Thursday/March 7
Economic Outlook. 8 a.m.-noon at Belle Haven Country Club, 6023 Fort Hunt Road. Presentation will highlight trends in government and housing in a post-fiscal cliff economy. Reservations can be made at www.mtvernon-leechamber.org or 703-360-6925.
Economic Outlook Forum 2013. 8-9 a.m. networking and exhibits, 9 a.m.-noon presentation and Q&A at Belle Haven Country Club, 6677 Richmond Highway. The forum will discuss the post-sequestration economy and how it may affect businesses. Visit sfdc.org or 703-360-5008 to register.
Saturday/March 9
Blood Drive. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Mount Vernon Rec Center, 2017 Belle View Blvd. Free. Visit redcrossblood.org for more.
History Symposium. 8:30 a.m. at Green Spring Garden, 4603 Green Spring Road. Learn about what was happening in the United States during World War II and what makes 1942 important for Green Springs. Visit www.greenspring.org or 703-642-5173 to register.
Thursday/March 14
Tax Relief Workshop. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Road. Get help will filling out the application form as well as answers to questions. Free. Reservations required, 703-765-4573.
Friday/March 15
Going for the Green Spring Silent Auction. 6:30 p.m. at Fort Hunt Elementary School. Music will be provided by DJ Bob, food and facepainting will be available for purchase. There will also be a raffle for items.
Saturday/March 16
Boater Education Course. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at Knights of Columbus Hall, 8592 Richmond Highway. The course meets the boating education requirements of all states. Contact Rich Miller at eaglesailor75@cox.net or 703-780-3765.
Silent Auction. 6:30-11 p.m. at Collingwood Library and Museum, 8301 E. Boulevard Drive. Browse items from Sugar House, Wintergreen Resort and more. $35/person. Visit www.tauxemont.org/auction for information.
Amazing Egg Hunt. Children ages 1-12 can participate in the Plymouth Haven Baptist Church from 10 a.m.-noon. Free, but reservations requested. Enjoy face painting, crafts and more. 703-360-4370.
Touch-A-Truck. 3-6 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson High School, 6560 Braddock Road. Explore fire trucks, police cars and other vehicles. This is a hands-on event, so horns will be sounded and more. $5/person, children under 2 are free. Proceeds benefit Fort Hunt Preschool. Visit www.forthuntpreschool.com/events for more.
Sunday/March 17
Longaberger Basket Bingo. Sponsored by the West Potomac High School band. Features 20 regular games for gift-filled Longaberger baskets. Admission is $20 per person in advance or $25 at the door. Doors open 1 p.m.; bingo starts at 2 p.m. in the West Potomac High School cafeteria, 6500 Quander Road. Details and advance ticket sales at www.wolverineband.com.
Monday/March 18
Workshop. U.S. Rep. Jim Moran will host a workshop entitled “Making College Affordable: Financing Your Education” from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Mount Vernon High School, 8515 Old Mt. Vernon Road. High school seniors and parents can get help on how to navigate opportunities to pay for higher education. Free.
Monday/March 18 and Tuesday/March 19
AARP Safe Driving Course. 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Road. Take a refresher course to improve driving skills and possibly decrease auto insurance costs. Must attend both sessions. $12/AARP member; $14/nonmember. Registration required, 703-765-4573.
Tuesday/March 19
Genealogical Society Meeting. 1 p.m. at Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Road. The Mount Vernon Genealogical Society will discuss “Land Records Research,” which may be a valuable resource for determining an ancestor’s location. Free. Visit www.MVGenealogy.org for more.
Mount Vernon Evening Lions Club Meeting. 7 p.m. at Pema’s restaurant. Julie Bratton will talk about services provided by FCPS for visually impaired students. Call Andrea Corsillo at 703-960-4973 for more information.
Book Club. 7:30-9 a.m. at Community Business Partnership, 7001 Loisdale Road, Springfield. Discuss a facet of “Small Business Breakthrough” book. Free. Breakthrough Book Club participants can download a free copy of the Small Business Breakthrough book at http://www.SmallBusiness-Breakthrough.org, or from iTunes. 703-539-2631.
Wednesday/March 20
Capital Caring. 1 p.m. at Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Road. “Hospice Myths” and “Are You Getting all the Medicare Benefits you Deserve?” will be discussed. Free. 703-765-4573.
Wednesday/March 27
Workshop. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Lincolnia Senior Center, 4710 N. Chambliss St. Enjoy a workshop on “Staying Home: Making Smart Choices for Easy Living.” Topics include home modifications, avoid frauds and scams and more. Light refreshments will be served. Free, but seating is limited so registration required. Register online at http://aarp.cvent.com/MakingSmartChoicesforEasyLivingVA or 1-877-926-8300.
Sunday/April 14
CROP Walk. Registration begins at 1 p.m. and the walk begins at 1:30 p.m. at Heritage Presbyterian Church, 8503 Fort Hunt Road. Enjoy a 1.6 mile walk through the community, sponsored by area churches. Proceeds benefit local hunger-fighting initiatives. Visit www.cropwalkonline.org for more.
Friday/April 26
Application Deadline. Students can apply for the 2013 Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce Education Partnership scholarship. Scholarships are awarded to high school seniors in the Mount Vernon and Lee districts pursuing education in a business related field. Visit www.mtvernon-leechamber.org or 703-360-6925 or high school career centers for applications.
Volunteers Needed
The Fairfax County Park Authority is seeking volunteers to support iCan Shine, a five-day camp that teaches children with disabilities to ride two-wheel bicycles. The camp will be held during Fairfax County Schools’ spring break, March 25-29 at Lee District RECenter in Franconia. Besides making a difference that will last a lifetime, volunteers will also earn one free RECenter day pass for each camp session worked (10 pass limit). Volunteers must be at least 15 years old. For more information, call Adapted Aquatics Coordinator LeeAnn David at 703-324-8565 or send an email toleeann.david@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Volunteer to host an exchange student for the school year 2013-14. These foreign teens (15-18 years old) want to attend high school here in Northern Virginia, and experience life as an American teen. They are looking forward to becoming an active member of their new host family. Academic Year in America (AYA) is a non-profit organization, and the Department of State does not allow us to pay our host families. If interested in welcoming a new family member into your heart and your home, visit www.academicyear.org or if you would like to find out more about hosting astudents, call local coordinator Louise at 540-286-1561.
Fairfax County needs a Meals on Wheels coordinator for the Mount Vernon area. Contact Fairfax County's Volunteer Solutions at 703-324-5406, TTY 703-449-1186, VolunteerSolutions@fairfaxcounty.gov, or visit Volunteer Solutions at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices and click on volunteers.
AARP Tax-Aide, a national volunteer-run tax counseling and preparation service for low to moderate income and elderly citizens, needs volunteers to electronically complete and file federal and state income tax forms for the 2013 tax season.The program offers free five-day training using IRS computers and software. Volunteers become IRS Certified Tax Counselors after completing and passing the IRS examination. Training sessions will be held in Annandale, Centerville and Alexandria in Jan. 2013. Visit www.aarp.org/taxaide.
Ongoing
Band musicians, young and old, are invited to join the Mount Vernon Community Band. Rehearsals are Tuesday 7:30-9:30 p.m. in the Mount Vernon High School band room, 8515 Old Mount Vernon Road. There are no auditions. The Mount Vernon Community Band is a nonprofit community service organization that has performed in the Mount Vernon area since 1978. 703-768-4172 or www.mvbands.com.
Alzheimer's Association support groups provide a place for people with Alzheimer's, their caregivers, family members, and/or friends to share valuable information, caregiving tips and concerns throughout the Alzheimer's journey. Groups are facilitated by trained group leaders and are ongoing, free and open to the community. There is a meeting on the second Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 8710 Mount Vernon Highway. Call the Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline at 703-359-4440 or 800-272-3900 before attending a group for the first time to verify meeting information, obtain directions or other information about the group. A complete list of all groups in the National Capital Area region can be viewed at www.alz.org/nca.
Postpartum Support Virginia sponsors a free, bi-monthly support group for women suffering depression and/or anxiety during pregnancy or in the first year following childbirth. Meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at Inova Alexandria Hospital, Health Education Center, rooms 1-2, 4320 Seminary Road. Contact co-moderator Susan Doyle at suzjdoyle@gmail.com or 571-403-0673.
The Boy Scout Troop 1906 is seeking members. They meet every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at Bethlehem Baptist Church Parsonage, 7836 Fordson Road. Visit www.boyscouts-ncac.org/colonial for more.
UCM's Back Porch Thrift Store is in need of donations of furniture. UCM will pick up furniture, as well as other larger donations, or they can be dropped off at the back of the store Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. To arrange for pick-ups, call 703-768-7106, ext. 320. Located at the Mt. Vernon Crossroads Shopping Center at 7838 Richmond Hwy.
Training Courses. The American Red Cross in the National Capital Region will host training courses in CPR, First Aid, and AED in the Alexandria and Fort Belvoir offices. These classes offer a two-year certification. Classes range from $70-$110 and are available Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, or Saturdays. Advance registration is required. To register for a class or find another class in your area, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit redcross.org/takeaclass.
Dance for Parkinson’s Disease. Thursdays, 1:30-2:30 p.m. At Heritage Presbyterian Church, 8503 Fort Hunt Rd. Those with Parkinson’s and caregivers are welcome. No dance experience necessary.