(Posted 2026 March)
During this year’s MLK Day of Service, our Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Services Program was proudly represented at a large community event coordinated by Volunteer Fairfax. With nearly 800 participants in attendance and long lines at our table throughout the day, the event offered a powerful reminder of how much our community cares about supporting children and families. Our team’s presence helped raise awareness of our services, build new connections, and engage volunteers of all ages in meaningful, hands-on activities.
Thanks to Our Volunteers and Staff
The success of the day was made possible by the dedication and hard work of several key volunteers and staff. A heartfelt, "thank you," goes to our incredible Body Safety Program volunteers—Jackie Hess, Cathy Healy, and Cheryl Wilhoyte—as well as our DFS intern, Litzy Reyes who joined staff member, Francesca Lovitt. Their energy and commitment were instrumental in running our two project stations smoothly and ensuring that every visitor to our table had a positive, engaging experience. Violet Kendrick, Lovitt’s 11-year-old niece, also joined as a volunteer and brought wonderful enthusiasm and warmth to the event. We truly enjoyed working alongside all the volunteers and were inspired by their teamwork.
We’d also like to extend our thanks to our outstanding administrative staff, Noelia Privado and Cassandra Johnson, for their support with logistics behind the scenes. The event couldn’t have taken place without you!
Community Support Yields Impressive Results
Throughout the day, our team assembled an impressive number of hygiene kits, distributed information about our programs and ways the community can donate and support families. Thanks to a generous donation of stuffed animals from Build-a-Bear® participants colored countless stuffed bears for our clients. We also made valuable new connections, including two potential volunteers and one large faith-based partner interested in future collaboration.
We would like to acknowledge that our parent agency, the Fairfax County Department of Family Services, was also represented at the event by our Adult and Aging Division, who led volunteers in creating personal care kits to support older adult clients receiving county services. Volunteer Fairfax reports that 14 partner organizations came together to complete 15 meaningful service projects addressing critical community needs, including food insecurity, family support, elder care, environmental stewardship, mental health, and emergency preparedness.
Look at all the amazing fun we had with the community for this incredible day of service. The images capture the spirit of service and community that made this MLK Day so meaningful for our program and those we serve.
For more information, check out 2026 MLK Day of Service - Volunteer Fairfax.