Have you been thinking about volunteering? Looking to add new and enriching activities to your life? Want to create new connections?
Volunteer Solutions, in the Fairfax County Department of Family Services, is coordinating the annual Venture into Volunteering fair. Meet representatives from nonprofit organizations and local government agencies who will tell you about ways to volunteer in the community and answer your questions.
Venture into Volunteering will be held on the upper level at the Springfield Town Center in Springfield, VA, on Sunday, October 18, from 12-4 p.m.
If you have questions, please email VolunteerSolutions@FairfaxCounty.gov or call 703-324-5406.
This fair will take place in conjunction with the annual Beacon 50+ Expo. Dozens of exhibitors – including government agencies, nonprofits, and local businesses- will provide helpful information regarding services for older adults, retirement communities, home remodeling, financial planning, healthcare, travel, fitness, and more.
A wide variety of resources will be available, including free health screenings and vaccines (bring your insurance card and Medicare cards). There will be door prizes and giveaways!
Here are the organizations who participated in the 2025 Venture into Volunteering. Stay tuned for this year’s list, which will be updated this summer.
| Organization | Website | Opportunity |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Stage Theatre | 1stStage.org | Demonstrates that great art and culture are the heart and soul of vibrant communities. Our not-for-profit professional theatre produces thought-provoking performances and delivers support and resources to the region’s talented artists to do their best work. |
| Assistance League of Northern VA | AssistanceLeague.org | Meeting the basic needs of children in low-income schools we serve. |
| Catholic Charities of Diocese of Arlington | CCDA.net | An ecumenical organization seeking to serve the most vulnerable people, teaching respect for the dignity and sanctity of human life, from conception to death, and implementing social justice in ways that empower individuals, families and communities. |
Catholic Charities of Diocese of Arlington - Migration and Refugee Services
| CCDA.net | Supporting the integration of refugees and others with legal status in Northern VA. |
| Children’s Science Center Lab | ChildSci.org | A non-profit offering an interactive museum at Fair Oaks Mall (and building one in Dulles, VA) where children, families and school groups can explore science, technology, engineering, and math through fun, engaging hands-on exhibits, activities and programs. Inspiring a love of learning. |
| CRi (Community Residences, inc.) | MyCRi.org | Offers personalized resources to youth and adults with mental health needs and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities, to facilitate a fulfilling life with dignity and purpose. |
Culmore Clinic
| Culmoreclinic.org | Advancing health by bringing the community together to provide medical care and health education at no cost to uninsured neighbors. |
Dept. of Emergency Management and Security (DEMS)
| Department of Emergency Management and Security | Emergency Management | Committed to the safety and wellbeing of our community, employees and visitors, and striving to improve resiliency. |
| Department of Family Services -Area Agency on Aging-Volunteer Solutions | Bit.ly/DFS-VS | Provide meaningful opportunities to help older adults, adults with disabilities and family caregivers in one-on-one or group settings. Fostering connections and improving quality of life with grocery shopping, social visiting, rides to appointments, and more, including supporting senior center programs. |
| Department of Family Services - Domestic and Sexual Violence Services (DSVS) | Domestic and Sexual Violence Services Volunteers | Family Services | Working to transform society’s response to domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, and stalking by challenging oppression, collaborating to inform policy and providing people with support and advocacy. |
| Department of Family Services - Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) | Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) - Free Income Tax Preparation | Family Services | Providing free Income Tax service to low-income families, with the support of trained volunteers. |
| ECHO (Ecumenical Community Helping Others, Inc.) | Echo-inc.org | An all-volunteer, non-profit, providing help with food, clothing, housewares, and financial assistance to individuals/families in need within the Burke/Springfield community. |
Fairfax County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
| FairfaxCountyCERT.org | Enhance the emergency preparedness of residents through community engagement, training and operations that support county and community events, to foster safer, more resilient communities. |
| Fairfax County Park Authority Farmers Markets | Farmers Market Volunteers | Park Authority | To provide residents access to locally grown products and create market opportunities for area farmers and food producers. |
Fairfax County Public Schools
| FCPS.edu | FCPS inspires and empowers students to meet high academic standards, lead healthy, ethical lives and be responsible and innovative global citizens. |
| Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) | FairfaxCasa.org | Recruits and trains volunteers to advocate for children who are going through abuse and neglect cases. |
Fairfax Pets on Wheels (FPOW)
| FPOW.org | To provide pet therapy teams to long-term care facilities in Fairfax County. |
Fairfax Tree Rescue PRISM
| 120411tigre@gmail.com | Facilitate a coordinated effort by residents and organizations across Fairfax Co. (and the independent jurisdictions therein) to control the most problematic of those invasive plants. |
| Fellowship Square | FellowshipSquare.org | Fellowship Square improves the lives of older adults who struggle to make ends meet by providing them with affordable housing and supportive services. |
| Food for Others | FoodforOthers.org | To distribute food to our neighbors in need by mobilizing our giving community and volunteers. |
| Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital | gscnc.org | Girl Scouting builds girls filled with courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. |
| Ignatian Volunteer Corps | ivcusa.org/nca | Ecumenical organization providing mature men and women the opportunity to serve the needs of people who are poor, and to work for a more just society. |
| Inova Retail and Resale | www.inova.org/our-services/volunteer-opportunities-inova | The goal is to provide world-class healthcare to each person, in every community we have the privilege to serve. |
| Lifetime Learning Institute of Northern VA | Llinova.org | LLI-NOVA, a non-profit affiliated with the Annandale campus of Northern Virginia Community College, member-volunteer-run organization offering stimulating educational and cultural pursuits to member and non-member adults age 50 and over. |
| Mount Vernon at Home | MountVernonAtHome.org | Build a village of caring friends and volunteers to support the independence of our members, allowing them to age in place. |
| National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) | nami-northernvirginia.org | To build better lives for individuals and families affected by mental illness by providing advocacy, support, and public awareness. |
Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS-Fairfax County)
| Neighborhood and Community Services | Neighborhood and Community Services | To partner with communities, families and individuals to provide opportunities to access a continuum of resources that promote equity and create positive outcomes. |
| Northern Virginia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program | bit.ly/NVLTCOP | To advocate for the highest quality of life and care for individuals receiving long-term care services, and to resolve complaints. Including those in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and those receiving community-based care. |
| NV Rides and Pozez JCC | nvrides.org | A non-profit, Volunteer Transportation Network providing rides to older adults. |
OAR NOVA
| OARNOVA.org | To rebuild lives and create a safer community with opportunities, alternatives, and resources for justice-involved individuals and their families. |
| Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at George Mason University | olli.gmu.edu | Offering intellectual and cultural experiences in a welcoming atmosphere that promotes lifelong learning. |
| Project Knitwell | ProjectKnitwell.org | Assists individuals during hard times by providing knitting instruction and highlighting knitting's value as a wellness tool. |
Read-On Young Readers
| ReadOnYoungReaders.com | A community of readers determined to improve oral language and beginning literacy skills in Fairfax County. |
| Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church, Inc | RebuildingTogether-AFF.org | Repair homes, revitalize communities and rebuild lives. |
Shelter House
| Shelterhouse.org | To prevent and end homelessness and domestic violence by engaging the community, building effective relationships, providing crisis intervention, safe housing and supportive services. |
| Shepherd’s Centers of Annandale-Springfield and Fairfax-Burke | SCFBVA.org Shepherdscenter-Annandale.org | To support and enrich the lives of older adults in the community, and to empower them to use their wisdom and skills for the good of their peers in the community. |
TEACH
| TeachAM.org | To actively respond to schooling needs of under-served children in Mayan communities in Guatemala. |
| Traveler's Aid International - Dulles Airport | TravelersAid.org | To manage, operate and provide travelers assistance services to those at Dulles Airport, including providing directions and information regarding the airport, airlines, ground transportation, parking and the metro DC area. |
| Volunteer Fairfax - RSVP - NOVA | VolunteerFairfax.org | Engages people and organizations to amplify their community impact. |
| The Women's Center | TheWomensCenter.org | To significantly improve the mental health and well-being of all members of the community through counseling, education, support and advocacy. |
| Workhouse Arts Center | WorkhouseArts.org | Helps to grow and support a vibrant arts center that offers engaging opportunities and inspiring experiences in visual and performing arts, education classes, historical perspective, community engagement, and personal enrichment. |