Volunteer Awaits End Of Coronavirus Crisis To Give Back In Person

FAIRFAX, VA — Volunteer Fairfax had to postpone its annual 2020 Volunteer Service Awards ceremony, scheduled for April 23, due to the coronavirus crisis. The organization alerted the winners of their awards and told them a ceremony could happen later in the year

One of the winners, Toora Arsala of Centreville, was scheduled to receive a Volunteer Benchmark Service Award for volunteering 1,000 hours — equal to working a full-time job for almost half the year — in 2019. In the past, when he's attended Volunteer Fairfax’s breakfast awards ceremonies, Arsala has enjoyed the inspirational speeches. With the 2020 ceremony postponed and possibly canceled, Arasla said he’s disappointed he won't get to meet other volunteers and hear their stories.

"I'm not upset about not receiving the award in person this year," Arsala said in an interview with Patch. “For me, it’s not about the awards. It’s about seeing the smiles in the community."

Arsala has been volunteering in Northern Virginia since he was a freshman in high school. At the age of only 30, he describes himself as a veteran volunteer who enjoys mentoring younger people.

In those 16 years of volunteer work, Arsala has had to overcome many hurdles.

Developmentally delayed as a child, he had a hard time interacting with other students in school. Arsala decided to get more involved with activities and joined student clubs. From one of the clubs — Best Buddies — Arsala not only made friends but acquired skills to go on and volunteer and help other organizations like the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross.

Since those early days, Arsala has stayed involved with groups such as Volunteer Fairfax and Celebrate Fairfax.

Arsala faced a major health scare two years ago: a collapsed lung that kept him in the hospital for months. After leaving the hospital, Arsala made a promise not to push himself too hard again. At one point, he thought about retiring from volunteering due to his health issues. But helping others is too important to Arsala.

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“Despite my major health issues, my motto is, ‘Never give up. Keep on going until you succeed,’” Arsala said.

In 2019, Arsala chose volunteer opportunities that he could do from home as he recovered from the collaposed lung. A large part of his volunteer work included spending hours making phone calls for political candidates.

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“When I’m stuck at home with medical issues or things like the coronavirus, I try to be creative,” he said.

Over the past two weeks, Arsala has been working on a letter-writing campaign for first responders and hospital workers. His homemade cards are filled with messages of thanks designed to lift the spirits of their recipients. “Thank you for taking care of the community” or “thank you for being a hero to the community” are examples of messages he writes in the cards.

Arsala has a friend who will be picking up the cards to deliver them to fire stations and hospitals. “Personally, I won’t be able to deliver the cards myself because of my health issues,” he said.

Arsala counts his parents as his biggest role models. They've supported him with his volunteer efforts, driving him to events and offering him encouragement at every turn. "They've been great role models in my life. They've done everything they can to help me succeed," he said.

Like his fellow Virginians, Arsala is looking forward to a post-coronavirus time when it's safe to go out again and not have to worry about getting sick. "I can’t wait to get back out there to give back to the community in person," he said.

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