For those who don’t want to get their hands dirty but still want to contribute to Earth Month, a local non-profit needs help from local talent to put together a show highlighting sustainable fashion.
UpCycle Creative Reuse Center is a local nonprofit that collects items for reuse in arts and crafts and learning purposes. The organization hosts classes and workshops highlighting reusability.
UpCycle is hosting a ‘Re-Fashion Show’ on April 20 at The Garden ALX (5380 Eisenhower Avenue) to benefit UpCycle. The runway show kicks off at 5 p.m., followed by an after-party from 6-7 p.m. According to a release:
The Trash to Treasure Movement, a sustainable shopping and creative reuse advocacy resource, will be presenting a sustainable fashion show that will highlight the work of creative reuse fashion designers for 2024 Earth Day weekend. All proceeds of the event will benefit UpCycle Creative Reuse Center and their mission to inspire all people to explore and create by engaging our community in art-making experiences with reuse materials.
Tickets to the show are $20 but several volunteer positions still need to be filled, including:
- Fashion photographer
- Hair and makeup stylists
- Master of Ceremonies
- Videographer
- Fashion show stage crew
- Social media manager
Help promote re-usable fashion. Event planners, photographers, stylists, videographers, social media mavens are needed to help make the ReFashion Show a success. The event take place on Saturday, April 20 from 4 to 7 p.m. #VolunteerALX https://t.co/nsdOyC4sKQ pic.twitter.com/D7M0cnfp0F
— Volunteer Alexandria (@Volalex) March 26, 2024
Photo via UpCycle Creative Reuse Center/Facebook
From the National Science Foundation to Del Ray weather gurus, there’s a bevy of scientific talent in Alexandria, and Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is hoping some can help pass that love of science on to the next generation.
ACPS said volunteers are needed to judge projects at the ACPS Science and Engineering fair at the Alexandria City High School’s King Street campus (3330 King Street) on Jan. 25.
“We are inviting community members and ACPS employees to serve as judges at the 2024 ACPS Science and Engineering Fair,” ACPS said in a release. “The science fair is an excellent opportunity to see our science students in action showcase their projects.”
Students have been working on their projects since September.
Public viewing of the projects is scheduled for 4-6 p.m.
A small but dedicated team of volunteers spent last Saturday clearing trash from Holmes Run near the Charles Beatley Library.
The City of Alexandria celebrated twelve volunteers who helped in the “first annual National Stormwater Day” cleanup.
“Twelve volunteers donated their time to help pick up trash from a portion of Holmes Run behind Charles Beatley Library,” the release said. “A total of 13 bags were collected, weighing approximately 65-100 pounds.”
The release said most of what was recovered from the creek was glass and plastic.
“The bags were filled with a variety of items, most commonly glass and plastic bottles,” the release said. “The most interesting item picked was a metal folding chair.”
More stream cleanup events are planned throughout 2024.
If you have any experience helping to teach English as a second language, you could put that to use in helping Afghan refugees settle into Alexandria.
Nonprofit Northern Virginia Resettling Afghan Families Together (NOVA RAFT) — which aims to help Afghan immigrants settle in — started a program in late August to help students improve their English skills.
The program benefits both children and adults and is taught at the William Ramsay Recreation Center (5650 Sanger Avenue).
“ESL volunteers will work closely with our Dari-speaking instructor to help our students improve their English skills,” the program’s website said. “Classes meet on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday. Beginner class with young children is from 9:45-11:45 a.m. and the advanced Beginner class is from [noon] to 2 p.m.”
Volunteers are also needed for childcare assistance and specific skills, like phonics/basic literacy.
The volunteer sign-up sheet is available online.
Anyone who has traveled along the Mount Vernon Trail can tell you the kudzu near the old GenOn power plant is so thick it nearly swallows the trail. Now, Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail are fighting back.
The group is organizing a pushback to the kudzu invasion on Saturday, Aug. 19 from 9-11 a.m. The group is meeting on the trail near 1198 N. Fairfax Street.
Volunteers will be using pruners and loppers to remove the vines, as well as hauling away vegetation and fallen tree branches.
Volunteers should bring water, long sleeve shirts and long pants. Volunteers should bring gloves, pruners and loppers if they have them, but some will be available to borrow.
https://twitter.com/MtVernonFriends/status/1692491825553023072
ALIVE! and Volunteer Alexandria exceeded their goal and collected more than 33,500 in last month’s first-ever citywide food drive.
The nonprofits collected 33,511 pounds of food from 38 locations across Alexandria last month.
“Thank you, Volunteer Alexandria, for hosting this food drive for us and the community,” said Jenn Ayers, ALIVE! executive director, “Donations like the ones we’ve received go a long way to keeping our costs down and provide a healthy variety of food to people who need help.”
The food collected will feed thousands of Alexandria families needing assistance. The effort was so successful that Volunteer Alexandria Executive Director Marion Brunken said that there will be another food drive next summer.
“We are thrilled to have exceeded our goal by over 3,000 pounds for our first community food drive and thank everyone who was able to help in some way,” Brunken said.
While the food drive was successful, ALIVE! always needs more donations. Food can be dropped at the ALIVE! Food Warehouse (801 South Payne Street) on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 pm. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.
The food drive was sponsored by Ting Internet, Fitness Together and the Rotary Club of Alexandria.
Volunteer Alexandria and ALIVE! wanted to thank the following organizations:
- Agudas Achim Congregation
- Alexandria City Hall
- Alexandria Children’s Dentistry
- Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library
- Dolce and Bean
- Department of Community and Human Services
- Department of Beer and Wine
- Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
- The Episcopal Church of Saint Clement
- Fairlington Presbyterian Church
- Fairlington United Methodist Church
- First Christian Church of Alexandria
- First Church of Christ Scientist
- Fitness Together
- Gilbane Building Company
- The Goodhart Group
- James M. Duncan Branch Library
- Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library
- McEnearney Associates
- Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church
- Old Presbyterian Meeting House
- Old Town North Community Partnership
- Rotary Club of Alexandria
- Russell Temple CME Church
- Sixteenth Tabernacle Beth-El
- Ting Internet
- Top It Off
- Trinity United Methodist Church
- TTR Sotheby’s International Realty
- United Bank
- USDA Food and Nutrition Services
- Venue Condominium
- Washington Street UMC
- Westin Alexandria
- YMCA Alexandria
- Zweet Sport Total Fitness Studio
The Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail are starting the new year with some improvements near Daingerfield Island.
The volunteer organization, which does everything from clearing the trial to fixing bumps and other issues, is hosting an event on New Year’s Day. The work area is the trail on Daingerfield Island near 615 Slaters Lane.
This time, the work involves cleaning trash, clearing vegetation, and fixing several bumps in the trail.
For those that can’t make it in person, the organization is also raising funds to keep volunteers equipped with tools and supplies.
According to the event posting:
Volunteers may perform some of the following work:
- Using pruners and loppers to remove vegetation growing into the trail
- Using hand saws to cut tree branches
- Hauling away vegetation and fallen tree branches
- Picking up trash
What to Bring:
- Water
- Gloves (We’ll have some to borrow)
- Long sleeves and long pants
It took 5 volunteer to help move this huge limb at Belle Haven Park! 💪
Come flex your muscles at an upcoming volunteer event: https://t.co/h4sn9LtQJL
Donate to help us keep making the trail safe: https://t.co/gjFDOHYMUC pic.twitter.com/0DQcKJL6Ih
— Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail (@MtVernonFriends) December 22, 2022