Volunteers Assemble 400 Kits to Help Homeless Students in Fairfax County

On Monday, August 19 twenty-three Volunteers for Change (VFC) members came together to assemble school supply kits in preparation for the first Annandale Pyramid Back-to-School Resource Fair held by the Fairfax County Public School’s Homeless Liason’s Office on August 21, 2013. Approximately 2,453 children in the Fairfax County Public School system experienced a period of homeless in the last school year.  Many more children— 25% of the student population—receive free or reduced price meals. This project, in particular, served students in the Annandale Pyramid where more than 50% of the students receive free or reduced price meals.

To contribute to the community-wide effort to aid students during this back-to-school season, Volunteer Fairfax mobilized VFC members to assemble 400 kits filled with notebooks, markers, pens and many other items. The funds for the supplies used in the kits were secured by Volunteer Fairfax through a corporate partnership. Counting the funds donated by this generous corporate sponsor, and the time given by the volunteers, a total of $3,000 was put toward this project. One organizer had this to say about the project, “We are so thankful for the help we received from the VFC members who volunteered at AHS last night. We are hoping for a wonderful event and appreciate the support we have received from Volunteer Fairfax!!”

This project is one of the many examples of how VFC members have and can make a difference in their community.  If you are interested in making a huge impact in a small amount of time then the Volunteers for Change Program is for you. There are two upcoming orientation events:

Sunday, September 8 at 2 PM                          

Wednesday, September 25 at 6PM

By attending a one-time, one-hour orientation you can gain access to over fifty pre-vetted volunteer projects each month. All projects occur in the evening and on the weekend to accommodate busy schedules. The only commitment that is asked of VFC members is that each member volunteer once within six months of attending the orientation.