Lend a hand on National Public Lands Day

By MARY FOLEY/For the News & Messenger
Published: September 21, 2008

Good morning Prince William.

This Saturday, Sept. 27, is National Public Lands Day and we have lots to celebrate here in Prince William County. We also have the opportunity to get our hands a little dirty and have tons of fun volunteering at several locations. Prince William Forest Park needs volunteers from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to plant trees, repair cabins, maintain trails and much more. Please call Jenn at 703-221-7181 for more information and to register for this super project. Jenn will provide both breakfast and lunch! I can’t see how it gets any better for you to enjoy this fabulous weather.

The Prince William Park Authority in partnership with the Bull Run Conservancy will work on their new jewel at Silver Lake in Haymarket on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers are needed for trail clearing and general cleanup. The Park Authority is always so professional with its projects and will provide gloves, trash bags, water, small hand tools and first-aid kits. Please remember to wear long pants, closed-toe shoes and a hat or sunscreen to protect yourself. Volunteers are asked to meet at the old camp store area in front of the property on Silver Lake Road just across from the Camp Snyder Boy Scout facility on Antioch Road. Please call 703-792-4253 with any questions or simply report for duty at 9 a.m.

But for those of you that would really prefer to stay inside on Saturday, volunteers are needed to be Spanish interpreters at the Children’s Wellness Festival at Grace E. Metz Middle School beginning at 10 a.m. This is wonderful way for you to practice your Spanish while helping families protect their children. Please call George at 703-753-8054 if you can help.

Those wonderful folks at Project Mend-A-House also are busy this Saturday constructing an 85-foot wheelchair ramp for a young client with muscular dystrophy on Smoketown Road in Woodbridge. Please come flex your strong muscles to help dig the holes. They have one auger but certainly could use another. Volunteers are also needed to bring snacks for the group. Please call Billy at 703-221-2630 if you can help with this project.

Father Ramon Dominguez runs a fabulous after-school program in Georgetown South at the Don Bosco Center. This program is held Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon from 3 to 6 p.m. Volunteers are needed to help kids in grades 5-8 with their homework, learning life skills or simply having fun with various activities. Father Ramon also welcomes teens age 15 and older as well. Please give him a call at 703-965-1093 or e-mail him at to learn more on how you can help these neat kids.

Last but certainly not least, I know we’re all feeling the grocery crunch, food prices are doing nothing but going up and we have more and more families relying on our food pantries to help them between paychecks. Any donation would be greatly appreciated at the Action in the Community Through Service pantry in Dumfries but if you’d like more information or guidance on what is especially needed, please call them at 703- 221-3186.

If you are looking for other opportunities, please don’t forget to call my wonderful team at the Voluntary Action Center. Diane can help senior volunteers with Retired and Senior Volunteer (RSVP) opportunities at 703-369-5292, Ext. 207; Shelley can help with 1-800 volunteer opportunities at 703-369-5292, Ext. 201; Sue can help you with the Medical Reserve opportunities available in Disaster Preparedness at 703-369-5292, Ext. 204; and Bonnie can help you with all the other many opportunities available in Disaster Preparedness at 703-369-5292, Ext. 202. Or please don’t forget our Web site at http://www.volunteerprincewilliam.org. Thanks so much for all you do in our community. Until next week, please stay safe.

Mary Foley is the executive director of the Voluntary Action Center in Manassas.