The Volunteer Fairfax/RSVP office is ‘buzzing’ with energy and excitement the third Wednesday of each month as 20-30 volunteers stop in to participate in service projects that support our volunteer station partners. Various projects are the focus of each two-hour session, but friendship and fellowship are also important to those in attendance.  

Because these events have grown in size and scope over the last year, we recently assembled a Welcome Wednesday Planning Team to help with the planning and implementation of these monthly events. RSVP volunteers, Mary Ellen Dawley, Jeanine Lauth, Ken Mass, Pilar Oishi, Kim Sherrock, and Cynthia Wilson stepped up to assist and participated in an initial planning meeting in early June and we are grateful for their ongoing support.  

Pulling these monthly events together is no small feat, as projects need to be identified, supplies sourced and gathered, the room set-up and clean-up organized, and ultimately the distribution of donations coordinated. The team will be a tremendous resource, but there is a job for all of us, even if not directly serving on the planning team. We can all assist in identifying projects. If you serve as an RSVP volunteer at a partner volunteer station, we encourage you to tell those in leadership at your organization about our Welcome Wednesday events and how they can assist the organization with items that support the work they do. Here’s a flyer that can be printed and shared with your contacts to facilitate these conversations. Download here.



If you have questions or need further clarification about project ideas, or are interested in joining the planning team, reach out to Stacey Iden, Program Manager, at siden@volunteerfairfax.org.  

Summer is Here! 



Well, one day you’re broiling and the next you’d never guess it’s summer at all. Still, summer is here – family, travelling, vacations, and here at home, farmers’ markets, concerts, events – lots of great free stuff in Northern Virginia. 

Another good resource is the Board of Supervisors’ newsletters. For example, I learned about the Braddock Bark Dog Festival through the Braddock Beacon, my Supervisor’s monthly newsletter. Well, that was cool! Here’s the list of Fairfax County Supervisors with links to sign up for their newsletters.  

Finally, if something we hope never happens, does, and you or yours have some type of misadventure while you’re out and about, here’s a helpful link to Inova Emergency Room wait times – Inova ER Wait Times.

Have a wonderful summer. Stay cool, stay safe, and have fun with your family and friends. 

RSVP volunteer feedback is important and appreciated, and that’s why we're proud to share some thoughts that came from our two Idea Incubator sessions in May. Feedback was focused on Welcome Wednesday events, Bee Better presentations, and a new idea that’s brewing (haha), Coffee Chats.  

• Welcome Wednesdays (offered the third Wednesday of each month from 1-3 p.m. at the RSVP office) are popular with volunteers because they offer a friendly connection to other RSVP volunteers and the satisfaction of being a ‘force multiplier’ to complete a useful project for our community partners in a short period of time. It was noted that these events are functioning well and there may be opportunities to expand them beyond the scheduled Wednesdays so that more volunteers can participate and enjoy them.  

• Bee Better presentations, offered quarterly, are well-received with relatable topics. Feedback indicated that both Zoom presentations and in-person are suitable, depending on the topic. Suggested topics for upcoming presentations included: health and wellness, fitness, strength training and exercises from home; book talks; cyber security safety and scam avoidance; estate planning; the latest on hearing and technology; social media tools; first aid; and nutrition.  

• Establishing Coffee Chats is a new idea, and we continue to explore the goal(s) of these events to help determine the types of activities that should be included and the best location(s) to host them. Feedback was split on whether Coffee Chats should simply be social hours for RSVP volunteers to gather with one another to connect casually and learn more about each other’s personal lives, families, travel experiences, etc., or whether these events need structure and a focused theme. 



Do you have thoughts to share on any of these topics? We'd love to hear from you, and you can reach out to Stacey Iden at siden@volunteerfairfax.org.  

At-Home Volunteer Project  

If you participated in Welcome Wednesday events earlier this year, you'll remember the Literacy Kits; yes, cutting circle after circle after circle and wondering if we would ever get finished. Well, we can now proudly say that 30 children who are supported by our volunteer station, True Ground (formally APAH), are the recipients of these kits and will benefit from them as they learn to read and work on their literacy skills.  



News of our good work spread throughout the community, and GrandInvolve, another of our volunteer stations, would like some of these same literacy kits to share with their Title I students in the Fairfax County Public School system (FCPS) when they return to the classroom in the fall. 

What say ye? Do you have some at-home time this summer to cut circles and prep a literacy kit or two to share with FCPS? If so, email Stacey Iden at siden@volunteerfairfax.org.

Volunteers joined two Stats Synergy and Idea Incubator sessions, where they learned the results and impact of their service in year one of the current RSVP grant and brainstormed and provided feedback for continued engagement in this new grant year. If you were unable to attend, see the stats here.

Also, during Welcome Wednesday events, volunteers helped prepare recognition gifts for distribution to RSVP volunteers who have not yet received them. If you still haven’t had the chance to pick up your gift, please visit us on a Wednesday, from 9-5 in our office - 12015 Route 50, Suite 225, Fairfax, VA 22033. NOTE: The office will be closed on Wednesday, July 2nd. 



Volunteers also supported True Ground (APAH) and GrandInvolve by creating literacy kits to encourage students in their educational journey. The literacy kits are a frequently requested project, and organizations have been very appreciative of and happy with them. Thank you all for making this possible.

Service Projects 

Volunteers also provided support for Main Street Child Development Center’s Spring Fling, Volunteer Fairfax’s VSA event, and Sully Community Center’s fashion show and dance party for older adults. At these events they stepped into a variety of roles and offered invaluable support. Some volunteers have been supporting Volunteer Fairfax and local events for many years. We’re grateful for your continued dedication and love having your insight and energy on the team. Thank you, volunteers! 

Volunteer Tales & Tidbits, Bob Kovacs: A Few Fun Facts!

Volunteer Station/role: Video/Photography; Welcome Wednesday tasks; help around the office.

Favorite season? Spring.

Coffee or tea? Coffee.

Early bird or night owl? More early than late, but I swing both ways. 

Favorite movie? Dances With Wolves. Or is it Terminator 2?? 

Favorite food? Burgers and pizza. 

Favorite color? A deep, rich blue. 

Best place you ever traveled to? I did the Abbey Road crossing in London... and have a picture to prove it. 

One fun fact about yourself? I went to the original Woodstock rock festival in 1969. 

If you could instantly learn any skill, what would it be? How to be a better videographer. 

What’s one word or phrase you would use to describe volunteers? Friendly and thoughtful.

What’s the most memorable volunteer experience you’ve had? Shooting video for a 5K Girls on the Run race. It was cold! 

What’s your favorite thing about volunteering? Everybody is so grateful for whatever I do, no matter how small or simple.