<i>Send information to <a href=mailto:herndon@connectionnewspapers.com> herndon@connectionnewspapers.com</a> or call 703-917-6449. Deadline is Friday. Photos/artwork welcome.</i>
The PTSA and the Guidance Office for Herndon High School are looking for volunteers to help with stuffing and distributing student packets in August. To help, send an email to HerndonPTSA@aol.com with availability. The dates are as follows: Stuffing packets: Aug. 19. Distributing packets: Aug. 26 – 29.
English classes for adults sponsored by ESL and Immigrant Ministries will be offered in 17 locations in Northern Virginia. Childcare is available at some locations. Registration begins Sept. 2. A $20 processing fees is requested. Scholarships are available. Check www.eslim.org for class locations and schedules or call 703-841-0292 and leave a message. Calls will be returned in English, Spanish, Korean, or Vietnamese.
Fairfax County Community and Recreation Teen Centers are asking people to donate their used cell phones and any accessories, to the Cell Phones for Soldiers program, providing families with a much-needed connection to their loved ones overseas. It’s free to turn in used cell phones. Contact Hector Collazo, regional program coordinator, Fairfax County Community and Recreation Services’ Teen Services Division at 703-704-6796, TTY 711. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/rec.
Keeping cool. Fairfax County residents who need help to keep their homes cool this summer and prevent a health emergency resulting from extreme heat may be able to get assistance from two programs locally administered by the county's Department of Family Services. The Cooling Assistance program helps eligible low-income households with at least one person considered especially vulnerable to heat: a child under age six, a disabled individual, or an adult age 60 or older. Applications for this year’s Cooling Assistance Program will be accepted through Friday, Aug. 15. For more information or an application form, visit the Virginia Department of Social Services Web site: www.dss.virginia.gov/benefit/ea/cooling/index.html or call the Fairfax County Department of Family Services at 703-324-7604; TTY:703-222-9452. The Fan Care program is another way to help older Fairfax area residents stay safe in the summer heat. To qualify for Fan Care, a person must be at least 60 years old, have a combined yearly family income of no more than $15,600 for a household of one or $21,000 for a household of two, and need a fan to prevent heat-related health problems. The Fan Care program began on June 2 and runs through the end of September. To request an application, call Kim Karlinchak in Fairfax County’s Department of Family Services – Fairfax Area Agency on Aging at 703-324-7694, TTY 703-449-1186.
Square dances at the Herndon Senior Center, 873 Grace St., Herndon, every Saturday. $5 for 6 classes for seniors, $10 for non-seniors. Call 703-464-6200.
Mothers First — Herndon/Reston is a nonprofit support organization helping women transition from careers to at-home motherhood. Meetings are first and second Wednesdays at 10 a.m. at the Herndon Fortnightly Library, 768 Center St., Herndon. Contact 703-827-5922 or www.mothersfirst.org.
Latin Movement Classes at Dance With Me Ballroom Dance Studio. No partner needed. Cuban motion, free style dancing and dance styling taught plus a fun exercise. Drop-in every Sunday, 2-3 p.m. Cost is $20 per person. The studio is located at the border of Reston and Herndon at 251 Sunset Park Drive. Visit www.dancewithme.net or call 703-444-3061.
Senior Swim Time at the Herndon Community Center Pool for a reduced rate of $2 all day on Tuesdays. Pool is at the Herndon Community Center at 814 Ferndale Ave., Herndon. Call 703-787-7300.
Volunteers are needed to help Northern Virginia Adults Improve English Skills. The Literacy Council of Northern Virginia sponsors tutor training workshops to help volunteers provide individualized English literacy instruction. No teaching or foreign language skills are required. A $35 training fee covers the cost of books, materials, and instruction. All tutor training workshops take place at the James Lee Community Center, 2855 Annandale Road in Falls Church, but the tutoring will take place in a library or community center in the tutor’s neighborhood. Students and tutors are matched based on geographic proximity to make the weekly sessions as convenient as possible. The next English literacy tutor training workshop will be held in August on three consecutive Saturdays — Aug. 9, Aug. 16, and Aug. 23 from 9:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. Email volunteers@lcnv.org or call 703-237-0866.
Teen Friday Nights for middle school students every Friday at the Herndon Community Center, 8-10:30 p.m. Events include exclusive use of the Teen Room and Game Room. There will be room to dance and mingle with friends. Tickets will be sold at Herndon Middle School the Thursday and Friday before; students must show school ID or have a parent present when purchasing admission at the door. $4 in advance and $5 at the door.
Teen Scene at the Herndon Community Center in the HCC Teen Room. The room is dedicated to middle school students every weekday afternoon, 2:30-6 p.m. Join in by purchasing a $15 pass. Call 703-787-7300.
The Closet is a nonprofit thrift shop in Herndon run by a consortium of faith communities in the area. The store, located at 845 Station St. in downtown Herndon, 703-437-7652, is open for making purchases on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Donations are accepted in the rear of the building on Thursdays and Saturdays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
The Bargain Loft is a local thrift store located at 336 Victory Drive in Herndon. All the money made by the Bargain Loft goes to help Herndon/Reston FISH, which helps people with emergency needs such as money for rent, utilities or medicines. Bargain Loft is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The store has two shifts, 10 a.m.-noon and afternoons from noon-2 p.m. The Loft particularly needs people on Saturdays and can always use teens who want to acquire some community service time. Call 703-437-0600.