Dear Neighbor,

Late yesterday we got the wonderful news that vaccine providers in Virginia can begin vaccinated those 12-15 years old, following federal approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use in adolescents. The Fairfax County Health Department has a new "What You Need to Know" post that I encourage you to review.

Fairfax Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu and FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand sent a joint letter to parents stressing the important role that vaccinating young people now plays in keeping our schools a healthy place to learn.

Vaccines are widely available. Here are a few convenient ways for anyone, including those age 12-15, to be vaccinated:

Continue Reading the Full Advisory for Information on:

The $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund, authorized by the March stimulus bill, is now taking applications for grants for restaurants, bars, and other similar places of business that serve food or drink. The purpose of this funding is to provide support to eligible entities that suffered revenue losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This program provides restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Recipients are not required to repay the funding if funds are used for eligible uses no later than March 11, 2023.

Funds will be available until expended. For more information visit the SBA RRF website.

The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) is a $15 billion grant assistance program to shuttered venues that will be administered by the Small Business Administration’s Office of Disaster Assistance. The grant is open to live venue operators, promoters, theatrical producers, live performing arts organizations, museums, zoos, aquariums and theaters. SVO grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees.

For more information visit the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (sba.gov) website.

After months of waiting, Fairfax County residents are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and there is enough vaccine for everyone who wants to be vaccinated!

The Tysons Community Vaccination Center (CVC) now offers walk-in appointments! While appointments may still be scheduled ahead of time, the Tysons CVC is offering first-come, first-served walk-in appointments Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The CVC is located in the former Lord & Taylor at 7950 Tysons Corner Center, McLean, VA, 22102.

Please note: You can also still find appointments via VaccineFinder.

Todas las vacunas ofrecen un alto nivel de protección contra enfermedades graves, hospitalización, y muerte por COVID-19.

Ya se han vacunado más de 100 millones de estadounidenses. Es normal tener una reacción leve como dolor o enrojecimiento en el brazo donde se aplicó la inyección, cansancio, fiebre, o dolor de cabeza durante uno o dos días. Esto significa que tu cuerpo está construyendo protección contra el virus. Los efectos secundarios graves son muy raros. No puedes contraer el virus de las vacunas.

‍Muchos lugares ofrecen vacunas, incluidos los departamentos de salud pública, consultorios médicos, farmacias, supermercados, y centros de salud. Simplemente ingresa tu código postal en Vacunas.gov para encontrar un proveedor cerca de ti.

Encuentre un lugar cerca de usted para vacunarse hoy mismo.

On April 6, Supervisor Walkinshaw and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) held a virtual community meeting to discuss construction of a new DMV Customer Service Center at 9911 Braddock Road. More details on the project are available in the May edition of the Braddock Beacon. 

The DMV has provided a link to a recording of the April meeting. It took longer than expected for them to complete closed captioning of the video, which is required by the state’s accessibility standards. 

The final plans for design and construction will be presented at the June 4 meeting of the state’s Art and Architectural Review Board (AARB). Those who wish to submit comments may do so at aarb@dgs.virginia.gov. Traffic-related questions or comments on the project may be sent to Claudia.Llana@VDOT.virginia.gov. 

Eligible households with active Cox Internet service will receive up to $50 off their monthly bill based on their current internet service and equipment rental, or up to $75 if you live on a tribal land.

Through the program and our partnership with PCs for People, households are also eligible to receive a one-time discount of $100 towards a laptop or desktop computer.

Once you’re approved for the program, you’ll receive a monthly notification when your credit has been applied. The credit will continue until we’re notified by the government that the program has ended.

Learn more by visiting Cox's website.

Do you need help paying your Fairfax Water bill? Eligible residents can apply for assistance through the COVID-19 Municipal Utility Relief Program.

To qualify, customers must meet certain eligibility requirements, attest that they are experiencing financial hardship due to the coronavirus public health emergency, and submit an application to Fairfax Water.

The application is available on Fairfax Water’s website in seven languages: Spanish, Korean, Arabic, Chines, Farsi, Vietnamese and Urdu. Application forms can be sent to Fairfax Water by:

Email: COVIDrelief@fairfaxwater.org

Fax: 703-289-6292

Mail: Fairfax Water, ATTN: COVID Relief, 8570 Executive Park Avenue, Fairfax, VA 22031

Fairfax CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is a local non-profit whose mission is to advocate for the best interests of every abused and neglected child with an open case before the court in Fairfax County. Navigating the child welfare system as a child who has been abused or neglected is scary for children; the feelings of unfamiliar surroundings and lack of a stable routine are a reality for all children in the foster care system.

At Fairfax CASA, it is important to them that their volunteers reflect the diversity of the children they serve. Currently, 67% of the children they currently serve in Fairfax County are Black or Hispanic, yet less than 17% of the general population of Fairfax is Hispanic, and less than 11% is Black. When a child has a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) who looks like them, speaks their language, and can understand their racial and cultural experiences, they are better served and supported.

Right now, these vulnerable children need someone like you to be a strong advocate. Please consider joining Fairfax CASA at an upcoming information session on May 18, at 7:00 p.m. They are also hosting a special information session on June 15 at 7:00 p.m. for Bilingual Spanish speakers.

RSVP to volunteer@casafairfax.org and visit Fairfax CASA's website for more information on how you can help these children and make a difference.

All Fairfax County residents and stakeholders are invited to join one of two virtual climate planning public meetings taking place May 18 and May 20, from 7:00 p.m. through 8:30 p.m. These two meetings, connected to the development of the Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP) will offer information on the planning process and the content of the plan, and will include opportunities for attendees to provide input to county staff and consultants.

CECAP is the county’s first-ever plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from community sources. More than 95 percent of all emissions in Fairfax County come from sources other than county and school operations. Energy use in our homes and businesses, as well as emissions from cars and trucks on our roads are two of the greatest sources of carbon emissions requiring our attention. For CECAP to succeed, community members will need to take voluntary action to cut down their personal greenhouse gas emissions over time. The May public meetings provide an opportunity for discussion of the goals and strategies recommended by CECAP before the plan is finalized and presented to the Board of Supervisors this summer.

The meetings on May 18 and 20 will be identical in content and format, residents need only attend one of the two. For more information on the May public meetings, please visit the CECAP website.