Send announcements, which are open to the public at no or minimal cost, to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mailnes of Pohick Bay Regional Park.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is Friday, two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, call Matthew Razak at 703-917-6457. For additional listings, visit www.connectionnewspapers.com.
There are currently vacancies for representatives on the following county and regional advisory boards, commissions and committees.
* Animal Advisory Committee: Broad Run District
* Building Code & Appeals Board: One at-large representative
* Commission on Women: Sterling District
* Community Action Agency Advisory Board: One at-large general representative; three at-large, low-income representatives
* Community Services Board: At-large representatives
* Commuter Bus Advisory Board: At-large and Potomac District
* 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
* Historic District Review Committee: At-large representative
* Library Board of Trustees: Potomac District
* Open Space Advisory Committee: Sugarland Run District
* Transportation Safety Commission: Dulles and Sugarland Run districts
* Woods Road Special Exception Oversight Committee: At-large representatives
For information about specific vacancies, contact Cherie Giles, Board of Supervisors, 703-771-5034, or by e-mail at Cherie.Giles@loudoun.gov. Information about each board, committee and commission is available on the Loudoun County Government Web site at www.loudoun.gov/advisory.
Youth Outreach Programs with the Loudoun County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services is seeking volunteers for the “Peace in the Streets” 5K Run, Saturday, April 14, at 8:30 a.m., in Sterling Park. Volunteers are needed for water and food stations, the finish line, flagging, and event set up and tear down. Families are encouraged to volunteer together. Training will be provided. Interested groups and individuals should forward an e-mail to carlos.vera@loudoun.gov or call 571-258-3195.
Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy. Join other individuals seeking to preserve and protect Loudoun's natural resources. LWC is always seeking new board members, committee chairs and volunteers. Current openings on the board include an environmental monitoring chairperson and a conservation advocacy chairperson. Upcoming events which require volunteers include Arbor Day at Banshee Reeks, April 14; the Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival in downtown Leesburg, April 21-22; and Wings Over Loudoun at Claude Moore Park, May 12. Contact volunteer coordinator, Lynn Webster, at lwebster@loudounwildlife.org, or register to volunteer online at www.loudounwildlife.org. To volunteer at upcoming events, contact the public outreach coordinator, Bertie Murphy, at bmurphy@loudounwildlife.org.
AARP Tax-Aide, a free, volunteer-run tax counseling and preparation service, is seeking volunteers to electronically complete and file 2006 federal and state income tax forms, through April 15. Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are welcome but ability to use a computer is a must. Evening and Saturday shifts are available. Tax counselors receive free tax training and become IRS certified by passing the IRS examination. Call Patty Callahan, 703-207-0056 or via e-mail pcallahan@cox.net or call toll-free 1-888-AARPNOW (1-888-227-7669) or visit www.aarp.org/taxaide.
The Loudoun County Electoral Board will need election officers for the primary election Tuesday, June 12 and the general election, Tuesday, Nov. 6. Information, including registration forms, are online on the Loudoun County Government Web site at www.loudoun.gov/government/officers.htm.
More than 100 young musicians from nearly a dozen different countries will converge in Leesburg, from June 30-July 5, to participate in the fourth annual International Gathering of Youth Orchestras. Sixty volunteer local families are needed to host the visiting young musicians. Visit www.ymppa.org, e-mail info@ymppa.org or call 703-728-2589.
The Youth Music Preservation and Promotion Association (YMPPA) is seeking interested parties to fill committee and board vacancies. If interested in applying for a committee or board for the Youth Music Association, submit a letter of interest to Gabriela Bohnett at 44021 Aberdeen Terrace, Ashburn, VA 20147 or by e-mail at info@ymppa.org. For more information about participation, contact Sasha Tomomatsu at 703-729-0001.
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.
Loudoun Volunteer Services is seeking volunteer opportunities appropriate for youth, ages 12-18. Students may be looking for short-term or long-term opportunities and may be available to complete tasks that can be done at home.
Anyone who can use the assistance of a youth volunteer, go to www.loudoun.gov/pio/volunteer.htm to register your organization and opportunity. Contact Lisa Rose, volunteer coordinator, at 703-777-0113.
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.
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.
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.
The Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling, has volunteer opportunities available. Call 703-430-2397, Ext. 123.
The Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross is seeking Blood Services Volunteer Ambassadors to assist its blood collections staff at blood drives and blood donor centers. This position is offered to people who are 14 years of age or older. Specific responsibilities include greeting donors and providing them with essential reading materials, serving refreshments, and observing donors for post-donation reactions to giving blood. Training is provided. A commitment of two or more blood operations each month is requested. Blood drives last four and half to six hours and are held daily throughout the Potomac area, including Loudoun County. 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.
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 Fellowship’s 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.
The Loudoun Museum seeks 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. E-mail bfriedmann@loudounmuseum.org or call 703-777-7427.
The Wingler House lunch program is looking for volunteers to serve a hot nutritious meal and the gift of friendship to older adults. E-mail debra.bressler@loudoun.gov or call Debra Bressler at 703-777-0257.
The Home-Delivered Meals Program is looking for volunteers to deliver a hot nutritious meal and the gift of friendship to Loudoun older adults confined to their homes. Leesburg, Purcellville, Ashburn, Sterling and South Riding
areas need drivers. E-mail dbressle@loudoun.gov or call Debra Bressler at 703-777-0257.