores, talked up the project to people when I met them in the neighborhood, etc.
When the Oakton girls and the Brownie troop finally moved on to other projects, I still saw a need in the community - not only for the foster kids, but for the homeless, abused women, detox clients and runaway youths - all of whom had to tote their belongings around in trash bags for lack of luggage. So I pursued the project on my own. I wrote a Letter to the Editor of the local newspaper explaining the need. I signed it with my then-title - Assistant Leader of the troop - because I felt I could still proceed with the project since it was begun with help from our Brownie Troop and - after all - service is what GS is all about (I thought). I secured a storage unit - generously donated by Reston Mini-storage for the cause, and The Neighborhood Resource Center graciously offered the use of their facility as a drop-off/pick-up point for the luggage. A fellow assistant troop leader, her daughter, my daughter, and the Service Unit manager and her daughter helped tote used luggage. I was told the collection would become a service unit project for this year (2000), but - after a meeting where the Service Unit determined the older girls were too busy with other things and the project wasn't interactive enough for the younger girls - the sponsorship was dropped. Just prior to that, we lost the use of our drop-off/pick-up point, because the spare room there was needed for their Head Start program. Then the storage company decided they'd have to start charging for the unit. Even with the discount, it was unaffordable - especially now that there is only me left to pursue the project. Thus the project came to an end. If you'd like to take on this project (because the need for this luggage hasn't ended, of course) Here are some "tips" for running your own used luggage collection. And - if you
have used luggage to donate to those less fortunate - click here for a list of places that periodically need used luggage. But please call before taking anything to them, because their storage space is very limited.
While the used luggage collection was active, the following organizations received used luggage:
foster kids in Maryland via the three Oakton girls who spearheaded the collection and then delivered the items to a social worker in Maryland;
a social worker in Leesburg to give to the foster kids there;
Northern Virginia Family Services for foster kids in Fall Church, VA.
Fairfax County Dept. of Family Services
New Hope Housing
Fairfax County Detox Unit
Graydon Manor of Leesburg, VA
and other homeless shelters, abused women's shelters, detox units, and foster kids in other nearby counties.
Every piece of luggage given to the foster kids was packed with a stuffed animal and a supportive letter from Makenzie Snyder, the 9-yr.-old girl who runs this program in Maryland. Her url is http://www.childrentochildren.org.
HUG-A-BEARS/BOOK PROJECT FOR CHILDREN AT THE ABUSED WOMEN'S SHELTER IN FAIRFAX COUNTY:
The GS made hug-a-bears for the children at the Fairfax County Abused Women's Shelter to accompany books (about abuse, geared toward children at the shelter) donated by a local women's group.
UPDATE ON THIS PROJECT 4/7/01: Mr. Novak informs me that people have so generously responded to this effort that he has fallen behind in cataloging the books so he'll have to stop collecting the books for awhile. Keep checking back here to see if the effort has resumed. In the meanwhile, he would love it if a community service group would like to help him out. He'll be glad to put the boxes back at the various collection sites so people can now donate children's videos if a group will volunteer to check the boxes periodically & get the videos to him. If any group in the Reston/Herndon area would like to do so, please contact me & I'll get the word to him. Thanks.
SUSPENDED
Have some spare books around the house? Ron and Anita Novak are accepting book donations (every type of book from paperbacks to hardbacks & from romance novels to do-it-yourself instruction manuals) for a lending library for Reston Hospital (Reston, VA) so the patients there will have something pleasant to read. Book collection bins have been set up at three stores in Reston: Fresh Fields at Plaza America, Safeway at the South Lakes Plaze and Giant at the Fox Mill Plaza. Novak wants to collect several hundred donated books. Later on, he hopes to collect children's videos for the pediatric unit, too. If VCRs are eventually added to very room throughout the hospital, Novak will then collect videos for adults as well. Please consider donating to this worthwhile cause.
*excerpted from The Observer, March 23, 2001
Walker Nature Education Center Community Workday
9:30am-11:00am - 4/21/01 - Get outdoor exercise and help your environment by
volunteering at one or more of our workdays. Bring work gloves. 16 years or older.
Call Reston Association for information at 703-435-7986
HOME HEALTH NEED VOLUNTEERS
Inova VNA Home Health needs volunteers to act as friendly visitors to lonely, homebound patients. Volunteers are asked to spend one to two hours a week talking to the patient, running errands, and doing odd jobs. Visists can be made during the day, evening, or on weekends. Training is provided. Call (703) 642-9041. (Connection, 4/3/2001)
PEOPLE NEEDED TO RAISE DOGS
Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit organization that trains assistance dogs for people with diabilities, needs more volunteer puppy raisers to adopt a puppy for a year. Call (800) 872-BARK. (Connection, 4/3/2001)
VOLUNTEER TO HELP A SENIOR LEARN HOW TO USE THE INTERNET!
SeniorNavigator, a not-for-profit Internet guide for seniors, caregivers and their families, will hold training sessions for volunteers interested in helping seniors use the Web site as a resource for health and aging concerns. March 31, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Marymount University Successful Aging Wellness Fair; April 24, at 11 a.m., Family Respite Center, Washington House Retirement Community; May 30, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mount Vernon Hospital, Inova Senior Health Fair. For
more information or to volunteer, call (804) 827-1280.
CRISISLINK VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT
CrisisLink is seeking new volunteers to train as telephone hot-line workers. Volunteers are being trained to respond immediately to people in crisis. Help is especially needed for daytime, late-night, and weekend shifts. Call (703) 527-6016.
HEATHERWOOD RETIREMENT COMMUNITY NEEDS HANDY PANTRY VOLUNTEER
Looking for a mature volunteer to help in the Handy Pantry on Tuesday (1:30-3 p.m.) or Friday (1-3 p.m.). Help is also needed in driving the residents to doctor's offices, grocery store and library. Call (703) 425-1698.
CLOTHING DONATION FOR FOSTER KIDS
I do still plan to "spotlight" the sizes/genders of specific foster children in Fairfax County each month so people with used clothing of those sizes can drop them off at my house. Click here for details if you want to help.
GRACE SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR MAY FINE ARTS FESTIVAL
The Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) seeks volunteers for the 10th annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival to be held May 19 and 20 at Reston Town Center. Volunteers are needed for artist move-in and move-out, artist relations, beer sales, chalking, the children's creative area, festival hospitality, logistics, merchandise, publicity, signs, survey, ticket sales and volunteer coordination. Volunteer packets are available at GRACE, located at 11911 Freedom Drive, Suite 110, in Reston Town Center. Call 703-471-9242. The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival featurs artwork by painters, sculptors, fine-crafters and jewelers tos ee and to buy. The festival also includes musical entertainment, food, children's activities, artists' demonstrations and more.
NEED FOR STUFFED ANIMALS FOR TRAUMATIZED CHILDREN
A note to the wonderful lady who makes stuffed animals for crafts shows & donated four bags of cute dogs, bears, frogs, etc. - I gave two of your bags to the Embry Rucker Homeless Shelter. Two more bags went to the Reston Station of the Fairfax County Police Department (received a nice phone call of thanks, too). You may not already know that Police Officers are usually the first to confront upset, needy children during their patrols so they find it especially helpful if they can give children something of comfort. You might consider contacting the Fairfax County Police Department & sew more of these wonderful stuffed animals for them. Since I'm sure storage room is an issue there, too, I would suggest you call them before you begin (if this is a project that would interest you).
BEDS NEEDED FOR FOSTER KIDS
The foster kids in the Fairfax County Social Services system need beds, too. If you have a used bed in good-condition that you'd like to donate, please contact Carol Dutton at 703-324-7870.
Why not go carolling at a nursing home this year? Here are some links to music you can sing:
(Note: My daughter and her friends sang at a nearby assisted living center at Christmas and the girls - and the residents - loved it! No need to hold rehearsals. The residents just delight in having some young people around. If you can sing, that's just frosting on the cake. When my boss at Zany Brainy learned we'd be carolling, he gave us some bubble pens to give to the residents. Nice guy! But then, their generosity is one of the reasons I enjoy working there. :-))
If you'd like to entertain at a nursing home at Halloween, when less people come, find Halloween song lyrics at these sites:
Compilations of songs for both holidays - and more:
PARTIALLY-ADOPT FOSTER KIDS
Carol Dutton of Fairfax County Social Services (703-324-7870) and Sharon L'Herrou of Northern Virginia Family Services (703-533-2594) would like to match up groups of children (troops, church groups, etc.) with foster kids. Each child in your group would receive information on one foster care child, minus the foster care child's name. Information would include things like: favorite color, favorite cartoon animal or t.v. star, clothing size, favorite author, etc. Each child in your group could then bring in his/her hand-me-down clothes (in good condition) to donate to the foster child along with any other items that might interest the foster child - books, audiotapes, whatever your child thinks the foster child would like. These agencies cannot take huge amounts of hand-me-down clothes & books for the kids, because they have meager storage space, so they prefer to handle donations of this sort by this method.
Want to help out with The Love Box next year? It's a project aimed at giving needy children gift-wrapped shoe boxes stuffed with gifts of toys, books, candy canes, and almost anything a child might enjoy? Like Santa's elves, Project Love Box volunteers spend much of their free time prior to Christmas (starting in July) gathering and wrapping the shoe boxes for the children. Volunteers collect shoe boxes and wrap them with the top separate from the bottom. Toys are collected and then packed into the boxes. The boxes are labeled "boy" or "girl" along with an age group. The wrapped boxes are then delivered to children. The gifts are collected by the volunteers, churches, and community groups such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Retail stores have also donated thousands of toys and McDonald's has donated hundreds of coupons for free french fries. Shoe boxes are donated by retailers in the area. Volunteers get together every week and have "wrapping sessions" where they wrap and stuff the shoe boxes. For Christmas 2000, the Love Box sent gifts to Loudoun County, Fairfax Couny, Washington, DC, towns in Appalachia and Tijuana, Mexico. If you'd like to make a donation or volunteer to help fill shoe boxes, call Diane Rapagna (who lives in the Chantilly are of Fairfax County) at 703-435-4699 or Eileen Murray at 703-444-5468 of Fairfax, VA, so she can get you on the list. My 9-yr.-old daughter and I hope to help out for Christmas, 2001.
Items they put into the boxes: crayons,
coloring books,
fun pads,
jacks,
slinkys,
nail polish,
bracelets,
gloves,
mittens,
socks,
hats &
whatever will fit into a shoe box and bring joy to a child. Diane says these boxes of toys & necessities are sincerely appreciated by kids who might otherwise receive nothing during the holidays.
Here's a special foster care wishlist sent to me by Northern Virginia Family Services:
"Foster Parenting is not the only way to help children. There are many other
ways to help support children in foster care and the agencies that provide
services to them. Below are some ideas of different ways you can help.
Donations of:
· Almost new or new luggage or large duffle bags for children to put their belongings in when moving
· Computer software, computer technical assistance & instruction
· Family package tickets to sports, movies, or other extracurricular
activities
· Sports equipment, bicycles, roller blades, etc.
· Free advertising space in newspapers, newsletters, radio and television to help locate more families willing to help
· Printing, Xeroxing service for newsletters, brochures & other educational materials.
Financial Contributions for:· Graduation events
· Senior class trips
· Prom clothing & tickets
· Senior pictures
· Gift certificates for clothing
· Vocational classes
· Regulated child care
· Preparation materials & courses for college admission exams
· College application fees
· College tuition & books
Other:
Provide space for meetings, foster parent events, or training
· Volunteer to help stuff envelopes, address envelopes & other “light” office work
· Medical specialists services including dental care & medical expenses not covered by Medicaid
· Tutoring services
· Discounts for foster parents at food stores & drug stores
· Donation of inspirational speakers for events & conferences
· Volunteer to hang/distribute fliers
If you have thought of something other than what is on this list, we welcome your call to discuss your ideas! For questions or additional information please call Sharon at 703-533-2594. Thank you for your support!"
The Fairfax County Police have now become involved in accepting used cell phones for donation to abused women. These phones may be dropped off at any Fairfax County police station.
Volunteers Needed at Embry Rucker Community Center - seeking child care volunteers to assist with child care on weekday evenings from 6-9 o'clock. Minimum age, 15. Location. Reston, Call 703-324-5718.
Front desk volunteers are needed to answer phones, answer general questions from the residents and the public, and do some minimal paperwork. Minimum age, 16. Location, Reston. Call 703-324-5718.
Area Agency on Aging/Department of Family Service is seeking Meals on Wheels volunteers as group coordinators, driver coordinators and drivers. The program is set up to deliver meals to home-bound area residents Monday-Friday. Minimum age, 18. Call 703-324-5718.
Halloween Buckets for the Homeless
McDonald's hands out Halloween buckets as the Happy Meal toy at Halloween. When I was an assistant troop leader, I began wondering what families do with their extra buckets (because really, how many does one family need??). So the troop and I asked people to give us their extra buckets. Then we packed the buckets with toys, candy, essential items, etc., and gave 25 buckets to the kids at the Homeless Shelter. We're sure there were smiles on their faces! While we (only the adults - the children weren't allowed to come) were at the shelter, we picked up a list of items the shelter needs.
Click here to access lists of items useful to homeless shelters, hospital or nursing home patients, animal shelters, and schools.
And click here to learn how your "trash" could be someone else's "treasure," how your discarded items can help people less fortunate. And more here.
A GS troop leader friend of mind just sent me this idea for a great use for Happy Meal toys: "We have started to collect extra/double happy meal toys. We plan on putting them in a Halloween Pinata for a local shelter. Last Halloween we made 50 pinatas for each child living there. Way to much work. This year we will make two - one with the toys the other with the candy."
Share the url for the Polly Klaas Foundation site with others. It's http://www.pollyklaas.org/safetykit.htm. You'll find a child safety kit there that's invaluable. Take time to look over the pictures of missing children, too. That'll be one more chance to find these kids.
Good Shepherd Alliance Seeks Volunteers. The Good Shepherd Alliance, Inc., of Loudoun County is in immediate need of volunteers to help maintain its homeless shelter facilities and work with people in crisis. The non-profit organization needs painters, electricians, plumbers, car mechanics and landscapers to restore living spaces, vehicles and outdoor areas. Also needed are physicians, dentists, lawyers and crisis counselors to support children, mothers, grandparents, parolees, and others. Youth and adults are invited to come help sort, price and hang clothing and move furniture every Monday through Saturday at the thrift store located at the Regal Center, 20921 Davenport Drive, Suite 113, in Sterling. Call Kim Middleton at 703-433-2631 for information.
Other volunteer opportunities in Loudoun County, VA.
Homeless Animals Rescue Team in Fairfax Station, Virginia, could use your help! Their plea: A picture is worth a thousand words! Just ask any of our pets. Those with photos accompanying their story get far more inquiries than those without. If you have a digital camera, would you mind taking a few mug shots of our lovable pooches every month? If you set aside just one afternoon a month for photography you could make an insurmountable difference in an animal's life! OR: would you be able to donate digital camera to our office? Then, our trusty office staff or a volunteer could ensure that all our pets get the chance at a home that they so richly deserve! We need digital images for use on our web site, so the quality doesn't have to be great! Maybe you have an older camera that you've replaced with a nice new one. Your older camera would serve our purposes wonderfully! (Jean's note: Good service project for older Girl Scouts???)
Do you sew? A Stitch In Time Helps Save Lives! HART dogs are featured at several adoption days every month and things can get pretty hectic when as many as 30 dogs are there at a time! To help potential adopters “sniff out” our dogs we tell them to look for the HART bandanna. These bandannas are quite costly when ordered through regular channels, so we thought we would turn to you, our supporters and seek your help. If you sew, could you possibly make up some 24” square, fire engine red bandannas for our adoption days? The only embellishment they’ll need is we like to have a white heart appliquéd onto a corner, so that the point of the heart faces the corner of the bandanna. (This looks quite cute on our pups!!!) (Jean's note: Good project for Brownies, I bet!)
Know how to knit? HO-HO-HO in Alexandria, VA, could use your help. You can knit hats, scarves, or mittens, etc., or donate much needed washable, acrylic yarn. Children's clothing, books, crayons and nursery items such as cribs and bedding, are accepted throughout the year.
A piece in the Herndon Connection Health Calendar about what to do when you encounter child abuse in a public place:
Three in 10 Americans have witnessed an adult physically abuse a child, and two in three Americans have seen an adult emotionally abuse a child. Yet nearly half of them failed to respond to the incident, according to a study released by Prevent Child Abuse America. Of the 1,250 surveyed, 44 percent failed to respond on observing the child abuse, with one-half of these individuals reporting they had no idea how to respond effectively. Of those who claimed to have done something in response to the situation, 55 percent reported that they had given the offending adult a disapproving look, and 63 percent claimed to have verbally reprimanded the adult. To educate the general public on appropriate and effective responses to child abuse in a public place, Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) has launched a public service campaign offering advice on how to respond effectively. Listed below are some things that can be done to help neutralize the situation:
* Start a conversation with the adult to direct attention away from the child. For example, "She seems to be trying your patience," "My child has gotten upset like that, too," or "Children can wear you out, can't they? Is there anything I can do to help?"
* Divert the child's attention (if misbehaving) by talking to the child.
* Look for an opportunity to praise the parent or child.
* If the child is in danger, offer assistance.
* Avoid negative remarks or looks. These reactions are likely to increase the parent's anger and could make matters worse.
For more information about activities relating to Child Abuse Prevention Month, contact SCAN at (703) 836-1820.
Why are so many pop tabs going to waste??? At our hotel in Ocean City during vacation, there were soda machines on each floor that dispensed soda cans w/pop tabs. Few people realize that these pop tabs translate into financial support for Ronald McDonald Houses, temporary homes for families in crisis. Can you imagine how much potential financial aid is lost when hotel guests throw out their pop tabs?
Let's do something about it! I wrote to the Chamber of Commerce, a church in Ocean City, the local Girl Scout Council, and I e-mailed quite a few hotels in Ocean City to ask them to please post notices about the pop tab collection next to their soda machines, keep a collection tin at their front desk, and ask their local McDonalds if they would send any pop tabs the hotel collects to their headquarters or to a participating Ronald McDonald House. If you can't help collect these pop tabs, perhaps you can help get the word out about their value. Here is the site that explains the program: http://www.rmhc.com/about/programs/education/rmh/poptab/index.html. It's a shame to see these pop tabs thrown away out of ignorance.
Where can you find cans with pop tabs? Look for cans where people are - apartments, stadiums, swimming pools, restaurants, schools, bowling alleys, parks, playgrounds and college campuses. Cans are also found near such work areas as offices,
construction sites and wherever vending machines are located. You can also establish collection routes in your neighborhood or with local merchants. Ask merchants to place a box or bag near snack bars or vending machines with a sign reading "Please Recycle Your Aluminum Cans here." Go here to find places that will take the cans. And don't forget to remove the pop tab & send it to a participating Ronald McDonald House. Here's a participating Ronald McDonald House in Columbia, South Carolina. Boy and Girl Scout groups have recycled cans
ever since 1970, when can recycling got started nationally. Americans of all ages have recycled cans to buy zoo animals in Dallas, to send handicapped children to summer camps in Wisconsin, to help restore the Statue of Liberty and to help train American athletes for the Olympic games. In a number of cities, fire fighters accept donated cans at firehouses. They use proceeds from the recycled cans to fund programs to help child burn victims. Here's a website with a better description of the pop tab collection program.
Another group that collects pop tabs:
Children's Medical Hospital Center of Akron, Ohio
If you'd like to read to homeless children in local shelters, check out this site. They'll send you directions on how to collect items for homeless children and make items for homeless children. Even more exciting is that they'll send you instructions on how to throw your own party to encourage donations of books for homeless children. They'll even provide the invitations for you!
Want to save a rabbit this Easter? You can print out and post these notices or donate hay or vegetables to your local Rabbit Rescue House via this site.
Want to foster parent a reptile? Click here.
Are you good at designing web pages? Then why not design one for a kid with cancer? Click here.
"Bearable Times" seeking students, teachers, parents, grandparents, etc. for their Teddy Bear Sweater Club. Anyone interested in helping make clothing or donating Teddy Bears to be given to kids in the hospital, please contact bearkids@tiac.net
Here's another project - one in which I once participated - the Red Cross Mail Call Program. Red Cross supplies the cards, envelopes & stamps. You have only to provide the personal letter to a nursing home resident - some of whom have no family or friends who visit. It's a great program. Contact your local Red Cross for more information. I don't know whether this program is nationwide or only in Northern Virginia. The one in which I participated was through the Arlington, Virginia, Chapter of the American Red Cross - click here for info. Recently, I visited an elderly family member at a local assisted living facility. I'd written her several letters prior to our visit (I admit that I'd been lazy about it prior to this.). When I mentioned the letters, she became quite animated and she said she'd read each one from beginning to end and she just loved them. You'd be suprised at how even a short note from a stranger can make a difference to someone in one of these facilities, especially to those residents who have no family or friends to visit them. And here's a craft/service project idea for Brownie troops. While I was visiting my mother's cousin today, she had me cut apart greeting cards so she could use the pretty fronts of them to fan herself when her plastic fan (like her other one) finally fell apart. Why not have your troop make fans* to give to the residents? Here are some sites with instructions on how to do this:
Or how about making the residents their own bulletin boards? You could cover a thick (cork?) board with burlap & then lace ribbon across it in a criss-cross fashion. The ribbon would hold the pictures & such on the board. Then put a picture hanger (or two?) on the back of the board & voila! Make sure the facility allows the residents to put these up in their rooms before you start this project.
One other thing my mother's cousin mentioned to me that gave me an idea: I asked about the nightgown I'd sent her for Christmas and she immediately launched into an apology. She hadn't sent a thank-you note to me, because - of course - it's more difficult for her to write now. What a great idea it would be for a youth group to visit a resident and just take a few moments to write out letters or cards for them to send to their loved ones and friends. It would give them back some dignity (it embarrasses them that they can't respond to gifts and cards like they used to do) and provide a nice surprise to yet another person! And for those who can still write - why not buy or make pencil grips for them? I'm sure there's someone out there more crafty than I am who can come up with a way to make these! As people age, they often get arthritis in their fingers which makes it hard to hold items. Pencil grips make it a bit easier for them.
More ideas on what to get the Senior Citizen in your life:
Want to sing to residents at a nursing home or children's center, but you don't have anyone to accompany you on an instrument? No problem.Buy a karaoke tape. (I bought mine from the PocketSongs site on the internet (PocketSongs.com), but they sell them at any number of places...Buy.com has them, for instance.) You don't even have to use a karaoke machine. All you need is a tape player or cd player, the music, some singers (you!), an audience - and you're in business! Imagine the smile you'll bring to people's faces (and you just might enjoy it, too!).
Are you good at making people laugh? Then put on a happy face & do your stuff at a local nursing home. On the Other Great Links page at this site, you'll find a link to clowning tips from some clowns who already entertain at nursing homes, etc. Check it out ( or not...maybe you're already a natural! :-). But I think Patch Adams had the right idea....make 'em laugh! (I had a friend who did this sort of thing at Children's Hospital in Washington, DC. The children's faces brightened the minute she stepped into the room (but she was a white face clown, because some children are more afraid of the Auguste clowns....and she approached the children gently). She handed out balloon animals, did magic tricks, and she left there feeling fulfilled, leaving happier children behind.
Here are a few more links to get you started:
Balloon Twisting:
Magic:
Basic Clowning:
I would be amiss if I didn't mention that the Continuing Education Dept. at the Loudoun Campus of Northern Virginia Community College frequently offers reasonably-priced clowning classes. I graduated from the class as a clown and I actually marched in a parade in Leesburg, but I became too shy to pursue it as a career. (Plus, my husband could make balloon animals far better than I could! :-))
How do you get to school? Here's a virtual bicycling safety tour and a virtual walking safety tour - all at this one site!
How about making a troop Charity Chest? Click here to learn how.
To reach the Herndon local chapter of The Linus Project,a nationwide project that donates handmade blankets to needy children, call Jo Ann Holley at (703) 437-4764 (or e-mail her at JHolley99@aol.com). . Volunteers sew, crochet, quilt, or weave the blankets. The Herndon, VA, chapter donates their blankets to Fairfax Hospital's pediatrics and oncology divisions, the Leesburg, VA, Chapter of Hospice of Northern Virginia for children who are sick or who are dealing with the illness or death of a loved one, and to a shelter for abused children. According to an article in The Herndon Observer, Jan. 7, 2000, the Herndon chapter has donated 171 blankets in just a little over a year's time. Check out the Project Linus link to find a chapter of Project Linus in your community.
-The above notice was extracted from The Herndon Times Newspaper, Wed., January 5, 2000 - Check-It Out column. (Web Address: http://www.timespapers.com)
I've heard how some Girl Scouts will help out their elderly neighbors by shoveling their driveways, but here's another service you could do....How many times have you had to walk in the street (a very dangerous thing to do!) after a big snow because some homeowners neglected to shovel their sidewalks? A good youth project might be to plan ahead to take up the slack after the next snowstorm - If you see a sidewalk on the way to school that isn't clear, your troop could shovel it and help the school kids get to school safely. Remember that the kids have to get to and from school bus stops safely, too. And, for your benefit, here are some tips on shoveling snow safely.
Wildlife Rescue League: Build or repair cages, nest boxes, etc.... Collect and/or donate supplies and equipment for rehabilitation .
Volunteers are needed as visitors for homebound patients involved with INOVA VNA Home Health programs. Vounteers are asked to spend 1-2 hours per week talking with a patient, running errands and doing odd jobs. No nursing experience is required. Call (703) 321-2682.
Volunteers needed to help withThe Bargain Loft, the FISH-sponsored thrift store in Herndon. All proceeds are used by FISH to aid those in need in Herndon and Reston. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call (703) 437-0600.
ECHO (Springfield/Burke area of VA), a coalition of 27 churches and synagogues, provides assistance to those in need. Call (703) 569-9160.
FACETS (Fairfax Area Christian Emergency and Transitional Services) seeks contributions of gifts, clothing, and other help. Call (703) 352-5090.
SOME (So Others May Eat): Items needed: "Because we feed so many people every day of the year, ongoing donations of food are always needed and welcomed. Especially needed are baby
formula, powdered milk, canned vegetables, peanut butter, canned meat or tuna fish. You can deliver these items any time during the day Monday-Friday to 71 "0" Street, NW. Because we help so many folks find housing, we are always looking for household items or small appliances
(radio, TV toasters, etc.) in good working condition. We appreciate your bringing them to SOME or call our Donations Coordinator at (202)797-8806, x. 1093 to arrange for picking up large pieces of furniture." Check out their site for more ways you can help (serving food, teaching arts & crafts, providing music in senior citizen homes, etc.)
Another good place in Herndon, VA, that accepts all kinds of used clothing, sells it at a very low cost and gives the proceeds back to the community in scholarships and other ways, so
your donations do double duty is The Closet:
New location is 845 Station Street...that's where Perfection Auto was before, on the west side of Station just past Great Harvest Bread Co. & the Dominion Animal Hosp. Parking is behind...go in an alley on the south side of the store. Also street parking and plenty of municipal parking in the area. HOURS are different in summer. For July, donations are accepted ONLY on Sat. 15 & 29 July. Open hours are at least 10 to 2 on Tues, Thurs, and Sat. Not sure if they are open for shopping at 8 or not.
Another idea: Did you know that the clinics at local elementary schools can always use extra used children's clothes? Kids have accidents of all sorts that require a change of clothes that the children usually don't have with them.
Call your local elementary school before you toss out any old clothes.
http://www.charityfrogs.com/
Click the link above to donate $1 (each click) to the Red Cross at no cost to you.
http://www.thehungersite.com
Click the link above to donate 2-1/2 cups of food (per click) to the hungry at no cost to you.
Same thing, but to some other causes. Click here.
DONORS IN SHORT SUPPLY!
Inova Blood Donor Services faces a critical need for O-positive, O-negative and B-negative blood. The blood supply is traditionally lowest during the hodiays since people are traveling out of the area or busy with holiday activities. Nearly 200 donors a day are needed to meet routine demands. Inova Blood Donor Services is one of the major suppliers of blood products in the Washington metropolitan region, serving 11 hospitals. Inova has five blood donor locations in Northern Virginia with convenient hours including weekends. Donors can call (703) 698-3885 for more information.
Some of our school children wiped out on the icy roads this winter on their way to school. Maybe we could all use a refresher course on bike safety and riding in adverse conditions. Check out this link. Speaking of safety, here are on-line instructions on how to do CPR.
Help bring missing kids home!Click here to visit the homepage of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. From there, follow the link marked "How Can I Help?" to learn how you can help by posting pictures of missing children around your community. Other volunteer opportunites can be found there, too. If nothing else, take a few minutes to examine some of the photos there to see if you recognize a missing child.
Here are some GS service project activities. These were sent by other troops to a GS leader for inclusion in a Service Projects compendium she and her troops are compiling to earn a special pin from their council. It requires 2000 minutes of service per troop:
PLEASE NOTE: Another child has died from placing the Burger King kid's meal Pokemon ball over his mouth and nose - even after therecall was put out. The mother said she hadn't heard about the recall....so I'm posting it here. The red & white pokeballs given out with children's meals at Burger King have been recalled because they are unsafe. Babies have died of asphyxiation from getting them stuck over their noses & mouths. Please return any of these pokeballs to Burger King for a free small fry, or toss them out. And please take a moment to read the information on this product recall link (it could save a life):
Here's something you can do to help your school! We already know that many schools collect Giant receipts (now replaced by the Giant BonusCard program), Campbells soup labels, Boxtops for Education, etc. - that's because we are involved in the school, so we get the news about it. But what about single people in your neighborhood? Imagine how many of those items are just tossed into the trash - only because they aren't aware of your need for them and how your school can get great equipment and supplies with them! So spread the word around your neighborhood. If you have a neighborhood newsletter, submit an item about it. If not, spread the word by mouth. Here's the Giant Food Apples for Students link. Here's the Box Tops for Education Link. And here's the Campbells Soup labels link.
Do you have a close friend? Show your appreciation for them by giving them this easy-to-make friendship kit. And Kids Domain has some nice easy gifts you can make (how about some bath salts to give to an elderly neighbor or picture frames? Don't forget to follow the links at the bottom of the page, too!
Here's something I read in an internet document that looks like a great idea for any interested school:
STUDENTS USE RECESS TO FEED THE POOR
Friday is a special day for students at Franklin Sherman Elementary in McLean, Virginia. It's not only the day before the weekend,
but also the day that students spend part of their recess making sandwiches for the hungry and homeless. Students in Grades 1-6
gather in the school cafeteria to make more than 100 sandwiches with bread and condiments provided by the PTA or packages of
meat and cheese donated by individual classes.
If parents object to having the kids do this during school time, perhaps some kids could form a club to do it after school.
Check out this site: FamilyCares.org.
Here's the KidsCare site . If you have kids who care enough to lend a hand to others, then you just have to check out the many opportunities available at this site!
What to do with the white, round hard-plastic buckets (w/metal handles) given to me by a clerk at my local Giant Food Store? I believe they held cream cheese, frosting, etc., (for the bakery), etc.) If you have any ideas, write to me. I'll post them here for other troops to see. An idea I just heard - college students can use these buckets for shower caddys! Wouldn't they make nice gifts for kids going off to college - maybe even foster kids on their way to college?
Able to pick some fruit or vegetables to feed the hungry? Check out the Gleaning Network.
And here's another great craft from a GS troop leader I met via the internet:
Another project is can lids removed from the top of food cans with the new can openers that curl under the edges. Draw a design of your choice or trace one from a coloring book-whatever then make dots from one end to the other. Maybe a cute little tree and then punch holes in the dots and punch a hole in the top of the lid, put a ribbon through and hang on the tree. Darling ornaments for the senior citzens home.
Good places to look for service project ideas in the Northern Virginia area: The Journal Newspaper, TheObserver Newspaper, The Connection Newspaper, The Herndon Times.. And remember to check-out the links below fairly regularly. They are chock-full of service project ideas & opportunities.
Links to Service-Oriented Sites on the Internet:
Reston Interfaith
The Washington Post Search Site for Vounteer Opportunities in the Washington Metropolitan Area
American Cancer Society
Another List of Local Service Groups
UPN Channel 20 Community Service Announcements
A Clowning Site (Info. on how to clown in hospitals & a good craft)
About.com site on Girl Scouting
Herndon, VA, community bulletin board
Here's the site for Kiwanis International. And here are more service project ideas from a
Key Club site.
Don't forget to check out this wonderful site by Prudential which lists many commendable service projects by youth from all over the country! And Northern Virginia Family Services offers many ways for you to get involved.
Would you like to make quilt squares for ill children? Then visit this site:Love Quilts to Make a Child Smile.
*They're compiling a book of volunteering ideas for kids and they're inviting you to send in your own experiences!
**Click on each link. Then click on the link that says "answers to six questions" for more information on how you can help!
Ecumenical Community Helping Others (ECHO): Volunteers are needed for such jobs as sorting donations, maintaining the building and grounds, laundering soiled clothing, delivering Meals on Wheels, counseling clients and performing office duties. We ask that volunteers who work in the ECHO building give two daytime sessions or one nighttime session a month.
Want to read about what other great kids have done? Then click here!
And here.
Here's a simple, quick service project that would make a great before-meeting or after-meeting project: Draw a picture & color it & send it to ColoraSmile.org. They'll send it out to other people who need a smile, like residents of nursing homes, patients in hospitals, etc. Quick, easy, & helpful!
ANOTHER DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this web site has been Girl Scout Council approved, so I alone am responsible for anything & everything here.
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