Faces of Falls Church

A Penny for Your Thoughts News of Greater Falls Church

By Supervisor Penny Gross

Virginia Task Force One, Fairfax County’s Urban Search and Rescue Team, is home safely from its mission to assist areas of earthquakeravaged Turkey and Syria, but the devastation that killed nearly 50,000 people and affected millions will last for months, perhaps years.

ber of the Alexandria City Council, noted that Northern Virginia residents and businesses “have always stepped up to the plate to help those in need. This time is no different.”

Local Realtor Colin Storm spotlights Falls Church City businesses with video interviews on his Falls Church Living Facebook page. It began as an effort to support business owners impacted by the pandemic – and to showcase the diversity and excellence of our area’s small businesses. These video interviews have been a great way to connect with local companies, and Colin notes that some of these businesses have even collaborated as a result of watching each other’s videos.

(

Photo: Colin Storm)

To nominate someone for Faces please email us at Ktoland@fcnp.com. To be considered for Faces someone must be a member of the community and have done something you feel they should be recoginozed for. Falls Church News-Press reserves the right to use it’s discretion when it comes to who will be featured.

On Friday, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) announced the launch of a local aid program to collect money that will be used to purchase food packages for earthquake victims. This approach is different from previous international humanitarian efforts organized by NVRC, a coalition of Northern Virginia jurisdictions, when residents literally donated tons of blankets, coats, socks, and gloves which were shipped to Ukraine in 2022, and to Turkish refugees several years earlier.

The most important, and immediate, needs are for food and shelter. Northern Virginia leaders have set a goal of $25,000 and encourage residents and businesses to visit www.helpearthquakevictims.org to donate. Northern Virginia is a very generous community, so the $25,000 goal should be reached quickly and, hopefully, exceeded many times over. At the press conference announcing the effort, NVRC Chairman John T. Chapman, a mem-

Fairfax County Board Chairman Jeff McKay added that the news is heartbreaking, but that our community always rallies to help those in need, both regionally and internationally.

Mustafa Akpinar, a 20-year resident of Fairfax County, said that more than 67 percent of his hometown in Turkey was destroyed, and he expressed deep thanks to “our wonderful NOVA community” on behalf of the American Turkish community.

Saturday was breezy, but bright and sunny, when the opening of the new Annandale Community Center was celebrated by an enthusiastic crowd of nearby residents. The new center will feature youth programs by the Greater Washington Boys and Girls Clubs, and is located in the Heritage Mall in the Braddock District. It is immediately across Heritage Drive from Ossian Hall Park and Annandale High School, which are in the Mason District, so the new space will serve youth from both magisterial districts. The center features two spacious activity rooms, a small serving kitchen, accessible restrooms, and lots of natural light.

The most popular dedication speaker