In many ways, Annandale resident Mariana Enríquez is like any other Fairfax County mother. She tends to the needs of her two children, ages 10 and 11, ensuring they are prepared for school, helping with homework, transporting them to various activities.

Mariana’s role as mother is bigger than just her family, though. Many of the children in her community participate in her ‘arts and crafts’ after school program on Mondays.

And if you peel back another layer, you will see that this seemingly straightforward after school activity for local children is serving an even bigger public health purpose. The program brings together children who might not otherwise have the opportunity for a social, creative activity beyond the hours of school. Mariana knows this, so she started the club to help the local children fill downtime productively and to build teamwork, social skills and self-esteem.

“Mariana is truly the heart of public health in her local community. In addition to promoting healthy habits through her arts club, she can also be found helping people access food and other basic resources,” said Carla Paredes-Gomez, community outreach specialist, Fairfax County Health Department. “She helps to coordinate events including weekly visits from Fairfax County’s CareVan and community vaccines and dental screenings provided by MCCP.”

Mariana is an active member of Opportunity Neighborhoods in Annandale through their lead nonprofit FACETS. Opportunity Neighborhoods is a program of Fairfax County’s Neighborhood and Community Services that brings together residents, service providers, schools and other supporters to address needs and achieve equitable results for youth and their caregivers.

“As a single mother to two with one child who has special needs, it has not been an easy road for Mariana. She has worked to overcome her challenges by helping others. We are proud to have her as a public health partner in the Annandale community,” Carla said. 

Mariana accepts donations of art supplies for her after school program. Interested persons can drop-off donated supplies to Mariana during CareVan visits, which occur the third Thursday of the month at Fairmont Gardens Apartments, 4137 Wadsworth Ct., Annandale VA 22003.