Dear neighbor,

I want to thank you for all that you do to help make Fairfax a great place to live, work, play, and visit. As we gather around family and friends, I hope we can all take a moment to reflect on the many things that we are grateful for. May this Thanksgiving fill your heart with love and joy, spent with loved ones.

I want to highlight the Oakton Pantry, its Founder Cathy Jaquette, and the many individuals who devote their time to keep the Pantry operating and running smoothly. I am grateful for all the donors who continue to ensure that the shelves stay stocked and that the needs of the community are fulfilled. You can read more about the Pantry here.

I also want to thank Sara Holtz for her unwavering dedication to volunteerism. Sara has devoted many hours to serving the community in various ways and was recognized as the 2020 Providence District Community Champion. Sara started serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the rural village of Togo back in August 1995 and continued her service there until 1998. This year, Sara decided to go back and visit. You can read more about Sara's service and recent trip back to Togo, here.

You can now vote early for the January 10 special election for the Virginia House of Delegates 35th District. This seat is currently vacant after former Del. Mark Keam resigned in early September. This election will be held using the old district boundaries prior to redistricting.

The last day to vote early is Saturday, January 7 at 5pm. For more information, click here.

We are still collecting donations until Thursday, December 15! My office and the Providence Community Center have partnered with local HOAs to collect food and household essentials to be donated to the Oakton High School Pantry and Falls Church High School Pantry.

The holiday season is an especially busy time for both pantries, and we thank you in advance for your generosity. If your HOA is interested in helping collect donations, please email [email protected] and we will be happy to coordinate with you.

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD) is participating in the Annual National Capital Region Fire and EMS Departments’ 2022 TOYS FOR TOTS Campaign. The intent of the campaign is to “bring holiday joy and deliver a message of hope to children.”

Stations are accepting donations until Sunday, December 11. Residents will be able to drop off toys until 8pm each evening. Thanks to the generosity of those who live and work in Fairfax County, FCFRD was able to provide the Marines with approximately 25,000 toys last year!

Since 1988, Santa’s Ride has been collecting toys and delivering them to children in area hospitals and local charities. Help brighten the holidays for our local children and drop off new and unwrapped toys, books, or games at any of the following locations now through 9am on Monday, December 12:

The Oakton Pantry's annual Holiday Wish List is a collection of items Oakton High School students and their families need this holiday season. Donations should be delivered to the front office of Oakton High School during school hours between Wednesday, December 7 and Friday, December 9.

Now through Friday, December 16, Victim Services Division is seeking gift cards for their child victims (both young and teenagers) to places like Giant, Amazon, Safeway, Walmart, TJ Maxx, Target, Kohl’s, local restaurants, and clothing stores. Gift cards will allow parents/guardians to be active participants in purchasing gifts for each child and practical needed items that they would normally go without.

Your generous donation of gift cards will help those families most impacted by crime bring a smile to the faces of their children who have had a tough road due to the violence they have witnessed or been a victim of themselves. Each child victim selected for the holiday gift card drive has been affected by crime and has been vetted by their assigned Victim Specialist.

For more information, please contact Saly Fayez at 703-246-2465 or [email protected].

​Thanks to the Virginia Department of Social Services’ Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), Fairfax Water can now offer assistance to eligible customers who need assistance with their water and wastewater bills. This program will help eligible low-income households by providing a one-time payment directly to their water and/or wastewater provider.

Join Mosaic District on Friday, November 25 in welcoming the arrival of the holiday season with a merry and bright tree lighting. Bring your family and friends to experience the Jolly Man as he spreads holiday cheer and makes his way through Mosaic on a firetruck and greets onlookers.

Visitors can also meet and greet Santa in the Target lobby after the tree lighting and catch a screening of Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas in Strawberry Park at 7:30pm.

Additionally, Santa will be making his annual visits to Mosaic beginning November 25. Bring your friends and family to take photos with Santa!

The Tysons Library's quarterly Used Book Sale is on December 1 through 4, from 10am to 5pm at the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library. Thousands of books are available, waiting for a good home or to be wrapped and placed under a tree!

The Greater Oakton Community Association (GOCA) invite you to their first Arts & Music in the Park on Sunday, December 4 from noon to 4pm at the Oakton Community Park. Local crafters will sell their items in the historic Oakton schoolhouse. Musicians from Flint Hill High School and James Madison High School will perform throughout the event. They will also have a local bagpiper join! There will be craft activities for kids, and a Ben & Jerry's food truck will be selling hot cocoa and ice cream.

GOCA is one of our partners for the Providence District Food Drive and they will be collecting donations during this event.

GOCA is looking for volunteers to make this event successful! If you are interested, please sign up here.

The magic of the holiday season comes alive with a visit to Santa’s winter wonderland. Santa will be at Fashion Court, lower level Nordstrom wing through December 24. A visit with Santa is always free and photo packages are available for purchase.