The CVN Forum

Volunteer Opportunity with Therapeutic Recreation

2012-02-06T13:21:00.000-05:00

Arlington County's Therapeutic Recreation Office has reached out to CVN for help recruiting volunteers for an after-school program for teenagers with disabilities. We've worked with Therapeutic Recreation in the past and it has always been a rewarding and fun experience. Information on the program and how to get involved are provided below. Please note that volunteers would not be volunteering

February Activities & 2011 Annual Report

2012-02-03T11:48:00.001-05:00

Message from the Chair CVN is proud to share our 2011 Annual Report (PDF) with our volunteers and supporters. The report details CVN's volunteer activities throughout the year, including 929 hours of service contributed by 341 volunteers. Registration has begun for returning teams wishing to participate in WAKA Arlington Spring Kickball. CVN's kickball team, CVN Kicks Grass

2011 Annual Report

2012-02-01T11:39:00.001-05:00

On behalf of CVN's 2011 Leadership Team, it is my pleasure to present our 2011 Annual Report. The report details our volunteer activities throughout the year, including 929 hours of service contributed by 341 volunteers. See the full report: 2011 Community Volunteer Network Annual Report (PDF) Many thanks to all of you who were involved as volunteers and leaders! Tiffany -- Tiffany

Volunteers Needed for 2 Events

2012-01-18T15:10:00.000-05:00

As the second half of January begins, we have posted two new volunteer opportunities for this month and could really use your help! A-SPAN Point-in-Time Survey - Wednesday, January 25th, 4am - 10pm | A-SPAN is seeking volunteers to help take surveys for the annual Point-in-Time survey of homeless people in Arlington. Shifts are available throughout the day and training will be provided at a

Give and Get—All Year Long as a CVN Leader

2011-12-22T20:53:00.004-05:00

As the year winds down it’s a great time to celebrate the efforts of the people who take on a whole variety of tasks to help CVN run smoothly—leaders! Yes, that means the Leadership Team (which I had the opportunity to be a part of this year). But it also includes a whole crew of folks who contribute in ways large and small. Some of them step up to plan and manage a one-time or recurring event.

Philanthropy Opportunity for Young Arlingtonians

2011-12-14T11:33:00.000-05:00

The CVNers who volunteer to help non-profits serve the Arlington community understand the value of giving their time. For some of us in our 20s or 30s, this is the most practical method of giving back to the community. For some of the same young Arlingtonians and for many others, philanthropic giving or giving of treasure, is equally important. For those interested in expanding or maximizing

CVN Year-End Events

2011-12-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

Message from Leadership Team We would like to thank all of CVN's volunteers and community partners for a wonderful year! So far in 2011, CVN volunteers have participated in over 40 events and contributed nearly 900 hours of service to the community. We're finishing up strong with several events in the next few weeks. If you're traveling during the holidays and looking for more ways to give back,

CVN: Year in Photos

2011-11-30T11:41:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone who volunteered with the Community Volunteer Network in 2011! Here's a quick recap of our year in pictures. To see more photos from 2011, visit CVN's Flickr page.

November Update: Our BIG Event & More!

2011-10-31T11:59:00.000-04:00

CVN Chair's Report Fall is here, the air is crisp and that can only mean one thing. It's time for the Community Residences Fall Clean-up! This is CVN's biggest event of the year. It is a great opportunity for you to bring you friends, siblings, co-workers etc... rake some leaves and spread some mulch. The sign-up is below and we hope to see you there! This time of year also means that CVN is

Gardening and Games to "Make a Difference"

2011-10-19T15:39:00.007-04:00

Since March 2010, CVN volunteers have been making a difference at Arlington Traditional School (ATS). To mark the end of our second season of service at ATS, CVN is helping to host a Fall Festival at the school on Saturday, October 22. And if that wasn’t already a big enough deal, the event is also CVN’s opportunity to celebrate Make a Difference Day, a nationwide commemoration of community

Fostering Academic Achievement in South Arlington

2011-10-04T09:15:00.001-04:00

The Nonprofit Greenbrier Learning Center (GLC) was founded in 1994 at the request of parents, teachers, and community members seeking after school tutoring and enrichment activities for the children of South Arlington.Greenbrier Learning Center’s mission is to promote education, youth leadership and strong families through structured enrichment programs beyond the school day. Utilizing a

CVN: October Update

2011-10-03T09:47:00.001-04:00

CVN Chair's Report Happy Fall CVNers! We have some great new events this month. If you want to help out with USO care package stuffing, you need to sign up ASAP. Even though the deadline is not until the end of the month, all volunteer names need to be turned in by Monday, October 3rd. Don't miss out! Another great opportunity is Arlington's 100 Homes Campaign. This is a three-day commitment

CVN Event Leaders' Group

2011-09-29T12:17:00.003-04:00

Part of CVN’s mission is to create a positive difference in Arlington by developing leaders. To help promote leadership and provide more access to leadership opportunities we have created a new group to match leaders with volunteer events. Anyone interested in leading events can join. Joining the group doesn’t commit you to leading an event. The goal is to expose people to opportunities and

Gleaning for AFAC: CVN’s Outing to the Countryside

2011-09-22T12:45:00.007-04:00

On September 17 a group of CVN volunteers headed out to the apple country around Winchester, VA to make a difference for people right here in Arlington. Every summer and fall the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) enlists volunteers from our community to pick slightly damaged fruits and vegetables at farms in Maryland and Virginia. Known as “gleaning,” this practice provides nutritious and

Community Volunteer Network: Survey & Fall Events

2011-09-09T09:17:00.000-04:00

CVN Chair's Report I hope all CVNers had a great summer. The weather worked against us in August and between the heat and the rain we had to cancel a few events. Don't worry, because we are back in September with some great opportunities. You should have received an email about the CVN bi-annual survey recently. If you haven't already filled it out, please take a couple minutes

Volunteer Arlington is Hiring

2011-09-02T09:21:00.000-04:00

Volunteer Program Specialist (Bilingual English / Spanish) This is a highly responsible position with Volunteer Arlington in the Community Assistance Bureau of the Department of Human Services. Volunteer Arlington plans, designs, and implements programs to increase the involvement of Arlington residents as volunteers in the county government and with non-profit agencies to meet community needs

Practice What You Preach: Emergency Preparedness

2011-08-26T10:06:00.000-04:00

This post was originally shared on Voluntary Happiness. Back in May, I wrote about preparing to help during a disaster. This week has definitely been a test of how prepared we really are, not just as volunteers, but as individuals who may face emergency situations on our own. With this week's surprise earthquake, I learned that I was not prepared for an emergency at all, though I could talk

Community Volunteer Network: Survey

2011-08-22T10:40:00.001-04:00

It’s time for the Community Volunteer Network’s bi-annual survey where we learn what is working, what needs improvement, and how we can better meet our mission of making a positive difference in Arlington through volunteering, building networks, socializing, and developing leaders. Whether you’re a current volunteer, a past volunteer, or looking to get involved, we’d love to hear your opinion.

The Arlington County Fair is looking for volunteers!

2011-07-31T22:10:00.002-04:00

The 35th Annual Arlington County Fair is August 10-14, 2011. The Arlington County Fair is one of the largest free events on the East Coast and they have lots of volunteer opportunities. If you are interested in volunteering you can fill out the form at http://tinyurl.com/ACFvolunteer or email ACFvolunteer@gmail.com . All volunteers are required to attend an orientation. It is at 7 p.m. on Tuesday

CVN 2011 Summer Celebration

2011-07-19T23:40:00.008-04:00

Thanks for coming out to the Annual CVN Summer Celebration last week. We really appreciate of your hard work and we enjoyed celebrating the last year with you! We'd like to send out a special thanks to our Summer Celebration speaker, Shawneece Hennighan, Founder of Nauck United in Arlington, VA. An Arlington native, Shawneece has really given back to her community. Last year, she

Tell Arlington's Story: Come join the Story Swapping Workshop!

2011-06-24T20:23:00.003-04:00

n] the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc. the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose The beginning of the New Year is a great time to reflect

Volunteering With Community Volunteer Network at the Help the Homeless Gala

2010-12-21T09:12:00.000-05:00

This blog post was originally published on Sharon Tewksbury-Bloom's blog, Service Driven. It has been reposted here with permission from the author. Last Thursday night, Jay and I volunteered together for the first time in a long time. We signed up through Community Volunteer Network to volunteer for the 5th Annual Help the Homeless Holiday Gala hosted by Arlington's Street People's Assistance

Community Volunteer Network Update: Holiday volunteering, Leadership Positions, and Final CVN events of 2010

2010-12-10T09:29:00.000-05:00

CVN Chair's Report The holiday season is in full gear and it's a great time to give back to the community. Whether you want to show off your gift-wrapping skills, prepare and serve food, or sing carols, there are tons of local opportunities to help you get in the holiday spirit. To find out more about upcoming events, click here and read our post from The CVN Forum below. Also,

Repost from DC Foodies Do Good: Volunteering with DC Foodies Do Good at Miriam's Kitchen

2010-12-03T09:19:00.000-05:00

The following is a post by DC Foodies Do Good volunteer Elizabeth F. Stewart (bio below). and was originally posted on the DC Foodies Do Good Blog. on December 1st.“Special eggs” were on the breakfast menu yesterday at Miriam’s Kitchen in Washington, DC. The eggs were called “special” because they were scrambled with green peppers, onions and cheddar cheese; but, they were actually “special”

Thank You Letter from Community Residences

2010-11-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

Just received this thank you letter in the mail from Community Residences for CVN's fall clean up project earlier this month.

How You Can Help this Holiday Season

2010-11-22T11:48:00.000-05:00

The Holidays are a great time to give back to your community. Many local non-profits and community agencies are offering special ways to serve during the November and December Holidays: Register for Holiday Volunteer Projects Browse Thanksgiving Opportunities Browse December Holiday Opportunities Some of the volunteer opportunities that I would likely to highlight include: Tuesday, Wednesday,

Community Volunteer Network Update: Saturday's Big Event, Leadership Transition & Holiday Volunteering

2010-11-10T18:21:00.000-05:00

CVN Chair's Report With the end of the year quickly approaching, there are a few very important things coming up for CVN. First, we will hold a Stakeholders Meeting on Tuesday, November 16th. We'd love to hear from everyone, whether you're brand new to the group and looking to find out more or you've been volunteering with us from the start. We'll share data from 2010, get

Non-profit Spotlight: Community Residences

2010-11-08T11:07:00.004-05:00

Community Residences, Inc. (CR) is nonprofit organization that provides community-based transitional, long-term residential, and independent living support services for adults in one or more of the following situations: diagnosis of mental illness, an intellectual or developmental disability, and homelessness.CR provides a number of services for youth and adults, including: residential

CVN's Adopted Area at Gulf Branch Nature Center - This Saturday

2010-11-04T15:05:00.000-04:00

This Saturday, CVN is going back to our Adopted Area at Gulf Branch Nature Center in north Arlington. Wondering what you have to look forward to? Check out these pictures and video for a sneak peak. And then, please sign up to help out from 10:30 am - 1:00 pm this Saturday! ADOPT AN AREA SIGN UP PAGE

CVN is Looking for New Leaders!

2010-11-02T15:22:00.013-04:00

Around this time last year, we received an email from Brendan O'Connor, CVN's former Chair, talking about big changes in CVN's structure. At that time, committees were a new concept for CVN, but they were created with the belief that "many hands make light work." A year later, we can safely say that CVN is thriving and that each committee plays a vital role in our group's success.As Brendan

2010-10-28T14:07:00.002-04:00

CVN Chair's Report At our meet-up with A-SPAN earlier this month, we heard from Shay Kelley, the inspirational leader of Project 50/50. She explained that each of us has time, talent, and value, and encouraged us to do what we can to help the community. Shay serves as a great reminder that every little bit helps, and that whenever possible, we should strive to give back even

Volunteer Profile: Ibidun Osundare

2010-10-26T09:49:00.001-04:00

Ibidun showing kids at AHC the sign for "flirt" This post is one in a series on CVN volunteers. We've asked volunteers questions about volunteering to give you a sense of why people choose to volunteer with CVN, and to get to know some of our AWESOME volunteers. If you'd like to be highlighted, e-mail us at cvn.bloggers@gmail.com. Name: Ibidun Osundare Position with CVN: Volunteer When did

A Busy Season for Community Events

2010-10-20T15:15:00.000-04:00

Community Volunteer Network has been receiving a lot of news about events happening in the community, so I just wanted to create a quick post with a rundown of the next two weeks of events. You can always find community events in green on our calendar. Happy Hour at Mister Days to benefit the Reading Connection: WHEN: Thursday, October 21, 2010, 5 p.m.-9 p.m. WHERE: Mister Days Sports Rock

Kiwanis 39th Annual Oyster and Barbeque Feast

2010-10-19T16:43:00.005-04:00

The Kiwanis Club of Arlington is hosting its 39th Annual Oyster Feast-Pig Roast on Saturday, October 30, 2010. At the event, fresh oysters are shucked on the spot and served on the half-shell. The feast also includes fried oysters and clams, barbeque, hamburgers, hot dogs, cole slaw, chips, soft drinks, coffee, and beer from Rock Bottom Brewery. The Feast is a great fundraiser for Kiwanis

Want to Have a Voice in Our Energy Future? Arlington County to Hold Community Energy Forum

2010-10-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

In 2007, Arlington County launched Fresh AIRE (Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions), a climate action program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from County government operations, residents, and businesses. Arlington built on the success of AIRE in January 2010 with the launch of the Community Energy Plan, a 40-year plan that will transform the way energy is produced, transported, stored,

CVN October Update

2010-10-07T14:23:00.000-04:00

CVN Chair's Report With Fall weather on its way, it's time to pull out our winter clothes, sip apple cider, and admire the changing leaves. While the Fall is an exciting time for many, the dropping temperatures also mean an increased risk for homeless Arlingtonians. Though homelessness is a concern throughout the year, it's especially important to help those in need as it gets

Non-profit Spotlight: A-SPAN

2010-10-06T17:10:00.005-04:00

Arlington Street People's Assistance Network (A-SPAN) works with the street homeless population of Arlington everyday, trying to help them lift themselves out of homelessness. Programs that provide food, clothing, and toiletries run every day and night – mostly with volunteers.Over 1,000 volunteers help us serve 29,000 meals, collect and distribute over 50,000 articles of clothing, and serve

Non-profit Spotlight: Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless

2010-10-04T15:38:00.000-04:00

Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless (AACH) is a private non-profit organization that provides transitional housing and support services to homeless families and women. AACH offers homeless people more than just a roof over their heads, we provide a foundation to help them rebuild their lives. Our mission is to move people into a permanently self-sufficient, independent life.

Volunteer Profile: Daniel Bronson

2010-09-27T10:18:00.005-04:00

This post is one in a series on CVN volunteers. We've asked volunteers questions about volunteering to give you a sense of why people choose to volunteer with CVN, and to get to know some of our AWESOME volunteers. If you'd like to be highlighted, e-mail us at cvn.bloggers@gmail.com.Name: Daniel BronsonPosition with CVN: VolunteerHometown: Arlington, VAWhat first drew you to CVN? I first

Lifelong Learner - A Volunteer Vocation

2010-09-24T14:49:00.000-04:00

Finding a great volunteer opportunity is about finding a great fit between your personality and the needs of the position. A good volunteer opportunity requires an actual human being to fill the role, and there is a chance to bring your uniqueness to the position. For example, I recently started volunteering with The Women's Center in Vienna as an educational program assistant. The Women's

Emergency Preparedness - Everyone Has a Role

2010-09-22T08:31:00.000-04:00

Everyone knows that the key to surviving any disaster or emergency is being adequately prepared. Whether the emergency is a house fire, car accident, flood, or terrorist attack, the same general principles of preparedness apply. During National Preparedness Month (September), it’s important for every Arlingtonian to take a second look at his or her level of preparedness in order to know what

Committee of 100 Monthly Meetings Are Back!

2010-09-13T06:26:00.000-04:00

After a long summer break, Committee of 100 will resume its monthly meetings starting Wednesday, September 15. You may or may not have heard of Committee of 100, so here's some brief information about what they do. As stated on their website: The Committee of 100 has been Arlington's principal forum for citizen education in local and regional public affairs since its founding in 1954. The

CVN Monthly Update - September

2010-09-09T11:59:00.001-04:00

CVN Chair's Report Recently, we've seen a lot of new faces at our meet-ups and at volunteer events. It's always fun to welcome people to the group and very encouraging when they choose to stay involved. However, coming to the first event can be a little nerve-wracking whether you are alone or with a friend. To those of you reading our emails, but a little nervous to show up, I

A Volunteer’s Perspective: Arlington Youth Soccer Tournament

2010-09-08T09:22:00.010-04:00