Blog Post: Volunteers for Change Picnic and Award Winners

Earlier this month, 50 volunteers worked to preserve the native meadow adjacent to the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts’ Filene Center. On Sept. 15, the volunteers started at 8 a.m. Volunteers helped the National Park Service maintain the newly-planted native meadow by removing invasive plants like foxtail and yellow nut sedge. The volunteers' work ensures that, in a few years, the meadow will be a self-sustaining habitat for native fauna like butterflies and goldfinches. A casual picnic and awards ceremony on the grounds followed the project.

Volunteers for Change — a program of Volunteer Fairfax and group involved in this service opportunity—is geared toward professionals, students, stay-at-home moms and dads or anyone with limited time. The hallmark of the Volunteers for Change program is a calendar of 50-70 flexible weekend and evening volunteer opportunities for active, dedicated adults who have a desire to serve.

In the last 12 months, Volunteers for Change members served 6,321 hours at 747 different projects contributing $153,537 in time to the greater good of the D.C. Metro region.  

Guests of honor included Presidential Service Award winners within the Volunteers for Change program. They received a certificate and pin as recognition. Award recipients volunteered over 100 hours in 2011 and exemplify the spirit of the program: you can make a meaningful impact despite a busy schedule. Award recipients included:

• Jean and Richard Bahler of Fairfax Station
• Christine Brooks of Alexandria
• Shelley Brosnan of Fairfax
• Doris Crawford of Burke
• The Montavon Family of Springfield
• Kristin Ramkey of Falls Church
• Sheila Sandford of Herndon
• Evy Sheehan of Clifton
• Lori Tagami of Falls Church

Those interested in joining Volunteers for Change must attend an orientation session. You MUST RSVP to attend by emailing Jen Kivlin.

Photos from the event are available here.