RSVP-Northern Virginia
March 2018
March Group Service Project
Come join us on the Spring Equinox at River Farm to help with their spring clean-up and garden maintenance! This will be in preparation for the Annual Garden Market that typically marks the beginning of the American Horticultural Society spring season. To sign up, click here .

When: Tuesday March 20 from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Where: River Farm, 7931 E Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308
RSVP Recognition Event
To say thank you for another successful service year, RSVP-Northern Virginia would like to invite you to join us at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts! This event will be filled with fun to celebrate you and your meaningful service. Lunch will be provided. We will also get a behind the scenes tour of the Filene Center. You don't want to miss it,  click here to sign up!

When:  Wednesday, March 7 from 12 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Where:  Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, VA 22182
Volunteer Training - Cartoon Workshop
As a benefit of being a volunteer through RSVP, you are invited to attend a free workshop on cartooning! This workshop will cover the background and process of editorial cartooning as well as the opportunity to create your own! The workshop will be hosted by Steve Artley, award-winning and internationally syndicated editorial cartoonist. Steve's cartoons have been widely published in every major newspaper and periodical throughout the U.S. and Canada including the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, USAToday, Politico and national online anthologies such as TIME and NPR Double-Takes. He is staff cartoonist for the Alexandria Gazette, the largest weekly newspaper in Northern Virginia. To see a collection of Steve's current and archived cartoons, visit here . To sign up for the workshop, please click here .

When: Wednesday, March 14 from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Where: Beatley Central Library, Large Meeting Room, 5005 Duke St, Alexandria, VA 22304
Junior Achievement - Finance Park
Junior Achievement, an organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy, needs more volunteers at Finance Park. The total time commitment is 5 hours, including a 1-hour training the morning of your scheduled volunteer day. You will use your training knowledge to guide students through different phases of the day that simulate real-world budgeting decisions, spending research, and bill payment. As you guide students through the digital simulation, you'll share your own life experiences and help them walk a day in your shoes. You bring the program to life. No financial experience necessary! Contact RSVP Volunteer Specialist, Carly Hubicki, at  chubicki@volunteerfairfax.org or 703-403-5360 to sign up!
When: Tuesday, March 6 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Thursday, March 15 from 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 4 from 8:20 a.m. - 1:20 p.m.
Thursday, April 5 from 8:20 a.m. - 1:20 p.m.
Friday, April 6 from 8:20 a.m. - 1:20 p.m.
Monday, April 9 from 8:20 a.m. - 1:20 p.m.
Tuesday, April 10 from 8:10 a.m. - 1:10 p.m.
Wednesday, April 11 from 8:10 a.m. - 1:10 p.m.
Thursday, April 12 from 8:10 a.m. - 1:10 p.m.

Where: 4099 Pickett Road, Fairfax, VA 22032
Junior Achievement - JA in a Day
JA® in a Day events take place over one school day and volunteers teach all 5 lessons of a given JA program to students. The volunteers cover all lessons in one visit and can teach in pairs (permitting number of volunteers).
  • Training: 1 hour
  • Prep Time: 60-90 minutes prior to the JA in a Day event
  • Teaching Time: 4-5 hours.
The teacher will be in the classroom at all times. Lunch and other breaks will be taken according to the normal classroom schedule. If you are interested in volunteering for this JA in a Day event at Bucknell Elementary School, please email Holly Booker at Holly.Booker@JA.org .

When: Friday, March 23 from 8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Where: Bucknell Elementary School, 6925 University Drive Alexandria, VA, 22307
Baskets and Bunnies
Join Burke Lake Park for the second annual Baskets and Bunnies Event and Egg Hunts! They are seeking volunteers to help with arts and crafts, registration, dress up as Sunny the Bunny, assist with Mini Golf, help with decorating, and egg hunt coordinators. Click here to sign up. For more information, p lease contact Morgan Chapin at Morgan.Chapin@fairfaxcounty.gov or call 703-323-6600 X200.

When: Saturday, March 31 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Where: Burke Lake Park, 7315 Ox Road, Fairfax Station, VA 22039
RSVP Volunteer Close Up
Janet Garber

Janet Garber had just retired from a job she says was “pretty intense.” She said during her career with the federal government, which concluded in 2009, she didn’t have any time of her own, or “that’s the way it felt,” she said.

Spare time in hand as a newly-minted retiree, Janet embarked on a journey to find meaningful volunteer opportunities, which brought her to RSVP Northern Virginia. “Trying to find them on my own was becoming difficult and I heard about RSVP," she said. She had heard about RSVP’s personalized approach which includes asking volunteers about what their skills, interests and passions are and then matching them up with great volunteer opportunities. “I jumped on that,” Janet said.

Janet says her first volunteer project with RSVP about five and a half years ago involved helping out at on a rebuilding project. “I used to do some furniture building and this was more in the carpentry business working houses, but at least I knew how to use the tools, so I went and helped," she says. “They were individual projects, one-day efforts, but it was a lot of fun and very rewarding. I learned quite a bit from   the people that I was working with.”
 
“A lot of the volunteer work I have done has been working with seniors, by choice,” she adds.
 
“It is so rewarding to help people that are really my peers. I am helping them in areas that perhaps they don’t have the skills that I do. They have different skills, but the appreciation from their side and the gratification from my side that I am able to help somebody else is just amazing.”
Janet later moved onto a volunteer position at Vinson Hall, an RSVP nonprofit partner in McLean that is home to hundreds of veterans and spouses of veterans. She later found out about the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics, another RSVP partner for which she has volunteered for more than seven years. “I did not even know the Senior Olympics existed,” she recalled during an interview in a community room at the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Wakefield Recreation Center in Annandale, where the NVSO board meets every month.
 
“I saw an announcement that they were looking for volunteers, so the first year I volunteered with the NVSO, all I did was sit and hold a stopwatch and time swimmers,” she says. “As I was a swimmer, I’m looking at all these people going into the pool, I am doing a little math in my head and going ‘oh my gosh, these people are 10-15 years older than me and they are all faster swimmers.’ It was very exciting!”
 
Janet says she says she prefers the longer term volunteer opportunities like the one she enjoys with the NVSO. “You get a greater sense of fellowship not only with the people that you're on committees with, but the people that you're helping.” Janet has now been with the NVSO for more than 7 years. She joined the board and has served a term as the NVSO board chair.
 
Each September, she is a familiar face at several NVSO venues: keeping track of competitors’ times and scores at the track events in Arlington, tracking throws and tosses at the horseshoe and bocce events in Fairfax City and recording the times for the swimming races in Loudoun County; utilizing a great deal of her experience in statistics from her days working in budget and finance for the Department of Defense. Janet and the rest of the NVSO board is already hard at work organizing the 2018 games that begin Saturday, September 15.
 
Janet, who turned 65 in October, stays busy with other volunteer work when not working on RSVP related projects. Each year she volunteers to help people with taxes thru AARP’s tax preparation program.
 
Janet’s advice to retirees looking for great volunteer opportunities? “RSVP is a great place to start,” she says. “RSVP does a fantastic job of collecting your skills your desires and trying to match them up … if something doesn't (fit) they will help you find something else to do.”
 
Why does Janet volunteer? “I do the volunteer work because of how good it makes me feel.” Here it in her own words by checking out her podcast here.
RSVP Podcast
RSVP Northern Virginia is proud to present its very own podcast series!  Go to our youtube website to check them out! The podcasts include information about the program, interviews with volunteer coordinators at our partnering workstations, and interviews with our wonderful volunteers! Every Tuesday there will be a new RSVP Podcast. Do you have a suggestion for an upcoming podcast? Do you have a question about volunteering that you would like to hear answered during a podcast? Please be sure to email all of your podcast suggestions and questions to RSVP Outreach Assistant, Rob Paine, at  rpaine@volunteerfairfax.org .
Timesheet Submissions
Please remember to submit your February timesheets!  Tracking volunteer hours is essential to our program; it is the number one way we report our volunteers are active and keeps the program up and running. If you have any questions, please contact RSVP Volunteer Specialist, Carly Hubicki, at  rsvp@volunteerfairfax.org  or 703-403-5360.
Welcome New RSVP Volunteers!
Liz Boyen
Kim Arthurs
Lori Duval
Tom O'Keefe
Salena Staley
Eva Vandenbos
Damaris Lewis
Mary Campanola
Marcia Leiva
Lisa Jones
Pamela McKinley
Lillian Harris
Irma Martinez
Ellen Nelson
Tammi Souza
Leslie Duryea
Bonnie Botts
Donna Pennypacker
Patricia Stoermer
Jonathan Cooper
David Fredrickson
Liwayway Beltran
Joyce Hagen
Janice Sasaran
Lois Durant
Linda Kennedy
Mary Jane Johnson
Andrew Sakallaris
Jim Covaleski
Invite a Friend or Group!
Help us grow our volunteer community.  Invite friends and neighbors to get involved with RSVP! 


Upcoming Orientations:



Upcoming Lunch & Learns:



Know an organization or club that would like an  on-site orientation? Contact Carly Hubicki at chubicki@volunteerfairfax.org  or 703-403-5360.
Cabot Gratitude Grille
As a thank you for your commitment and dedication to volunteering in Fairfax County, please join us for a complimentary Service Impact Appreciation Lunch generously donated by Cabot Cheese. Please RSVP here . Questions? Call Volunteer Solutions at 703-324-5406, TTY: 711.

When: Thursday, April 19 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Where: Lake Fairfax Park, Large shelter and picnic area, 1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston, VA 20190
2018 Fairfax County Volunteer Service Awards
Volunteer Fairfax hosts the Annual Volunteer Service Awards, providing the opportunity to honor volunteers who have given outstanding service to the community. Be a part of recognizing incredible volunteers who have worked tirelessly to make our community a better place! RSVP volunteers are invited to attend the event.This invitation is extended to you as a reward for your work throughout the community!  Sign up to reserve your spot today!  Deadline is April 6.

When: Friday, April 27 from 8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Where: Waterford at Springfield, 6715 Commerce Street, Springfield, VA 22150
8th Annual Fairfax Run for the Children
Volunteers are needed to aid Fairfax CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) host their largest fundraiser of the year! Their annual 8K and 3K run requires lots of hands on deck including: set up/clean up crews, course marshals, water stations, registration, bag check, and food tent servers. For more information and to sign up, contact Ashleigh Conrad at aconrad@casafairfax.org or 703-273-3526 ext. 10.

When: Saturday, April 28 from 6:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Where: Fairfax County Courthouse Complex, 4110 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, VA 22030
50+ Employment Expo
Save the date for the 50+ Employment Expo! Recruiters from dozens of employers, including non-profits, government, healthcare, retail, technology and more from all over Fairfax County will be there! Volunteer greeters are needed to help direct the flow of traffic, answer questions, and report any problems they see. Resume advisors are also needed to help edit and proofread resumes that participants bring with them. For more information or to sign up as a volunteer, please contact Christie Elliott at Christie.Elliott@FairfaxCounty.gov.

When:  Monday, April 30 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Where:  Fair Oaks Marriott, 11787 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, Fairfax, VA
Arlington Cares
This free event seeks to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism through a recognition ceremony as well as a Volunteer Fair. Nominations for the Volunteer Awards will open March 1 and be received until May 1, 2018. Learn more about the specific awards and nomination process here.

When: Tuesday, July 24 from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Where: National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, 4301 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22203
VF Logo
Volunteer Alexandria