Know of something missing from our community calendar? E-mail it to arlington@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is 2 p.m. the Thursday before publication. Call Rebecca Halik at 703-917-6407 with any questions. Photos are welcome. For more volunteer opportunities, classes, announcements visit www.arlingtonconnection.com and click on Community.
<b>Monday/Nov. 26
</b> Meeting. The Arlington Branch of the American Association of University Women will discuss "Challenging Racism with Stories and Conversation at Barrett Elementary School, 4401 N. Henderson Road. Free. 6:30 p.m. with a pot-luck dinner. Free. 703-271-8881.
<b>Sunday/Dec. 2
</b> Peace Corps Session. 2 p.m. at Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy St. Learn about the Peace Corps from previous volunteers through videos, question and answer period and more. Free. Visit www.peacecorps.gov/50+ for information.
<b>Wednesday/Dec. 5
</b> Seminar. Students and parents ready to start college can attend a financial seminar at 6:30 p.m. at Arlington Education Center, 1426 N. Quincy St. Free. 703-526-0200 ext. 264.
<b>Holiday Sharing
</b>The Salvation Army is seeking gift givers to provide clothing and/or toys for children under 13 years old from families that have applied for Christmas assistance. The Salvation Army provides Angel Tags listing first name, age, and gender and clothing sizes of children from the community. The tags may be collected from The Salvation Army at 518 South Glebe Road, Arlington or we can mail you the tags. Return the gifts to The Salvation Army by Dec. 8. Indra Corea, Caseworker, 703-979-3380 x102, or visit www.virginiasalvationarmy.org/ for more.
<b>F.Y.I.
</b>Nominations are sought for the 2007 Bill Thomas Park Service Award. Eligibility for The Bill Thomas Park Service Award is open to individual citizens, groups and organizations. Anyone may submit a nomination for The Bill Thomas Park Service Award. The deadline for submitting nominations for this year’s award is 5 p.m., Jan. 15, 2008. Go to www.arlingtonva.us/prcr for more information and an nomination form, or contact Susan Kalish at skalish@arlingtonva.us or 703-228-3330.
Two Arlington County Board-appointed commissions that significantly impact the well-being of Arlington's older residents are looking for new members: The Commission on Aging and The Commission on Long-Term Care. If interested, contact the Agency on Aging at 703-228-1700, TTY 703-228-1788, or via e-mail at Arlaaa@arlingtonva.us. Information and applications are available online at www.arlingtonva.us/aging, select link to Commission on Aging or Commission on Long-Term Care Residences.
Help OAR in bringing presents to children whose parents are in the Alexandria Detention Center and Arlington County Detention Facility. Help wrap gifts for children on Dec. 11 from 6-9 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 4000 N. Lorcom Lane. Bring a new gift for a teenager. Volunteers are also needed to help deliver gifts in same zipcode from Dec. 12-21. Or donate postage, U-Haul trucks, gift cards, food and wrapping paper.
Arlington Public Schools students are invited to compete in the 39th Annual, "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing Contest." Entries may be submitted through Dec. 17. This year, students are asked to write an essay that completes the sentence, "If Dr. King were here today, I would say …"
The contest is open to all Arlington Public Schools students in grades one through 12. Elementary School contest winners will receive $75 each, middle school winners will receive $100 each, and high school winners will receive $150 each. Winners will be announced on Friday, Jan. 11, 2008.
There is no fee to enter the essay contest. Entry forms, which include complete details and rules, are available at all Arlington Public Schools or online at www.apsva.us. Entries are also available at all Arlington County Libraries and Arlington County Parks and Recreation Centers. All entries must be received by 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 17.
Assist with monthly Family Fun Nights at Langston Community Center, 2121 N. Culpeper St. — a drop-in program for families with children and teens on the autism spectrum. Volunteers will assist with crafts, help to lead games and sports and generally try to engage the children and parents in the activities that are offered. Every third Friday from 6:30-9 p.m. Contact Janice Covert at 703-228-4730.
The Parkinson’s Disease Support Groups (Patient Discussion, Carepartners and Wilber McBay Exercise Program) meet weekday mornings at the Cherrydale Baptist Church, 3910 Lorcom Lane, Arlington. The Parkinson Foundation (PFNCA) invites people with PD and their carepartners. Interested participants must call ahead. For schedules and more information, contact Leon Paparella at 202-966-4450.
The East African Center is seeking motivated volunteers to help in a variety of ways in the Arlington area. They are an international development organization that works with women and children in very poor rural communities in Kenya. Seeking volunteers to work with our local staff (in the Arlington area) to help with outreach and communications, web-design, grants development and administrative tasks. Contact Theresa Wilson, President, 703-845-0208 or visit www.eastafricancenter.org for more.
Sign up now to be a Classroom Assistant in one of the Child & Family Network Centers (CFNC) preschool classrooms. The students are 4-year-olds. You will assist a teacher in guiding the children through new adventures in reading, science, art, music and computer basics, among other skills. And of course, there’s play, games, field trips and much more. Call Patricia Chapman, 703-836-0214 or send an e-mail to pchapman@cfnc-online.org to set up a time.
VFW Post 3150 has authorized the formation of a Men’s Auxiliary to assist the Post in carrying out its mission among its fellow veterans and their families and the community of Arlington. Membership in the Men’s Auxiliary requires that the applicant be the husband, father, grandfather, son, grandson, brother or half-brother (who attained that status prior to age 16) of a veteran who was or is eligible for membership in the VFW. Those interested should contact the Post at 703-525-0108, e-mail cdrpost3150@va.vfwwebmail.com or Ernie Deal at 540-522-1158 or 703-979-5268.