One Year = 365 Opportunities to Volunteer

1 Year = 365 Opportunities — Volunteer!

By Jan F. Hawkins “Building a stronger community by connecting volunteers with opportunities to serve.” That’s the mission statement of Volunteer Prince William, the “volunteer central” for the greater Prince William area. Through numerous opportunities in the community, a volunteer can help a child learn to read, improve our environment, collect food for area food banks, provide companionship to an elderly citizen, and much more. Since 1981, Volunteer Prince William has partnered with local agencies to mobilize volunteers and resources to provide solutions for critical issues in our community. Through their programs the agency promotes volunteer management best practices; sponsors the Volunteer Coordinators network; hosts an annual volunteer recognition ceremony; publishes a weekly Call to Action column; provides outreach to registered volunteers through social media outlets and facilitates connections with organizations, businesses and clubs to meet community needs.

VOLUNTEER PRINCE WILLIAM PROGRAMS

Volunteer Connections Volunteer Prince William’s website (www.volunteerprincewilliam.org) lists thousands of volunteer opportunities posted by community partners. Anyone looking to volunteer can create a free account, then browse through the opportunities. When an opportunity of interest is viewed, click “Respond” and an email is sent to the contact person with that organization letting them know of someone’s interest. A weekly “Call to Action” column advertises the latest volunteer opportunities furnished by volunteer coordinators in the community. The column is published Fridays and uploaded to the website and Facebook. Volunteer Prince William also publishes volunteer opportunities on social media through Facebook and Instagram. Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is open to those age “55 or better” in greater Prince William who want to get involved in the community. Volunteers help with delivering Meals on Wheels, driving veterans/spouses to local medical appointments, supporting staff at the two UVA Health medical centers in Manassas and Haymarket, supporting food rescue, helping at the two senior centers in greater Prince William and much more.

Volunteer Prince William recently partnered with Veterans Connect, which recruits veterans to drive elderly veterans to medical appointments. Interested volunteers from greater Prince William are automatically referred to Volunteer Prince William. Volunteers are needed for all RSVP opportunities. Some volunteer opportunities require the individual successfully complete a background and/or driving record check. For more information, contact Jan Hawkins at 703.369.5292, ext. 307 or email jhawkins@volunteerprincewilliam.org.

DISASTER SERVICES

Volunteer Prince William, working under the direction of the Prince William County Office of Emergency Management, deploys volunteers when and where they are needed most to help communities during disaster recovery. Resources are matched to unmet needs in an effort to help residents reach post disaster stability. Volunteers are an integral part of disaster recovery. We provide basic training, plus volunteers also bring important skills to teach others how to prepare for and mitigate the effects of disasters. Volunteers are continually needed to strengthen outreach, education, and services in the community. Volunteer Prince William offers programs such as Ready Bingo, Disaster Jeopardy and Recipes for Disaster. Disaster Jeopardy will be held at the Haymarket Gainesville Library Monday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. Please call 703-792-8700 or visit the online events calendar at www.pwcva.gov/department/library to register. For more information on Disaster Services, contact Claudia Calderon at 703-369-5292, ext. 303 or email ccalderon@ volunteerprincewilliam.org. Alternative Community Service Program Referrals for Alternative Community Service (ACS) are made from the 31st General District Court and PWC probation offices; fees are paid by the county. Cases from other courts, jurisdictions or probation offices, as well as self-referrals opting to perform ACS prior to conviction, are subject to a fee of $100, payable at intake. Cash (exact amount only), money order or credit card is accepted. Checks are not accepted. A credit card can only be used by paying through the online payment form located on Volunteer Prince William’s website. ACS intake interviews are conducted by telephone on weekdays only, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, contact Shelley Tibbs at 703-369-5292, ext. 316 or email stibbs@volunteerprincewilliam.org. Un-Trim-a-Tree Un-Trim-a-Tree is a holiday program serving local children and senior citizens in need in the greater Prince William community. In 2020, Un-Trim-a-Tree served more than 2,000 children and 292 seniors. To ensure that all children are treated equally, each child is provided two gifts, valued at no more than $50-$75 per child. Senior Baskets usually include card games, crossword puzzles or other suitable activities as well as treats. Hand cream, warm socks, throws or wraps are also popular. Baskets are delivered to Meals on Wheels and Agency on Aging clients. Please stay tuned to www.volunteerprincewilliam.org for more information on Un-Trim-a-Tree as the holidays get closer.

UVA Health Now Sole Owner of Novant Health UVA Health System

Growth Will Help Expand Access to Highly Specialized Care, Innovative Clinical Trials

Submitted by UVA Health UVA Health has become the full owner of Novant Health UVA Health System, a Northern Virginia regional health system previously owned by the two institutions through a joint operating company. Expanding the scope of UVA Health – which now has more than 1,000 inpatient beds throughout Virginia – will provide more opportunities for patients to access clinical trials examining potential breakthrough treatments and better support highly specialized care for patients across Virginia. “As our academic health system expands throughout Virginia, we are able to provide the full range of primary and subspecialty care for patients throughout the Commonwealth,” said K. Craig Kent, MD, UVA Health’s chief executive officer and UVA executive vice president for health affairs. “UVA Health will be able to provide greater access to cutting-edge therapies and clinical trials that can lead to better treatments for all in the years to come.” UVA Health now has 100 percent ownership of all the facilities and assets that were formerly part of the joint operating company, including an integrated network of outpatient services and the following hospitals: • Culpeper Medical Center • Haymarket Medical Center • Prince William Medical Center Patients in Culpeper and Northern Virginia will benefit as UVA Health builds on the framework established over the past five years through the joint operating company to expand the range of available services, Kent said. “We are so excited about this new relationship and the opportunity to serve even more patients throughout Northern Virginia and Culpeper,” he said. “Working together with the excellent team already in place, including our employed and independent physicians, we are looking forward to creating a new vision for healthcare in Virginia.” For patients living in Culpeper and Northern Virginia, UVA Health’s new scale will mean streamlined access to comprehensive care, including the No. 1 hospital in Virginia as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. “This relationship will help patients throughout the region more easily benefit from our high-quality care, the latest technology, groundbreaking research and clinical trials,” Kent said. “By expanding our health system’s footprint, it will also provide us with more opportunities to fuel our teaching mission, which will benefit patients for decades to come by training the next generation of healthcare providers.” “The expansion of UVA Health aligns with our mission to serve residents throughout the Commonwealth with outstanding patient care,” said Jim Ryan, president of the University of Virginia. “My thanks go to Dr. Kent and his team for their leadership and all those at UVA Health who work every day to keep our community healthy and vibrant.”

We want to feature your pets! Introducing: Nala

The Hernandez family welcomed 4-year-old Nala into their family. The rescue pup is a silly and happy dog!

Collected by Marianne Weaver Did you adopt a pet during quarantine? Or have you shared your home with a four-legged roommate for years? We want to feature our readers pets! Send a high-resolution photo to mweaver@bestversionmedia.com and tell us a little bit about your furry (or not-so-furry) friend.