New NVTC Chair, Volunteer Opportunities, and Upcoming Events

January 12, 2023

Dear neighbor,

Happy New Year! I hope yours is off to a great start and that you have a restful and joyful holiday.

We have Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service coming up. This is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service — a “day on, not a day off” — that helps to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, address social problems, and move us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community.” I hope you were able to find and sign up for a volunteer opportunity that is close to your heart.

I'd love to get your feedback on my newsletters! I have prepared a six-question survey that should only take a few minutes to complete. I look forward to reading your input and working towards improving future newsletters. Take the survey here.

You can read about the following Providence District updates:

NVTC Update
Volunteer, Scholarship, and other Opportunities
Upcoming Events

With gratitude,

Supervisor Dalia Palchik

NVTC

Last week, I was extremely honored to be taking on the role of Chair of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC). I look forward to working with our neighboring jurisdictions and the Commission as we continue to focus on regional transit systems to help move more people safely throughout Northern Virginia.

I also want to congratulate our new Vice-Chair Matt de Ferranti from Arlington County, and our new Secretary-Treasurer David Snyder from the City of Falls Church.

Meeting materials can be accessed here.

A recording of the Commission meeting can be watched here.

The 2022 NVTC Annual Report can be accessed here.

Volunteer, Scholarship, and other Opportunities

Volunteer Market Manager

The Fairfax County Park Authority is seeking volunteers to help manage the 10 Fairfax County Farmers Markets during the 2023 market season, starting in April 2023.

Learn about the FCPA Farmers Market program and the farmers market schedule.

Learn more and sign-up for Fairfax County Farmers Market volunteer opportunities. If you have questions, contact Marketing & Outreach Coordinator Molly Cullen at [email protected].

2023 Food Security Intern

Green Spring Gardens and the Fairfax County Farmers Markets invite undergraduate students to apply for their 2023 Food Security Internship. The goal of the internship is to develop community engagement skills with a special focus on promoting the SNAP at Market program.

The intern will be a temporary, part-time employee of the Fairfax County Park Authority. Compensation is $12.00/hour for up to 300 hours. Applicants must be enrolled in a two or four-year college and be able to provide written enrollment verification. Students who graduated within the 2022-2023 academic year are still eligible.

For more information about the position or to apply, send your resume to Caroline Hockenberry at [email protected].

Public Health Youth Ambassador

The Public Health Youth Ambassador Program, coordinated by the Fairfax County Health Department, is a free educational program that trains local high school students from the African, African-American, and Hispanic communities as community health workers. Thirty local high schoolers are currently enrolled. The program seeks to enroll an additional 60 students between now and June 2023.

Graduates of the Public Health Youth Ambassador Program receive a certificate of completion from Morehouse School of Medicine’s High School Community Health Worker Program, a scholarship, resources such as a laptop and medical supplies, and professional connections. As a result, students will be highly competitive using experiences and completion certificates which will help them with college applications and finding future employment.

Learn more about the Public Health Youth Ambassador Program here.

TJAAG Future STEM Leaders Scholarship

Do you know a bright high schooler passionate about Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Mathematics (STEM) and committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility?

The Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology Alumni Action Group (TJAAG) is accepting applications for their Future STEM Leaders Scholarship, with a top prize of $1,000 each for one TJ student and one non-TJ student.

Learn more about this scholarship and submit your application here.

All Ages Read Together (AART)

AART is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating children in need with free preschool programs in their communities. AART is for children who fall in the gap between those who qualify for publicly funded programs, such as Head Start, and those whose families can afford preschool. The target age is four and five-year-olds who will begin kindergarten the following fall. AART teaches students using a variety of hands-on activities, so the children acquire early literacy, language, social, cognitive, fine motor, and other skills essential for success in school. AART students learn to separate from their parents as they begin their educational journey helping them as they transition to elementary school. AART provides first exposure to a classroom setting, gives weekly books to students, and is a free resource for children and families who have nowhere else to turn.

More information about All Ages Read Together can be found here.

Upcoming Events

Stuff the Bus

The buses are fueled and ready to roll as Stuff the Bus—the county’s post-holiday food drive, now in its 12th year—hits the road in the fight against hunger in Fairfax County.

Beginning on January 14 and continuing weekly through February 18, Fastran buses will visit local grocery stores to collect nonperishable food donations for area food pantries. A Providence district location will be added soon.

Donations will benefit multiple organizations including:

A list of the locations and most requested items can be found here.

Polar Plunge at Mosaic

Polar Plunge is back at Mosaic! Join Chief Davis and the Fairfax County Police Department team as they take the plunge and go all in for Special Olympics Virginia on Saturday, January 14.

Learn more about the Polar Plunge and register today!

Chinese New Year Festival

The Chinese New Year is a time for the entire family to gather together and give each other blessings to start a new year. Sponsored by the Asian Community Service Center, the annual Chinese New Year Festival gives the opportunity to experience the unique aspects of Chinese culture and traditions of five thousand years. This is one-day event showcases cultural performances including dragon and lion dances, delicious Asian foods, New Year Parade, a culture exhibition, a craft show, language, health, and business booths, and children’s activities, among other attractions.

When: Saturday, January 14 from 10am to 6pm

Where: Luther Jackson MS, 3020 Gallows Rd.

Learn more and purchase tickets here.

Community Meetings for SSPA Nominations

A series of community meetings for proposed site-specific land use changes in Fairfax County will be hosted this month through early February, as part of the countywide Site-Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) process. The SSPA process allows anyone to propose a land use change to the Comprehensive Plan, Fairfax County’s guiding document for land use and development decisions.

In the fall of 2022, Fairfax County received a total of 75 SSPA nominations. In December 2022, the Board of Supervisors accepted 70 nominations into the Screening Phase of the SSPA process to allow for community engagement and initial staff review. Nine of these nominations are in the Providence District.

Upcoming Community Meetings:

Oakton/Vienna/Merrifield
Wednesday, January 25 at 7:00 p.m.
Nominations: PR-001/PR-004/PR-005/PR-006/PR-007/PR-008
Virtual - MS Teams
Tysons (Dranesville, Hunter Mill, and Providence)
Wednesday, February 1 at 7:00 p.m.
Nominations: DR-003/DR-005/HM-012/PR-002/PR-003
Virtual - MS Teams
Mason and Fallfax (Mason and Providence)
Thursday, February 2 at 7:00 p.m.
Nominations: MA-001/MA-006/PR-009
Virtual - MS Teams