(Posted June 2025)
Introducing Chris Jiang, one of our dedicated behind-the-scenes volunteers who plays a meaningful role in supporting the Department of Family Services’ mission to serve our community. A Northern Virginia native, Chris has been providing much-needed volunteer support to the Guardianship Unit since August 2024. Lori Jones, his supervisor in the unit, shared, “Chris is an asset to the Guardianship Team. His willingness to learn, proficiency, and efficiency are extremely important, and he is a gem. We are happy and lucky to have Chris on our team.”
Chris is a part-time graduate student at George Mason University, enrolled in a three-year Health Informatics program, an interdisciplinary field that applies information technology and data science to improve healthcare. He previously earned his undergraduate degree from William & Mary, where he majored in Public Policy and minored in Public Health. His strong academic foundation, paired with a desire to make a tangible impact and gain hands-on experience in a professional setting, led him to the Guardianship Unit, where he contributes meaningfully to the team’s mission.
The Guardianship Unit supports cases where the Probate Court appoints a guardian to make all major decisions for an incapacitated person (ward), whose legal rights have been removed. Guardians are responsible for the ward’s well-being, including decisions related to placement, medication, and care. They must submit an initial report covering the first four months, followed by annual reports. When the ward resides in Fairfax County, this unit—which consists of one county employee, one administrative contractor, and one volunteer—receives and processes all guardian reports on over 3,000 cases. This includes managing high volumes of mail, processing new cases, and following up with guardians who fail to report.
In his volunteer role, Chris is responsible for tracking delinquent guardians who have not submitted the required reports. He contacts them to remind them of their obligations, aiming to ensure compliance and reduce the number of cases referred back to the Probate Court. He records all communications and activity in the database, including notification dates and outcomes. Chris also conducts investigative work using online resources to locate obituaries of deceased wards, helping verify information in the county database. His role further includes sending monthly reminder letters, researching addresses for undeliverable mail, and assisting with copying and filing. Chris typically contributes 11 hours over two days each week, dedicating his time to these essential tasks. While administrative in nature the impact of these tasks is monumental to the individuals they support.
For Chris, volunteering offers a unique sense of fulfillment. He values the opportunity to contribute to the community while gaining professional experience in a supportive, real-world setting. His work helps ease the administrative burden on county staff and has given him a deeper understanding of how a government office operates—experience that will serve him well in his future career. He also shared that his volunteer role has deepened his empathy for others and the life challenges they face. His strong commitment to service has deep roots—he was a Boy Scout and eventually became an Eagle Scout, leading several community projects.
We’re grateful for Chris’s reliability, compassion, and diligence—his contributions have made a meaningful impact on our department and the individuals we serve!
This article is part of the Department of Family Services Older Adults Volunteer Solutions Caring Community Updates e-news – providing a variety of updates and articles about our volunteers in action. Learn more about Volunteer Solutions.