Welcome to the 2024 March issue of The Volunteer Post Newsletter, for current and potential volunteers, sponsors and donors interested in supporting children and families in crisis.
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Mark Your Calendars for the 2024 Volunteer & Partner Appreciation Event
April is National Volunteer Month, a time to recognize our dedicated volunteers, sponsors, and donors. Your sacrifice of time, energy, and capital makes it possible for us to keep our programs running and impact children and families in the community for the better. Be our guest at our Annual Volunteer & Partner Appreciation Event for a fun evening of complimentary food, prizes, raffles, and giveaways. We hope to see YOU at Fairfax Community Church, 11451 Braddock Rd, Fairfax, VA on Tuesday, April 18, from 5-8 p.m. Let us know if you plan to come. Reply by email or call 571-536-8192 by March 29.
Welcoming our Newest Body Safety Instructors and Befriend-A-Child Mentors
Earlier this year, our BeFriend-A-Child Mentoring and Body Safety educational programs each hosted successful training events to prepare incoming volunteers to be mentors and facilitators to children in our community. We are so grateful to these amazing individuals willing to dedicate their time to help change the future for children in Fairfax County. Find out more about the training and some of the volunteers.
Spotlight on Tim Barber, Long-Term VPS Community Partner
The BeFriend-A-Child Mentoring program is known for hosting amazing bimonthly enrichment activities in and around Fairfax County. Learn about Tim Barber, one of the remarkable individuals who supports the program in more ways than one.
BeFriend-A-Child Mentors and Mentees Connect Through Food
In February, the BeFriend-A-Child mentors and mentees had a great time dishing up some yummy recipes together as part of an experimental cooking class led by instructors with Cookology Recreational Culinary School. Learn more about this fun learning experience.
Volunteer with Dads Parenting Groups
We are looking for committed fathers or father figures to volunteer to co-facilitate our Dads Parenting Groups. If you are reliable, accepting, patient, honest, flexible, motivated, and cooperative, and you have availability one evening a week for 13 weeks, this might be the opportunity for you! Bilingual (English/Spanish speaking) applicants are highly encouraged to apply. Learn more about this opportunity.
Celebrating a Fantastic Year of Partnership with Tickets for Kids
Thank you, Tickets for Kids, for the first year of what we hope will be a longstanding partnership in bettering the lives of the children in our community! Tickets for Kids has provided 130 tickets to enable children to broaden their horizons through culturally enriching events. Check out some of the remarkable experiences the children enjoyed this past year!
Planting Pinwheel Gardens for Child Abuse Prevention
During Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, help us raise awareness of community resources supporting children and families. Display a pinwheel garden at your Fairfax County business, house of worship, school, or organization. You can also wear prevention blue and take a photo with one of the community gardens at your local library, community center, or other locations around the county. For more information about ways to partner with the Department of Family Services online.
Appreciating and Empowering DFS Social Workers
Social workers are uniquely qualified to handle societal troubles ranging from homelessness to opioid use, and mental health crises to child welfare concerns. Social workers enter the profession because they truly want to help others. They go through years of education, training, and supervision so they can do the delicate but important work of meeting people where they are and helping them achieve their goals. March is Social Work Month, a chance to learn more about the social workers in DFS and the ways they are helping to improve lives in our community.
ABOUT VOLUNTEER & PARTNER SERVICES (VPS)
The Volunteer Post Newsletter is part of the Department of Family Services Volunteer & Partner Services Program (VPS) - managing volunteer programs (Administrative Assistant Program, BeFriend-A-Child Mentoring Program, Body Safety Program - Speak Up Be Safe, recruiting and training volunteers for programs (Father Engagement Program and Parenting Education Programs); and working with partners, sponsors and donors to help in special efforts (Adopt-A-Family Program, Baby box initiative, back-to-school backpacks). Learn more about VPS and how volunteers are making a positive difference.
Browse through past newsletters in the archive. To provide feedback on our newsletter or to be added to our mailing list, contact us.