Department of Family Services – Older Adults

CONTACT INFORMATION: Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
703-324-7948 TTY 711
12011 Government Center Parkway, Suite 708
Fairfax, VA 22035
Trina Mayhan-Webb
Director

Volunteer Solutions – Caring Community Updates 2019

Welcome to Caring Community Updates 2019 news and articles about our volunteers in action!


Breaking Out of Her Comfort Zone

Volunteer Rebecca JohnstoneMultiple studies show that people who volunteer tend to be happier and Rebecca Johnstone says she’s no exception.

After living most of her adult life in Missouri, Rebecca and her husband moved to Fairfax County when he received a job offer. With only one car between them and being in a new environment, she didn’t venture out much at first. Eventually, she decided she needed a purpose to get through the day and out of the house.

So, she learned to navigate public transportation and started volunteering Monday through Friday for several organizations, including: Volunteer Solutions, the U.S.O. at Fort Belvoir, and the Kingstowne Library. For Volunteer Solutions, Rebecca provides valuable support to the Kingstowne Center for Active Adults and to our Alexandria regional office as an office assistant. Rebecca says that volunteering has various benefits, including making new friends and getting to know her community better. All of us, at Volunteer Solutions, are delighted to be one of the lucky beneficiaries of her time.


The Department of Family Services’ Adult and Aging Annual Holiday Project

The Department of Family Services’ Adult and Aging Annual Holiday Project   The Department of Family Services’ Adult and Aging Annual Holiday Project   The Department of Family Services’ Adult and Aging Annual Holiday Project

The Fairfax County Department of Family Services’ Adult & Aging (A&A) annual holiday project provides an opportunity for community partners and A&A staff to sponsor and bring holiday cheer to older adults and adults with disabilities in the Fairfax area who have limited or no social supports. Each sponsored adult receives a gift bag made up of donations from local businesses and nationally known organizations. The donations vary from year to year, but in recent years have included some combination of the following items: homemade cookies, gift card to a grocery store, hand crocheted lap blanket, walker bags, comfort care kit, pet gift, and emergency kit.

As a result of the partnerships, the A&A holiday project has grown by more than double over the last five years. Due to the hard work and dedication of community members, businesses, and the A&A employees, the annual holiday project now serves up to 400 older adults and adults with disabilities per year.

Our sincerest thanks to the members of the following organizations for their kindness, generosity, and support.

  • The Rotary Club of Bailey's Crossroads for the donation of gift cards.
  • Calvary Baptist Church for handcrafting lap blankets, quilts, shawls, and wheelchair bags.
  • The Young Men’s Service League of Vienna/Oakton and multiple Girl Scout Troops that donated homemade cookies as well as placemats.
  • St. John Neumann Catholic Church and The Church of Latter-Day Saints Great Falls Ward for purchasing supplies to assemble care packages.
  • Pet Supplies Plus in Falls Church and Weber’s Pet Supermarket in Fairfax for collecting treats and toys for cats and dogs, so our customers with fuzzy friends have a little something to give their pet.

Tune In to Our Podcast About Volunteering


Hundreds Began Their Venture into Volunteering on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019

On Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019, the Dulles Expo Center doors opened at 10 a.m. and over the next several hours, 400 people poured in and began their Venture into Volunteering. They met with representatives of 94 organizations who offered a huge variety of opportunities to serve their community.

There were also opportunities to serve onsite. A group of retired school teachers from the Beta Delta chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma donated funds for food and then assembled 300 power packs for food-insecure school children. Sixty-nine people participated in the American Red Cross blood drive and others donated hearing aids and eyeglasses to the Lions Club.

This was the county's 16th Venture into Volunteering Fair. Conceived by Fairfax Area Agency on Aging's Volunteer Solutions as a one-stop-shop for volunteer recruitment, the idea caught on and generated multiple collaborations with local government agencies, the faith-based community, nonprofits and the business community over the years.

This year's sponsors included AARP, Chesterbrook Residences, and the Dulles Expo Center.

Check out Channel 16's coverage of the event.


Annandale Hosted a Mental Health First Aid for Older Adults Training

Annandale Hosted a Mental Health First Aid for Older Adults TrainingOn Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, another lucky group of Volunteer Solutions volunteers were fortunate to have been trained in Mental Health First Aid for Older Adults. Lori Naveda and Amy Smith of Fairfax County's Community Services Board (CSB) gave them valuable information and tips. The Mental Health First Aid training model was first created in Australia and is now being taught around the world. We are grateful to the CSB for providing this valuable service to our dedicated volunteers!


County Partnerships Lead to Improving Emergency Preparedness

Volunteer Solutions - County Partnerships Lead to Improving Emergency PreparednessOn Friday, June 28, 2019, Neighborhood and Community Services hosted a presentation on "Emergency Preparedness" at the Little River Glen Senior Center in Fairfax and helped celebrate a wonderful collaboration between multiple agencies. At the start of 2019, the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and Fairfax County's Area Agency on Aging (AAA) partnered with a goal of assisting older adults and adults with disabilities to be prepared for any emergency or disaster. An impressive 1,000 kits were assembled for AAA clients and Senior Center participants during the 2019 Fairfax County Employee Field and Fitness Day! OEM and the Health Department are also providing emergency preparedness presentations while giving out the kits at various senior centers. Thank you to all involved in this endeavor!


Another Successful 'Spring Cleaning' Endeavor Brought Joy to Many!

Another Successful 'Spring Cleaning' Endeavor Brought Joy to Many!"Today is such a special day for me! My house is so beautiful now. Thank you SO much. I will remember you for my whole life." Those were the words of an extremely grateful older woman who fought back tears as she repeatedly conveyed the depth of her gratitude to the Helping Hands volunteers who cleaned her home this past May.

Volunteer Solutions' Helping Hands program was created to honor and highlight Older Americans' month by assisting older adults and adults with disabilities with home improvement projects to age in place safely and with dignity. These hard-working volunteers bring light and comfort to people, sometimes, quite literally by removing overgrown plants, as shown in the photo. Group projects ranged from cleaning and decluttering smaller, indoor spaces, to sprucing up outdoor spaces with debris removal, painting and much more.

Our Helping Hands projects would not have been successful without these invaluable partners: 1-800-Got-Junk, Paxton Companies, Nestle Water, Fairfax County's POD Team, RSVP, Parkwood Pounders, YMSLVO, Richard's Tree Service, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Fairfax City's Office of Public Works.

Thank you so much to all our volunteers for your time and dedication to improving the lives of others!


Take the Plunge: 9 Tips for Volunteering in Retirement

U.S. News & World Report article posted about 9 Tips for Volunteering in Retirement – finding meaningful and fulfilling opportunities. (Even current volunteers can learn helpful nuggets about having a positive volunteer experience.) Our very own Director of Volunteer Solutions, Theresa Brown, was quoted in the article providing good insight about combining your interests and skills to find a volunteer role that is personally satisfying.

If you're ready to explore volunteer opportunities in Northern Virginia, attend the Venture Into Volunteering Fair at the Dulles Expo Center, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly on October 2, 2019, between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Representatives from more than 90 organizations will be on hand to answer your questions and explain how you can help.


How Do You Adequately Describe a Superstar?

Jamilah Dalton with Joan WileyJamilah Dalton is pictured with with long-time MOW driver, Joan Wiley.

Jamilah Dalton is a native of Alexandria and busy mother to two girls, aged 7 and 3. She's been working for the Fairfax County's Sheriff's office for 19 years – initially in the jails, then, courts and currently, as a lieutenant in the Finance and Budget office. Learn more about Jamilah.


Celebrating Service

National Volunteer Week Awards group photoPoints of Light describes National Volunteer Week (April 7-13, 2019) as, "an opportunity to celebrate the impact of volunteer service in our communities and the power of volunteers to be a force that transforms the world." Volunteer Solutions' volunteers are that force and to let them know how much they are cherished, we held a recognition luncheon in their honor on Tuesday, April 9 at the Country Club of Fairfax.

As volunteers entered, they were greeted with live music played by our treasured volunteer harpist, Chris Van Dyke. Attendees entered a door prize raffle, enjoyed getting to know each other with an ice breaker activity, and were provided a delicious lunch.

National Volunteer Week Awards group photoSeveral Star Volunteer and Partner Awards were presented:

  • From the four VS regions – Karen Faulkner, Colette Toscano, Michelle Kang, Nancy Harold
  • Fairfax Pets on Wheels – Madelynn Arnold
  • Pimmit Hills Senior Center – Nancy Mortazav
  • Lincolnia Adult Day Health Care – Samantha McAskill
  • Star Partner award – DLT Solutions

Never underestimate acts of kindness. Volunteers do change the world and we recognize how valuable you all are! Thank you.


Positive Aging and Wellness

Thuy Vu, VS volunteer

On Monday, April 8, 2019, Volunteer Solutions' staff members participated in the large-scale annual Positive Aging and Wellness Fair.

Fair participants listened to the keynote speech, attended a multitude of interesting workshops, and walked around learning about positive aging from vendors. Volunteer Solutions' Director, Theresa Brown, moderated a workshop titled, "Looking for a Meaningful Volunteer Experience." To see more details and photos, check out the RSVP Northern Virginia blog.

Mike Perel, Commission on Aging, explaining resources

Keynote speaker, Pat Collins from NBC 4, had an empowering message for his audience, "Seniors are still relevant. You know why? Because we have a lot of experience. We have a lot of wisdom. We have a lot of buying power."

Thank you to all who participated in making this year’s fair a successful one!


Equipping Volunteers for Success

Equipping Volunteers for Success

A large group of Volunteer Solutions' volunteers who routinely work with older adults and adults with disabilities, attended an invaluable training packed full of useful tips for helping a person in the midst of a mental health challenge. We are grateful to the talented staff at the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) for training our dedicated volunteers in Mental Health First Aid for Older Adults. Our trainers, Alex Marshall and Chad Christian, excelled at explaining concepts and keeping our group actively engaged for 8 hours. We all learned so much utilizing the Mental Health First Aid USA platform.

The CSB offers a variety of trainings in Mental Health First Aid, suicide prevention, opioid overdose reversal and more. Visit this site for details: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/community-services-board/training.

Several local businesses were kind enough to provide refreshments to keep our energy up throughout the day. A big “thank you” to: Ledo Pizza (Hybla Valley), Sherwood Gourmet, El Paso Mexican Restaurant, Giant, Safeway, Shoppers, Bestway Supermercado and Food Lion.


Going the Extra Mile

Volunteer Hunt MasonAbout five years ago, Huntington "Hunt" Mason responded to a newspaper ad for volunteers and signed up with Volunteer Solutions shortly thereafter. His primary activity is transporting older adults on shopping and banking trips, among other errands. Occasionally, he drives clients to and from their medical appointments.

With more than 30 years as a government employee, Hunt has devoted considerable time to his volunteer activities on the weekends, at times after hectic workweeks. Occasionally, his job requires foreign and domestic travel, but Hunt has consistently gone the extra mile to conduct weekend volunteer tasks for five years. Learn more about Hunt.


Caring and Commitment

Volunteer Spotlight - Anne ReedIn 2010, Anne Reed ran across an ad in the Washington Post seeking volunteers for the Fairfax County Meals on Wheels program. She recalled that, several years before, her father had volunteered as a driver for Meals on Wheels in Maryland, her home state. She was impressed by her father’s efforts to support vulnerable older adults. Inspired by his example, she signed up with Volunteer Solutions and became a group coordinator for Meals on Wheels in Fairfax City and surrounding areas. Learn more about Anne.


Continuing to Grow in 2019 and Looking Back at 2018

Local VolunteersWhen you’re out there volunteering day-to-day in your communities, we hope you realize the real and lasting impact you’re making on the people’s lives you touch. On a broader scale, we collect data so that you can get a “snapshot” of what the Volunteer Solutions “family” does as a whole. The following 2018 statistics tell an impressive tale!

Did you know that we have nearly 4,000 registered Volunteer Solutions (VS) volunteers – 3,909, to be exact- and the active ones donated a total of 121,202 hours in Fiscal Year 2018? There was an increase of 396 volunteers last year. We are very appreciative when our volunteers tell their family and friends about VS and its many opportunities.

Here are the volunteer hours broken down by programs/tasks:

Adult Day Health Care Hours = 3,032
Adult & Aging Direct Client Service Hours= 34,260
Fairfax Pets on Wheels Hours = 4,626
Meals on Wheels Hours = 35,904
Senior Center Hours = 41,552
One-Time Events/Projects= 1,828

We know that the real value of what you all do cannot be fully measured and that your time and efforts are priceless. However, it was still fun to use the 2017 Virginia Average Hourly Value of Volunteer Time rate of $26.75 to calculate that the approximate value of our volunteers’ time was worth a whopping $3,242,153.50 in 2018.  Thank you very much for all that you do and we look forward to more growth and enrichment in 2019!


Spreading Holiday Cheer

Spreading Holiday CheerMany grateful people are smiling more brightly and feeling cared about due to the efforts and contributions of these fabulous groups, organizations and stores! A BIG ‘thank you’ to all who helped us with another successful holiday project, including: St. John Neumann Catholic Church (Reston), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints – Great Falls Ward, Weber's Pet Supermarket (Fairfax), Pet Supplies Plus (Falls Church-Tysons), the Fairfax County Animal Shelter (in Fairfax), Young Men’s Service League of Vienna-Oakton, Girl Scout Troops 1389, 1951, 5658, and many other generous donors! More than 300 older adults and adults with disabilities received gift cards, homemade cookies, pet treats/toys, emergency kits and more. Every donor, volunteer and social worker who was involved in this special endeavor played an important role in improving the lives of others.


Still Serving: A WWII Veteran and Fairfax County Volunteer

Roy Kepferle as an Army Reservist in 1944   Roy Kepferle as a volunteer for Fairfax County Volunteer Solutions in 2018

Descended from homesteaders, Roy Kepferle, the oldest of five boys, grew up in Weld County, Colorado in the 1920s and 30s. Roy was a curious and adventurous lad who loved to take hikes around his home to explore the countryside and rocky terrain. He often returned home with rocks and would conduct experiments on them, bashing them open, or surprising his mother by heating them in the oven. However, his interest in geology would take a backseat to current events. Learn more about Roy.


Service in Action

Emergency KitsWe would like to thank Dan and Jenny Combs and Jo-Ann Duggan for coordinating an Interfaith Day to Serve between the Great Falls Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Reston. On Saturday, Oct. 27, over 50 volunteers (of all ages!) joined together at St. John Neumann and worked side by side for the final assembly of the emergency preparedness kits. The bags include: a complete first aid kit, hygiene supplies, a hand crank radio, flash light with batteries, whistle, water, rain ponchos and an emergency blanket.

This wonderful day of service and fellowship resulted in 250 assembled emergency kits that will be distributed by Fairfax County’s Division on Aging and Adult Services to older adults and adults with disabilities. The two congregations collected a large amount of donated supplies and also received generous financial donations for the kits. These kits will be very helpful during times of weather-related power outages and other possible emergency scenarios. A BIG "thank you" to all who were involved in this endeavor!


CarFit 'Steers' People in the Right Direction

CarFit VolunteersThe Fairfax CarFit event was held at Mott Community Center on October 16. We are grateful to our newly trained and certified volunteers, E.C. Buckminster and Albert Elgamil for “paving the way” in this exciting new partnership between Volunteer Solutions and Neighborhood and Community Services! Several local community members and center participants brought their cars and received guidance on how to maximize their vehicles’ safety.

Volunteer CarFit technicians review a 12-point safety checklist, promote CarFit priorities and goals and work under the supervision/guidance of CarFit event coordinators. This program was created as a partnership between AARP, American Automobile Association and the Occupational Therapy Association. The next local CarFit event will be held in spring 2019. If you have questions, call 703-324-5600, TTY 711.


Training Volunteers to Recognize & Respond to Mental Health Challenges

Mental Health First Aid imageThanks to the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board and two of their stellar trainers, Lori Naveda and Chad Christian, 29 of our volunteers are now certified in Mental Health First Aid for Older Adults. We sincerely appreciate everyone who gave up two Saturdays to learn (or teach!) these valuable skills. With more than 3,900 volunteers working with older adults throughout the Fairfax area, there is an overwhelming demand for this training. We plan to offer this course to our active volunteers again this spring. Explore all of the Community Services Board's available trainings available trainings.


Say, "Cheese!"

cabotOur Meals on Wheels volunteers had a beautiful day for a lunch provided by the Cabot Creamery Co-operative’s Gratitude Grille! Thank you to Cabot’s dairy farmers for showing our volunteers such appreciation! And thank you, volunteers, for contributing so much to our community. Some of our Meals on Wheels volunteers have been assisting the program for nearly thirty years. We are grateful for each and every one of you for ensuring that isolated adults in our county receive healthy meals – in the last year, you helped 922 individuals. We at Volunteer Solutions would also like to thank RSVP Northern Virginia for your support and the Fairfax County Park Authority for providing us a pavilion at Mason District Park.


Partner Spotlight: Anthony Antwi

Anthony AntwiI had the pleasure of interviewing Anthony Antwi, an employee of Service Source, a nonprofit organization that supports individuals with disabilities and their families. Anthony is known by all for his smile and dedication. He and his team of participants deliver Meals on Wheels every Monday. He expressed how important it is to get “my guys” out into the community, daily. The participants look forward to delivering the meals every week. Not only do they take pride in the fact that they are helping others, the clients that are receiving the meals look forward to seeing them as well. Their smiles tell it all. His team volunteers in other capacities throughout the county as well, including providing meals to the homeless. Anthony has built close relationships with his participants and their families, describing them as being, “like family”.

Prior to working at Service Source, Anthony worked at the Northern Virginia Training Center for many years. He started there as a custodian. While working full time, he completed his education to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (L.P.N.) in 2006. On weekends, he works as a private LPN for a family that has two children with disabilities. When I asked Anthony what drew him to this work, he responded, “I like to help people. I want to help make them as independent as they can be. Every moment is a teaching moment.”

He has been encouraged to interview for management positions and is grateful for the confidence that others have in him. He explained that as a father of five he knows how important it is to have balance and he wants to be available to his wife and children in the evenings. There is no doubt Anthony Antwi is having an immeasurable impact on all of the lives he touches. Thank you, Anthony, for all you do for so many, with a smile!


Check out the latest Volunteer Solutions Caring Community Updates news and articles.

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