Donation Collections For Ukraine Begin At Locations Around Northern Virginia

NORTHERN VIRGINIA — Residents around Northern Virginia will lend a helping hand to Ukraine with a donation drive beginning Wednesday.

Northern Virginia localities are partnering together to collect donations for Ukrainians who fled their country amid the Russian invasion. Dozens of locations around Northern Virginia will begin accepting donations Wednesday through April 15.

Needed items include new and gently used coats, new blankets, new pairs of sweat socks or heavy socks, and new pairs of gloves. Donations will be shipped to Poland and be made available to people in Poland and Ukraine.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay noted over 10 million people have been displaced, fleeing from Ukraine to Poland and other surrounding countries. McKay said people in Northern Virginia tend to be generous and want to help in times of crisis.

"Every international crisis that we've had happen certainly in the past couple of years we have seen our residents come out in force and say 'what can we do?'" said McKay at a Wednesday news conference. "We do not want to sit on the sidelines. We want to jump in and help people who are in need."

The donation drive is organized by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is assisting by picking up donations from collection locations. Wilmington, North Carolina-based moving company Paxton has volunteered to ship the donations.

Other elected officials shared their support for the donation drive in their communities.

Alexandria Vice Mayor Amy Jackson said an Alexandrian visited Poland to determine what help Ukrainian refugees need. For the Northern Virginia donation drive, Jackson encouraged residents to ensure children's items are included in donations.

The city itself has supported Ukraine by lighting up City Hall and the George Washington Masonic National Memorial with blue and yellow colors. Residents have also been collecting monetary and physical donations to help those who have fled Ukraine.

"So no matter the scale, global to local humanity is a community unto itself," said Jackson. "And we must always come to the assist of those in need."

Arlington County Board member Libby Garvey said they are "horrified" about Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine.

"Any person with decency is going to fight this effort in any way we can," said Garvey. "This is symbolic of that global effort, and it's very important both in that symbolic level and also in actually the physical goods that we are going to collect and deliver."

"This is everyone's war," added Falls Church Mayor David Tarter. "And the people of Ukraine deserve all the support we can give them. The Northern Virginia Regional Commission has a long history of serving those in need around the world, including sending tons of coats and blankets to Syrian refugees and Turkey and Lebanon and most recently helping resettle refugees from Afghanistan."

McKay believes the donation drive will be successful because Northern Virginia is a diverse community with people from around the world.

"Each one of our jurisdictions is proud to welcome people from all over the world to come to Northern Virginia and be successful," said McKay. "And that's one of the reasons why our community is so passionate about helping people all over the world...because we are an international community. And so I know that our community will respond to this call for donations as they always do."

Where to Donate

Donation locations are available in Alexandria, Arlington County, Loudoun County, Falls Church, City of Fairfax, Fairfax County, Manassas, Manassas Park and Prince William County, including the towns of Vienna, Herndon, Dumfries, Leesburg and Purcellville.

The following locations will accept donations from March 23 through April 15:

• Alexandria City Hall: 301 King Street, Alexandria
• Beatley Central Library: 5005 Duke Street, Alexandria
• Arlington Central Library: 1015 North Quincy Street, Arlington
• Claude Moore Recreation and Community Center: 46105 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling
• Fairfax City Hall: 10455 Armstrong Street, Fairfax
• Falls Church City Hall: 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church
• Loudoun County Government Center (lobby): 1 Harrison Street, SE, Leesburg
• Manassas Customer Service Center: 9800 Godwin Drive, Manassas
• Manassas Regional Airport: 10600 Harry J Parish Boulevard, Manassas
• Manassas Public Works: 8500 Public Works Drive, Manassas
• Manassas Temporary Administration Building: 9324 West Street, Manassas
• Manassas City Police Department: 9518 Fairview Avenue, Manassas
• Manassas Park Library: 9701 Manassas Drive, Manassas Park
• Office of Fairfax BOS Chairman Jeffrey McKay: 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax
• Northern Virginia Regional Commission: 3040 Williams Drive, Suite 200, Fairfax
• Northwest Credit Union - Herndon Branch (lobby 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays): 200 Spring Street, Herndon
• Office of Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross: 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale
• Office of Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw: 9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke
• Office of Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust: 1437 Balls Hill Road, McLean
• Office of Lee District Supervisor Rodney Lusk: 6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria
• Office of Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn: 1801 Cameron Glen Drive, Reston
• Office of Mount Vernon District Supervisor Daniel Storck: 2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria
• Office of Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik (second floor): 3001 Vaden Drive, Fairfax
• Office of Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity: 6140 Rolling Road, Springfield
• Office of Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith: 4900 Stonecroft Boulevard, Chantilly
• Office of Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair Ann Wheeler: 1 County Complex Court, Woodbridge
• Office of Potomac District Supervisor Andrea O. Bailey: 3850 Fettler Park Drive, Suite 310, Dumfries
• Office of Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega: 13476 Dumfries Road, Manassas
• Office of Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson: 9400 Innovation Drive, Suite 130, Manassas
• Office of Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry: 2700 Neabsco Common Place, Suite 125, Woodbridge
• Town of Dumfries Town Hall: 17739 Main Street, Dumfries
• Town of Leesburg Town Hall: 25 West Market Street, Leesburg
• Town of Purcellville Town Hall (lobby from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.): 221 South Nursery Avenue, Purcellville
• Ida Lee Park Recreation Center: 60 Ida Lee Drive, Leesburg
• Leesburg Executive Airport: 1001 Sycolin Road, Leesburg
• Town of Vienna Community Center: 120 Cherry Street SE, Vienna

Other options for monetary donations providing relief to Ukraine include Razom Organization, Nova Ukraina, Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, Inc., The International Rescue Committee and World Central Kitchen