Send announcements to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is Friday, two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, call Jennifer Lesinski at 703-917-6454.
This free listing is reserved for activities and events that are open to the public at no or minimal cost.
The Western Loudoun Tour Committee is seeking planning and event volunteers for this year's Artist Studio Tour June 24-25. Contact Jeff Stern, 540-338-7973, or visit www.franklinparkartscenter.org.
The YMCA Loudoun County is looking for volunteers of all ages to help with the 18th Annual Leesburg 10K/20K race scheduled for Aug. 13. The race begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends about 11 a.m. Contact Amy Grabowski, 703-777-9622 or agrabowski@ymcawasdc.org.
The Loudoun Arts Council is looking for volunteers for its 2006 Designer Showhouse, which will be open to the public Sept. 27-Oct. 15. The Council will hold the 20-day event at the historic Rust Manor House in Leesburg, a 68-acre nature site owned by the Audubon Naturalist Society.
Volunteer opportunities include room docents, ticket and furniture sales assistants and directional and parking attendants. Volunteer opportunities are open to everyone, regardless of age, gender, race and ability. These opportunities are also extended to businesses and organizations interested in coordinating a volunteer program to feature their company and employees. Contact Eltinge at jeltinge@aol.com.
The American Red Cross Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Blood Services Region is seeking youth to work as volunteer ambassadors at blood operations this summer. Teens 14 years or older are offered the opportunity to earn service learning credits and develop job skills by assisting the blood collections staff. Specific responsibilities include greeting donors and providing them with essential reading materials, serving refreshments, and offering an hospitable atmosphere to donors. Training is provided.
A commitment of 30 hours over the summer is required. Blood operations last four-six hours, and are held daily throughout the Potomac area. Training is held in late May-June at American Red Cross blood drives in Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Montgomery County, Prince William County, and Washington, D.C.
To register for training, call the American Red Cross Volunteer Office at 1-800-272-0094, Ext. 1, or e-mail karlofft@usa.redcross.org.
There are currently vacancies for representatives on the following county and regional advisory boards, commissions and committees.
* Animal Advisory Committee: Broad Run District.
* Commission on Aging: Sterling District.
* Commission on Women: Sugarland Run District.
* Community Action Agency Advisory Board: Three at-large low-income representatives.
* Commuter Bus Advisory Board: Potomac and Sugarland Run districts.
* Disability Services Board: At-large business representatives or representatives who have a disability or who have a family member with a disability.
* Equal Employment Opportunity Plan Committee: At-large representatives.
* Library Board of Trustees: Blue Ridge, Broad Run and Potomac districts.
* Loudoun Health Council: Representatives of the medical community, including physicians, health care professionals and health-related nonprofits; and representatives of the faith community, business and the general public.
* Open Space Advisory Committee: Sterling and Sugarland Run districts.
* Social Services Board: At-large representative.
* Transportation Safety Commission: At-large representative.
* Woods Road Special Exception Oversight Committee: At-large representatives.
For information about specific vacancies, contact Cherie Giles, Board of Supervisors' Office, 703-771-5034, or by e-mail at fgiles@loudoun.gov or by fax at 703-777-0421. Information about each board, committee and commission is available on the Loudoun County Government Web site at www.loudoun.gov/advisory.
The ASPECT Foundation is looking for families to host a foreign exchange student for the upcoming school year. The students come from all over the world for the chance to experience life in the USA while attending high school. These students have their own health insurance and spending money. Host families provide the student with room and board. Call 703-433-0362.
The Loudoun Museum is seeking a number of volunteers to assist guests as they visit the museum. Duties include greeting guests, providing basic tourist and heritage information, collecting admission fees and answering the telephone. Hours are flexible with both morning and afternoon shifts available. Training will be provided.
The Loudoun Museum is located at 16 Loudoun St., S.W., Leesburg. Museum hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m., Sundays. E-mail bfriedmann@loudounmuseum.org or call 703-777-7427.
La Voz, conduit between the Hispanic/Latino and immigrant populations, government agencies and other groups in order to promote self-sufficiency, is in need of volunteers for a range of different activities such as grant writing, ESL instructors and child care for educational presentations. In addition, it is seeking a minimal amount of office space to initiate the Newcomer Welcome Center. La Voz is always in need of financial support. All donations are tax deductible. Contact La Voz of Loudoun at 703-777-1417.
Loudoun Volunteer Services (LVS) announces its volunteer-match Web site, a service of the Points of Light Foundation, corporately sponsored by Dominion Power. The Web site is aimed at both volunteers, who are seeking to find opportunities best suited for their particular interest or skill, and organizations seeking a way to publicly advertise their volunteer opportunities. To register for this free service, visit www.loudoun.gov/pio/volunteer.htm and click on "register your organization's volunteer opportunities," or to volunteer click on "looking for volunteer opportunities." Contact Lisa Rose at 703-777-0113.
The Loudoun County MADD Chapter is seeking additional court monitors for Loudoun Traffic court program in which trained volunteers observe and gather data on DUI court proceedings, including arraignments, pretrial hearing, trials and sentencing. The data collected focuses on three prongs: to evaluate the courts, to track the offenders and to plot trends in punishment and case outcomes. Training is provided. Volunteer one day a week or one morning or afternoon a week. Leave a voice mail message on 703-771-8127 or send an e-mail to maddloudoun@aol.com.
Loudoun Interfaith Relief Inc., is seeking volunteers that can pick up food from local grocery stores in the Leesburg and Ashburn areas. Drivers are needed every morning. Loudoun Interfaith Relief Inc. is a nonprofit food pantry that provides emergency food supplies to residents in need living in Loudoun County. Call 703-777-5911.
LINK, an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization, is seeking volunteers for its food-bank, assisting needy families in selecting five-day allotments of food items, to restock shelves and load food into family vehicles. Call Roberta at 703-450-4643.
Prison FellowshipÕs National Office, located in Lansdowne, supports the work of thousands of churches in their hands-on ministry to prisoners and their families. Volunteer opportunities are primarily during business hours, which are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. The fellowship is looking for people who have skills or interests in any of the following areas: office administration, marketing, hospitality, data entry, library administration, prayer support and Web research. There are also opportunities for high-school students during the summer months. Contact Dawn, volunteer services, 703-554-8440 or at volunteers@pfm.org.
Inova Loudoun Hospital is looking for adults to volunteer within its Chaplaincy Services department. The mission is to visit patients and help them draw upon their own spiritual resources in order to cope with their experience of illness. Volunteers are expected to attend a 14-week training program and commit several hours per week for one year visiting patients. Classes begin in September and meet on Monday evenings. The training program, now in its third year, offers mature adults an opportunity to develop personal and professional skills necessary to offer effective pastoral care in the health care setting. The volunteers were recently recognized by Loudoun Volunteer Services and the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors as the 2004 Outstanding Adult Volunteer Team. Contact Chaplain Tom Chirdo at 703-858-8034 or tchirdo@lh.org.
Good Shepherd Alliance Inc., an organization providing shelter to the homeless, is in need of lawyers with nonprofit experience and mentors for single men, women and families. The services of local electricians, painters, plumbers, carpenters, roofers, car mechanics and landscapers are needed to restore living spaces, vehicles and outdoor shelter areas. Software engineers and technicians are also needed to establish and maintain computer workstations at all shelter facilities. Physicians, dentists and counselors support residents living in crisis situations and many volunteers are needed to help at the Good Shepherd Alliance Thrift Store. To learn more about the Good Shepherd Alliance, contact executive director John Brothers at 703-433-2631 or visit www.loudounhomeless.org.
Loudoun County Community Corrections is looking for volunteers to serve as court assistants. Volunteers must be 18 years of age and pass a criminal background check. A commitment of one year at four hours a week requested. Duties include providing court coverage, performing financial interviews on indigent defendants, data entry, case compliance, case intakes and basic administrative duties. Training is provided but a knowledge of the court system is helpful. Contact Karen McQuaid, deputy director at 703-737-8519 or kmcquaid@loudoun.gov.
Loudoun Families for Children, a nonprofit, volunteer organization providing temporary homes for children in crisis and a mentoring program for at-risk children, needs volunteers. Anyone interested in more information about the orientation program, call Kim Burk, 703-771-9505 or e-mail kburk@burkinc.com.