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11.13.2025
Dear Neighbor,
November is Military Families Appreciation Month.
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Fairfax County is home to more than 45,000 active-duty members and 89,000 veterans. Fairfax County Public Schools is on track towards its goal to become a 100% Purple Star Division, a recognition of its support of more than 13,500 military-connected students.
We are grateful for the service and sacrifice of our active duty, reserve, and veteran service members and their families.
The County's Military & Veterans website contains resources for accessing services and more.
Local Food Resources
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The federal government's shutdown is over, but families may still be recovering.
Fairfax County and our nonprofit partners
is ready to help year-round. For food or financial assistance:
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ECHO provides vital support to neighbors in the Springfield/Burke community, and your donations make it possible. Just 1.2 pounds of food can provide a meal. In fiscal year 2025, ECHO has distributed 314,362 pounds of food, the equivalent of 261,968 meals for local families.
Their most needed items include:
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- 100% Juice
- Adult's Toothbrushes
- Baby Wipes
- Bag Beans (black, red or garbanzo beans preferred)
- Bag rice
- Baked Beans
- Band Aids
- Body/Hand Lotion
- Can Milk, Shelf Stable Milk and Hot Chocolate
- Can Tomatoes, Tomato paste and sauce
- Canned Fruit (100% juice)
- Cereal/Oatmeal (Low sugar)
- Children's Toothbrushes
- Condiments (Ketchup, Mayonnaise, Mustard)
- Cooking Oil
- Deodorant
- Diapers - Sizes 2, 4, 5, 6
- Dish Soap
- Facial Tissues
- Flour
- Honey and Jelly
- Instant (Box) Potatoes
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- Instant Coffee
- Laundry Detergent
- Lemon or Lime Juice
- Lentils
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Masa (Corn) Flour
- Muffin Mix
- Non-Salt Spices (cinnamon, cumin, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder)
- Pancake Mix and Syrup
- Paper Bags (Brown Grocery and Reusable)
- Paper Towels
- Peanut Butter
- Sanitary Napkins
- Shampoo
- Snacks (Crackers, raisins, granola bars, dry fruit, nuts, etc.)
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Sugar
- Tea (green, herbal, black)
- Toilet Paper
- Toothpaste
- Tortillas (corn and flour)
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Visit ECHO's website for an extended list of donations they accept, items they cannot accept, and more.
ECHO accepts donations Monday-Friday from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and Tuesday-Thursday from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at 7205 Old Keene Mill Rd, Springfield.
Residents who wish to drop off ECHO donations is a box at the Braddock District Office (9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke).
The box is outside the office door and can accept donations Monday - Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Capital Area Food Bank is responding to an increased need from federal workers and contractors in the area with special supplemental distributions through November 22.
They are holding drives at their existing sites in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. They will provide 150 boxes of shelf-stable goods and an equivalent number of boxes of produce. Depending on traffic, they will scale up the following week if the shutdown is still ongoing. To receive food, visitors need to show a government work ID.
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Virginia
- United Community (7511 Fordson Road, Alexandria)
- Fridays 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
DC
- Urban Outreach (5343 C Street SE, Washington, DC)
- Fridays 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
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Maryland
- No Limits Outreach Ministries (7721 Barlowe Road, Hyattsville, MD)
- Tuesdays 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.
- LindaBen Foundation (10739 Tucker Street, Beltsville, MD)
- Saturdays 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
- So What Else (6116 Executive Boulevard, North Bethesda, MD)
- Wednesdays 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
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Yours in service,
Braddock District Office
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Continue reading below for more information on:
- Taft Drive Nighttime Closure
- Senator Warner's 13th Annual Virginia Women's Conference
- Fairfax Recycles Day
- 39th Annual Caregivers Conference
- Green Business Partners Social
- Early Voting for Braddock District Supervisor Special Election
- Shark Tank Technology Challenge
- Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Information
- Pet Adoption Spotlights: Lugg & Wiley
| | Taft Drive Nighttime Closure | | |
Taft Drive (Route 4167) between Rolling Road (Route 638) and Smithfield Avenue (Route 4147) will be closed from 9:00 p.m. tonight (Thursday, November 13) until 4:00 a.m. tomorrow, Friday, November 14, for water main tie-in work as part of the Rolling Road widening project, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Those traveling from Rolling Road to Smithfield Avenue and viceversa will be detoured via Greeley Boulevard (Route 3332). Drivers are asked to follow posted detour signs.
The nighttime work is occurring under a Fairfax County noise waiver.
The Rolling Road widening project is:
- Widening about a mile and a half of Rolling Road from two lanes to four with a raised median, shared-use path and sidewalk between Viola Street and Kenwood Avenue.
- Constructing a new traffic signal at Rolling Road and Greeley Boulevard.
- Upgrading the traffic signal at Rolling Road and Barnack Drive.
- Making access management and stormwater improvements.
The project is scheduled for completion in late 2027.
Drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians are reminded to use caution when traveling in active work zones. Be alert of new traffic patterns and limit distractions.
You can get traffic, work zone, and incident information online, via the free 511Virginia app, or by calling 5-1-1 in Virginia, anywhere, anytime.
| | Senator Warner's 13th Annual Virginia Women's Conference | | |
Senator Mark Warner invites you to his 13th Annual Virginia Women's Conference on Saturday, November 15 from 8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. at the Johnson Center on George Mason University's Fairfax Campus (4400 University Drive, Fairfax).
This year’s event features an unforgettable keynote by Cynt Marshall — trailblazing President & CEO of Marshalling Resources, former CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, bestselling author, and retired AT&T executive.
The event is free, but registration is required. For more details, including the schedule, keynote speaker information, attire, and more, visit the conference website.
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Whether it’s winter coats, batteries, eyeglasses, or electronics, unwanted recyclables can be dropped off at Fairfax Recycles Day event on Saturday, November 15, from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Backlick VRE parking lot (6900 Hechinger Drive, Springfield).
This event is free for County residents.
Attendees can also stop by the Touch-a-Truck area for an opportunity to check out some of the large vehicles and heavy equipment used by DPWES and other county agencies, such as a fire engine, flusher truck, CCTV truck, and trash and recycling trucks.
| | 39th Annual Caregivers Conference | | |
The Northern Virginia Dementia Care Consortium (NVDCC) is hosting its 39th Annual Caregivers Conference on Saturday, November 22, from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax).
Attendees will:
- Gain insights and practical tips on managing physical and emotional symptoms and coping with stress, from experts in psychology, dementia care, and aging.
- Learn how to be better prepared to provide care and support through small-group break-out sessions covering long-term care planning and elder law, hands-on caregiving skills, and everyday self-care techniques. (Bring your questions for an open Q&A session)
- Discover resources provided by local professionals and government agencies.
- Connect with fellow caregivers.
Register on NVDCC's website by Sunday, November 16.
| | Green Business Partners Social | | |
The Green Business Partners (GBP) is hosting a social on Thursday, December 4, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Spaces Reston Station on the sixth floor (1900 Reston Metro Plaza, Reston).
The event brings GBP Members, Leaders, and Allies together to connect, share insights, and celebrate how sustainable business practices advance both environmental and economic goals across Fairfax County.
The event is free and light refreshments will be provided. Space is limited and registration is required. Learn more and register online.
| | Early Voting for Braddock District Supervisor Special Election | | |
Early voting for the December 9 Special Election to fill the vacancy in the Braddock District Supervisor's Office is underway.
Braddock District residents who want to cast their ballots early before November 28 can vote at the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax) from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday or 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 29 and December 6.
Hours for early voting at the Government Center are on weekdays from 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Saturday voting for the December 9 election is available on November 29 and December 6.
Beginning November 29, Burke Centre Library will serve as a second early voting location until early voting for both sites ends on Saturday, December 6. Learn more on the Office of Elections' website.
Request a mail-in absentee ballot by Monday, December 1, at 5:00 p.m.
On December 9, your regular Braddock District polling place will be open from 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. The Braddock District Supervisor’s Office/Kings Park Library will not be a voting site for the special election.
| | Shark Tank Technology Challenge | | |
Fairfax County’s Department of Neighborhood and Community Services is now accepting entries in the Fairfax Area High School Student Shark Tank Technology Challenge. Initial proposals are due December 19, 2025.
Open to all students in Fairfax County, the 2025-26 challenge invites youth to develop an innovative device or app that will have a positive impact on the lives of older adults, adults with disabilities, caregivers, or wounded warriors.
The winning students will be recognized with cash awards provided by sponsor IntegrityOne Partners. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will recognize winners at a spring 2026 reception.
For more information about the challenge, visit the 2026 Shark Tank Technology Challenge page.
| | Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Information | | |
COVID-19 vaccines are available now, and they significantly lower the risk of getting sick, being hospitalized, or dying from the virus. People aged 6 months and older can receive the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines based on individual-based decision making with a healthcare provider, this includes pharmacists.
In Virginia, no prescription is needed for people aged 3 years and older to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at a pharmacy. However, not all pharmacies vaccinate children. Please call ahead or check the website of your local pharmacy to understand the age groups that they serve.
Health Department clinics have a limited vaccine supply and will only provide COVID-19 vaccine to individuals who are uninsured or covered by Medicaid. Learn more about COVID-19.
- Getting vaccinated and practicing healthy habits can help you avoid the flu, COVID-19, and RSV
- Healthy habits include washing your hands, covering your coughs and sneezes the proper way, cleaning surfaces regularly and staying home when sick
- The respiratory illness dashboard provides up-to-date information in the Fairfax Health District
- Learn about Flu, COVID-19, and RSV
| | Pet Adoption Spotlights: Lugg & Wiley | | |
Meet Lugg, the Tennis Ball Aficionado who has been waiting for his perfect match since arriving at the shelter on August 1.
Located at the Fairfax Campus (4500 West Ox Road, Fairfax), Lugg is ready for his home.
Looking for a companion who's sporty, snuggly, and downright delightful? Let us introduce you to Lugg, a strong yet gentle pup whose personality is as big as his love for tennis balls! This clever and playful dog is ready to charm his way into your heart-and your snack stash. This handsome guy isn't just any walker; Lugg is a "power walker." He's all about hitting the trails and soaking up the exciting sights, sounds, and smells along the way.
When it comes to food, Lugg's heart is easily won-this boy LOVES his treats. From hot dogs to Pupperoni to spray cheese (and yes, even ice cream), Lugg knows how to appreciate the finer things in life. He's polite and gentle when taking treats, and his big smile will have you handing them over in no time.
His passion for treats also makes him motivated to learn; this smart cookie already knows commands such as "Sit," "Shake," and sometimes "Down" Lugg's charming personality doesn't stop at playtime. While he's comfortable around people and enjoys being part of the action, he's pretty independent when it comes to affection. He prefers to bond through fun activities rather than snuggles, but his sweet presence will warm your heart all the same.
So, if you're searching for a loyal friend with boundless energy, a nose for adventure, and a soft spot for snacks, Lugg is the perfect match for you! Grab the hard toys, set up a clean play area, and get ready for an endless game of fetch with this lovable goofball.
Adopt Lugg today-he's waiting to sniff out his new family!
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Meet Wiley, the Life of the Party with a Heart of Gold, who has been at the shelter since August 1.
Located at the Fairfax Campus (4500 West Ox Road, Fairfax), Suzie is ready for a home.
Wiley is a spirited, affectionate dog with a big personality and an even bigger heart! This friendly pup thrives on human connection-he leans in for pets, happily offers kisses, and melts into you when it's cuddle time. Wiley's soft body language and affectionate nature make him an instant favorite with everyone who meets him.
Energetic and fun-loving, Wiley would be an ideal match for an active family who enjoys playtime and outdoor adventures. He's easy to leash up and walks well, though his enthusiasm for life sometimes shows through-he's just so excited to explore the world! Playtime is one of his favorite things, and he loves toys of all kinds. While he can get a little carried away in the moment, he's learning to trade toys politely for treats or new toys-proof of his intelligence and eagerness to learn. Wiley already knows "sit" and "down," and with his strong food motivation, he'll pick up new skills quickly with continued positive training. Because he came to the shelter undernourished, Wiley can still feel a bit protective of his food. He's making progress, but he'll do best in a home that gives him space during mealtimes and continues helping him build confidence around food. For that reason, a home with children ages 13 and up is recommended. Wiley would also love to be your one-and-only dog so he can soak up all the attention he deserves. A meet-and-greet with all family members is encouraged to ensure it's a great fit. Despite a rough start to life,
Wiley's resilience and loving spirit shine through every day. He's ready for a family who will give him the patience, structure, and affection he needs to thrive-and in return, he'll fill your life with laughter, loyalty, and endless tail wags.
Come meet Wiley today and see why everyone who spends time with him can't help but fall in love.
Visit the Fairfax County Animal Shelter's website for more information about Lugg and Wiley or to view other adoptable pets, including cats, dogs, and small animals.
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