Volunteer Fairfax makes it easy to make a difference

In Fairfax people care about their neighbors, they care about their communities, and they want to help make Fairfax the best it can be. Volunteering is one important way to do this.  Each year Volunteer Fairfax receives over 100,000 visits to their website – and the vast majority are people looking to volunteer!

As part of Volunteer Fairfax’s continuing efforts to engage all area residents, we have developed VolunteerNow!, an online database of volunteer opportunities. This search engine links the public with volunteer needs in the community through skills-based, multicultural and collegiate opportunities. Individuals interested in service can search for opportunities based on location, mission area, age, and language skills. Right now, there are over 200 opportunities to volunteer! 

Many of our local nonprofits directly serve our community  and rely on volunteer support. Day in and day out, volunteers supply the time, talent, and concern to address problems and make a difference. Take, for example, Scott, a FACETS volunteer. As a survivor of a brain injury, Scott came to FACETS with the goal of leading a fulfilling and productive life. For six hours each week, Scott volunteers in the Emergency Food Pantry. Every week, Scott’s skills are improving and he has become a vital asset to the organization. Without his dedication, willingness to learn, and organizational skills, FACETS’ Emergency Pantry would not be able to provide its current level of service. Or Robin, a recent high school graduate, who spent her summer volunteering with Northern Virginia Family by supporting the Back to School drive by tracking financial donations, creating countless spreadsheets, and coordinating drop off dates.  As the Back to School drive grew closer, Robin went out into the community to collect donations, pick up purchases from stores, and drop them off at the donation site.  Robin’s service directly impacted the nearly 1,600 students who received backpacks this past summer. Or the Jenkins’ family who have been dedicated Our Daily Bread volunteers for the past three years.  Together, they often represent Our Daily Bread within the community by staffing information booth at various Fall Festivals.  Individually, the members of the Jenkins family have provided great service to the community as well.  On a weekly basis Dave dedicates his time to the Our Daily Bread food program, contacting clients to remind them when to expect their food delivery, and confirming their information.  These efforts have helped Our Daily Bread to better stay in touch with their clients, and, by verifying client addresses and phone numbers, have ensured that food deliveries go much more smoothly.  Using her wealth of expertise, Diane supports the Our Daily Bread Financial Literacy program.  She works with Our Daily Bread volunteers to ensure they fully understand the County’s housing services and are able to identify other resources that may be available to the clients they work with. Their son Marshall began volunteering with Our Daily Bread to help them move to new office space, but since has been very involved in organizing the food pantry and assembling care packages for emergency food deliveries.

These organizations and many more post volunteer opportunities in VolunteerNow! There are many local nonprofits that need your help to accomplish their mission. Visit Volunteer Fairfax to explore causes you care about and find an organization that needs you.