By Marion Brunken
Alexandria, VA – September is Emergency Preparedness Month and there’s good news to share: Alexandria has a plan. The City of Alexandria’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) works year-round to help our community prepare, respond, and recover when emergencies happen. But emergency preparedness isn’t just the job of first responders. A prepared community is one where residents know what to do, neighbors look out for one another, and volunteers are ready to lend a hand.
When an emergency occurs, first responders focus on immediate needs and life-safety efforts. But recovery is a community effort, and that’s where trained volunteers can make a tremendous difference. While the desire to help during a disaster is admirable, showing up can sometimes make it harder for emergency responders to do their jobs. That’s why Volunteer Alexandria works with the City of Alexandria to take a proactive approach.
VolALX opens and staffs a Volunteer Reception Center (VRC), a disaster response organization that manages spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers from the community, ensuring they are registered and deployed to assist the local community with relief efforts. Trained Volunteer Staff Leaders help manage this process and ensure that volunteers are deployed where they are needed most. By maintaining this trained roster, our city is better prepared to efficiently process volunteers and put them to work in an organized, safe manner. It’s a great example of what makes Alexandria strong: planning ahead, working together, and making sure community members have meaningful ways to help when their neighbors need them.
Want to be ready to help? Learn more about becoming a VRC Volunteer Leader at https://www.volunteeralexandria.org/volunteer-reception-center or scan the QR code below.
A donation to Volunteer Alexandria (https://bit.ly/VolALXgive) enables us to continue connecting caring people to needs in our community. Thank you for your support.
This Fall, Find New Connections
As the back-to-school season brings a sense of fresh beginnings no matter your age, consider making this September the month you try something new to connect with others.
The Social Connection Index (SCI) measures six everyday, place-based behaviors that help people build meaningful relationships: Neighborhood Contact, Community of Identity, One-on-One Relationships, Third Place, Community of Play, and Community Service. Developed and researched by the U.S. Chamber of Connection, fewer than one in three Americans engage with most of these Six Points. The good news? Volunteering is one of the most effective ways to strengthen several of these areas at once. Community service increases neighborhood contact, builds one-on-one relationships, and supports finding a “third place” outside of home and work where you feel a sense of belonging. At a time when so many people are seeking deeper connections, volunteering is a gateway to friendship, purpose, belonging, and community. Connect with a new volunteer opportunity today!
Volunteer Opportunities
Help with a Family Fun Day – Friends of Guest House is hosting a Friends and Family Day on Saturday, September 19. Help with set up, take down, and face painting.
Coordinate Outreach for STEM Classes – Lighting Atlas seeks an Outreach Coordinator to develop partnerships with local schools and libraries for STEM learning.
Become a CHAMP Mentor – Become a mentor for a middle school student every Tuesday at the Charles Houston Recreation Center.
Classical Music Usher – Usher for concerts at the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, then view the concert once they’re seated. (Open to ages 16+)
Assist at a Local Food Pantry – Transport and sort food and/or set up and distribute bagged lunches at Meade Memorial Episcopal Church every weekday.
Deliver Produce on Bikes during Bike for Good – Collect produce for DCHS from the Old Town Farmers Market and deliver it to community locations on Saturday, September 26.
For more opportunities like these, visit www.volunteeralexandria.org/search
