CALL TO ACTION: Manassas Museum seeks an assistant restoration specialist

Good Morning Prince William. Well, I thought we had escaped the usual D.C. area summer heat and high humidity but I was wrong! It is mid-August though, so I think we lucked-out for the most part.

Our pals at the Manassas Museum have a fascinating volunteer opportunity. It’s sure to take your mind off the sultry weather. A volunteer is needed to be an assistant restoration specialist. Some experience working with hand tools and minor woodworking power tools is required. The candidate must be able-bodied, be careful and interested in learning new things. This is a great opportunity to work with history! Duties include touch-up of interior painting for museum exhibits and fixtures; medium-duty grounds maintenance work, like trimming bushes and plants. The volunteer would also be asked to do some light restoration work of historic fixtures and furniture. You must be available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with flexible hours. How cool would it be to get all of that behind the scenes knowledge? Please contact Roxana at 703-368-1873.

So many of us take for granted the ability to read, but for many reasons, not every adult has acquired proficiency with this particular skill. Help another adult learn to read and write! Our wonderful partners at Literacy Volunteers of America will train you to help. Their next volunteer orientation/training will be in September. Please visit its Web site for details at www.lvapw.or or give them a call at 703-670-5702.

Streetlight Community Outreach Ministries in Woodbridge needs your help to staff their very busy food and clothing pantry. Volunteers are needed to span staffing needs on Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old. What a great way to get some useful volunteer work in and still have the rest of your day! Contact Bonnie at 703-491-2288, Ext. 231.
Learn more about Special Olympics! Please mark your calendars to attend one of the two information sessions. These fabulous folks will be at Bull Run Library on Monday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and at Chinn Park Library on Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to provide an overview of the program and all the sports activities going on throughout the year. Please give them a call at 703-680-6661 and let them know what session you will be attending. This is another one of those very special ways to impact another person in a huge way.

Last call for Extreme Home Makeover volunteers! Here’s your opportunity to work on a house or a community center during the last week of August. I’m sorry that our own community wasn’t picked but these projects are within easy driving distance. The specific locations are secret, but one is in D.C. and the other is in Prince George’s County, Md. They have a base of skilled workers so volunteers are needed for five-hour shifts around the clock to serve meals or snacks, working the check-in booth, checking credentials and other support services. You know this will be a total zoo! Please contact Cynthia at the United Way of the National Capital Area via email: cwright@uwnca.org with your name, address, email and multiple phone numbers. Shifts are 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., 3 to 9:30 p.m., 9 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. and 3 to 9:30 a.m. for 7 days. You will receive a special T-shirt, access to the build site and of course be part of this huge mobilization to help transform a neighborhood and bring enormous joy to a deserving family.

Mary Foley is the executive director of the Voluntary Action Center in Manassas.