What It Takes to Be a Community Advocate 

Advocacy may seem like a daunting topic to those who are unfamiliar with it. But what if there were an easy way to be an advocate in your own community – sans marches and banners, but equally as effective and fulfilling – all on your own time? 

Check out three ways to begin your journey to community advocacy.

Going to camp is a summer rite of passage for most children, but not every child gets this opportunity. This is particularly so for homeless children, so with support from volunteers, we’re bringing Camp Discovery to them at both the Hilda Barg and SERVE shelters!

We know school just let out for summer, but that doesn’t stop us from gearing up for the 2017-18 school year! Our Back-to-School drive is in full swing, and we’re currently accepting donations and supplies that will go towards ensuring local children in need can start off the school year successfully.

For every $1 donated by July 27, we will be able to purchase $2 worth of supplies. 

Would you rather donate supplies instead of money? If you have new backpacks and new school supplies to donate, please drop them off between the hours of 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at 13868 Metrotech Drive, Chantilly, VA, 20151 on Friday, July 28 and Monday, July 31. 

For more information on specific items requested, please visit our wishlist. 

On June 21, a team of volunteers from Clark Construction endured the summer heat to freshen up outdoor areas at Bailey’s Crossroads Community Shelter (BCCS). In addition to providing a welcoming atmosphere by tidying the grounds, the Clark team used its construction skills to build a new picnic table so that shelter guests now have a shady spot to relax outside.  

This month, we look forward to a volunteer group from Clark Concrete, who will undertake a new project at BCCS. We thank Clark for its commitment to NVFS and our community!

We also want to say thank you to Discovery Communications, CapTech, and Concur for their support of NVFS at our Head Start center in June!

Thank you to our incredible volunteers who assisted in the clean-out and move from our thrift store in Manassas. It was a massive two-day effort to pack up and move items to our Centreville and Falls Church thrift stores. Wonderful help from more than 40 hard-working volunteers made this task possible! 

Back-to-School Drive – gender-neutral backpacks, pencils, highlighters, notebooks, you name it! Please see our wishlist for a complete list of items. 

Summer Camp Items – craft supplies, musical instruments, LEGOs, chalk, bubbles, puppets and more. If it’s educational and fun, we’d love to have it for our campers! Contact Navara or Everette to donate to the SERVE and Hilda Barg shelters, respectively.

Move-In Kits – items such as blankets, pillows, and household cleaners to make our guests feel at home are always welcome. Please see our complete wishlist.

Bus Tokens/Metro SMART Cards

Household Items – baby items (strollers, wipes, diapers, etc.), cleaning supplies, and more. See our wishlist for a complete list.

Food – non-perishables, perishables, fruits/vegetables, restaurant/grocery store gift cards, etc. For a complete site-specific list, please visit our wishlist.