Send your organization's announcement to The Herndon Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, fax to 703-917-0991 or e-mail to herndon@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is two weeks before publication. Photos/artwork encouraged. Call Bonnie Eaton at 703-917-6449.
Free ESL classes are being offered at Dranesville United Methodist Church located at 1089 Liberty Meeting Court, Herndon. Various levels of instruction are available for beginning to advanced students. Open registration will be held Thursday, Sept. 18 from 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at the church. Classes begin on Thursday, Sept. 25, and are held every following Thursday morning from 9:3011:30 a.m. Free childcare is also provided during class time for children two years and older.
For more information call the church office at 703-430-3137 during the day, or 703-860-9417 in the evenings.
Volunteer Fairfax and The Fairfax County Public Library are in partnership for VolunteerFest, an event featuring hands-on projects including organizing books, assisting with children's programs, Internet tutoring, landscaping, creating displays, sorting book donations, cleaning and more. The them this year is "Volunteers Bring Libraries to Life" and takes place on Saturday, Oct. 25, rain or shine, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at library facilities throughout the county. Call 703-246-3460, e-mail VolsRUs@volunteerfairfax.org or visit www.volunteerfairfax.org.
The Herndon Ladies Golf Club will host their 2003 Fall Invitational Golf Tournament on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at the Herndon Centennial Golf Course to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Entry fee of $60 and includes greens fee, cart, range balls, breakfast and lunch. A new car is one of many prizes. Shot-gun start is at 9 a.m. Tournament sponsor tee signs are available for $100. For registration, or more information, contact Flo Benkovic at 703-435-1550. Rain date is Wednesday, Oct. 15. Entry closing date is Sept. 24.
The Town of Herndon Department of Park and Recreation presents the 18th Annual Family Pet Parade. The event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 20 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Herndon Town Green behind the Herndon Municipal Center. The event is for pets of all sizes and types and participants ages 4 and up. Pets, kids and adults alike will be in the parade. To register in advance, go to the Herndon Community Center, 814 Ferndale Ave. The fee is $4. For more information, call 703-435-6868.
The Town of Herndon's Fall Fun Festival will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. They are currently seeking vendors for the Farmers Market. There is a $30 fee for a 10- by 10-foot booth space. Applications are also available for food vendors. Call Herndon Community Center at 703-435-6868.
The Greater Reston Art Center (GRACE) will feature the works of Northern Virginia visual art teachers in the juried exhibition, "And They Teach," from Oct. 9-Nov. 12. GRACE is offering the opportunity to visual art teachers at the elementary and secondary level in Northern Virginia in order to "foster professional artistic growth among art teachers."
Drop off dates for artwork are Thursday, Sept. 18, from 5-8 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at 11911 Freedom Drive, Suite 110, Reston. The entry fee for GRACE members is $10 and the non-member fee is $20. All work may be 2- or 3-dimensional work, no larger than 32 inches by 40 inches, original and completed within the last three years. Submitted work should be labeled with the artist's name, address, phone number, title of work, dimensions and suitably framed and ready for installation. Pieces will be held until juried and the jurors' decision will be made by telephone.
Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. For information, contact Amy Kropka, director of programs, at 703-471-9242.
The Northern Virginia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is preparing for its annual new volunteer training. Volunteers are assigned to a specific nursing home or assisted living facility in their community which they visit weekly. Listening, observing and mediating, the ombudsman works with the residents, their families and the facility staff to ensure that resident's rights are protected and they are being adequately helped. The training is scheduled for Sept. 18, 19 and 25 from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day. Applicants must successfully complete training and must be available to volunteer four hours per week during regular business hours. Anyone interested who is not employed by a long-term care facility and can commit one year to working as an Ombudsman can call 703-324-5435. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ombudsman.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training is recruiting volunteers to train for marathons and races to honor local cancer patients. For more information call 703-960-1100 or visit www.teamintraining.org.
Inova VNA Home Health needs volunteers to visit homebound patients. Volunteers spend one to two hours a week talking to the patients, running errands and doing odd jobs. Visits are made during the day, evening or on weekends. Training is provided. Call 703-642-9041.
Seniors seeking employment in Northern Virginia are encouraged to call Senior Employment Resources at 703-750-1936, Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., for an interview.
The Northern Virginia Family Service is looking for foster families for abused and neglected children. African-American families are particularly needed. Training, support and financial compensation will be provided for both full-time and short-term programs. For more information, call 703-533-9727 or visit smcallister@nvfs.org.
Homeless pets at Fancy Cats Rescue Team in Herndon, the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, and the Humane Society of Fairfax County Inc. can find homes with the help of Petfinder.com. Potential adopters should visit the Web site, enter their zip code and find a list of pets that are available for adoption in their area.
Three Wishes Program makes power wheelchairs available to senior citizens (65 years and up) and the permanently disabled with no cost to the recipient if they qualify. The power wheelchairs are provided to those who cannot walk and cannot self-propel a manual wheelchair in their home, and who meet the additional guidelines of the program. No deposit is required. Call 800-451-0971 for more information.
The Naomi Project needs volunteers to serve as mentors for high risk pregnant women. The women are referred from the Fairfax Hospital, Health Dept., Human Services and private physicians. Volunteers give about one hour per week, determined by the client's needs and volunteer's availability. There is a special need for Spanish-speaking volunteers. Call 703-860-2633 or visit www.naomiproject.homestead.com.