Community Notice from
Dranesville Supervisor John Foust
Dear Neighbor,

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to evolve and impact our community, I will continue to highlight resources and updates that I hope you will find helpful.

In addition, these messages will include information about upcoming meetings and opportunities to provide input, such as the reminder below about tonight's Herndon-Reston Bus Service Review virtual public meeting.

This email also includes information about free legal help for small businesses, updates from Dranesville District School Board Representative Elaine Tholen and Fairfax County Public Library, and food benefits for school-age children.

Please share this email with your friends and neighbors and do not hesitate to contact my office if we can be of assistance; email Dranesville@fairfaxcounty.gov or call 703-356-0551.

Sincerely,
John
Herndon-Reston Bus Service Review
Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) has developed a proposed plan for improved Fairfax Connector bus service in the Herndon and Reston areas and is soliciting community input via the methods below.

Attend a Virtual Public Meeting
Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, and FCDOT staff will hold a virtual public meeting tonight, July 8 at 6:30 p.m. Join the meeting here. The meeting will also be streamed on YouTube. Click here to view it.

Take an Online Survey
View a video presentation and provide feedback by filling out an online survey in English or in Spanish. View or download the presentation as a PDF here.

Email, Call or Mail Your Comments
  • Email feedback to fairfaxconnector@fairfaxcounty.gov.
  • Call Fairfax Connector at 703-877-5600, TTY 711.
  • Mail comments to Fairfax County Department of Transportation, 4050 Legato Road, Suite 400, Fairfax, VA 22033.

Feedback will be accepted until midnight on Friday, July 17, 2020. Visit https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/herndon-reston-service-review for more information about the Herndon-Reston Bus Service Review.
Nonprofits Providing Free Legal Help to Small Businesses in Fairfax County
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) is partnering with the Northern Virginia Pro Bono Law Center and Start Small Think Big on the COVID-19 Pro Bono Collaborative, an initiative to provide free legal assistance to small businesses in Northern Virginia during the COVID-19 pandemic, including help with federal assistance, grant and loan programs, leases, and employment issues.

Consisting of a network of trusted top-tier law firms, corporations and other legal service providers, the COVID-19 Pro Bono Collaborative provides a highly coordinated, emergency response to help small businesses and nonprofit organizations survive the economic impact of COVID-19. This collaborative is providing remote legal and financial clinics and one-on-one sessions on the COVID-19 stimulus package and similar programs as well as COVID-19 related legal issues.

Any small business owner can complete this form to request a COVID-19 consultation with a volunteer attorney or financial professional. These consultations will be conducted via phone or video. Initial consultations will last one to two hours, depending on a business owner’s specific needs, with the option for follow-up consultations, as necessary.

The initiative dovetails with programs that Fairfax County has instituted, such as the Small Business Microloan Fund and the Fairfax RISE small business and nonprofit relief grant fund, to help small businesses bridge the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.

Update from Elaine Tholen,
Dranesville District School Board Representative
Many individuals have questions and concerns related to the reopening of Fairfax County Public Schools this fall. Dranesville District School Board Representative Elaine Tholen addressed the FCPS Reopening Schools Plan in her recent newsletter, available online here.
Fairfax County Public Library Update
All Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) branches will open for express services beginning Monday, July 13.

The following are things to know:

  • Express services are focused on grab-and-go style activities, so daily visits are limited to 30 minutes;
  • Each branch will have a capacity limit to support social distancing;
  • Library users may browse the shelves, use a computer, and pick up holds;
  • The library will continue to offer virtual programs, with only limited in-person programs provided;
  • Social distancing features will include plexiglass shields at customer service desks, social distancing floor stickers, every other public PC disabled, and some furniture removed from the public floor or moved to support six feet of distance between users;
  • Returned library materials will continue to be quarantined for 72 hours; and
  • Meeting rooms will continue to be unavailable as the spaces are housing furniture removed from the public floor as well as quarantined library materials.

Express services are offered Monday and Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Contactless curbside pickup will continue to be offered during its normal hours of Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Visit https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/ for FCPL updates.
Food Benefits for School-Age Children
While school was in session, many students depended on the free and reduced-price meals program for nutritious meals. Due to the pandemic, students no longer have access to that food at school, but they can receive food benefits through Pandemic EBT (P-EBT), a Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) program.

To be eligible for P-EBT, the household must include a student who was participating in the free or reduced-priced meals program on or after March 16, 2020. Immigration status, household income, age of the child, or grade level have no bearing on eligibility.

The Department of Family Services has posted helpful information about P-EBT here. Answers to frequently asked questions are also available here. For more information, call 804-726-7000.
Stay Informed
Fairfax County is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation. Residents are strongly encouraged to utilize the resources listed below: