Call to action: Help keep community healthy

Good Morning Prince William and happy Columbus Day weekend. The neat folks at the Medical Reserve Corps are gearing up for H1N1 flu clinics to immunize the community. I know you've heard plenty in the news and our community taking all the precautions to keep people safe and healthy and the Medical Reserve Corps is looking for volunteers to help in this effort. To learn more about this wonderful group of volunteers and this effort, please come to one of the volunteer orientations this Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. or this Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Please visit www.vamrc.org and click on become a "VA MRC member in Prince William" or give Bobbi a call at 703-675-9588 for more information and direction to the orientations in Manassas. This is the topic of the day and your opportunity to be part of keeping our community safe and healthy.

The super kids at Yes You Can Young Lady, Young Man are having their first Annual Talent Competition on Saturday at Mayfield Intermediate School in Manassas at 5 p.m. Tickets are just $10 in advance or $15 at the door and it promises to be a great event for kids. The MC is TV celebrity Howard G. Please visit www.

yycylym.com for all the details or call Hat Cat at 571-214-6790 for more information. This wonderful group is striving to keep kids safe and productive while having tons of fun.

Also on Saturday, those wonderful folks at Action in the Community Through Service invite you to put on your walking shoes for our local Walk for the Homeless here in Prince William. This walk begins at 11 a.m. at the Belvoir Federal Credit Union on the parkway and is the perfect excuse to put off your Saturday chores for fun and of course a great cause. Please visit www.actspwc.org for all the specifics or call Beth at 703-441-8606, Ext. 213.

The super folks at Securing Emergency Resources Through Volunteer Efforts Inc. in Manassas have a full calendar of events needing volunteers this fall and winter so plan on attending their volunteer orientation Monday at 5:30 p.m. to learn more about this wonderful organization doing super work in our community. One of the big events you don't want to miss is their Empty Bowls event on Oct. 23. Volunteers are needed during the day prior to the start with setting up the kitchen and dining area, picking up the donated food from area restaurants, greeting attendees, assisting in the kitchen and of course with clean-up. This is wonderful event and these opportunities will work with everybody's schedule such as before 4 p.m., during the event, 4 to 8 p.m. and after 8 p.m. Please call Jan at 703-367-6742 to learn more. You don't want to miss this one!

Last but not least, I have the perfect event for my golf buddies! Please mark your calendar to celebrate Halloween by playing a round of golf at 7 p.m. Saturday. This wild round of golf at Lake Ridge Park in-cludes glow-in-the-dark balls, volunteers with flashlights and holes marked by glow sticks. The cost is just $35 and you need to register immediately to reserve your spot. Please call 703-494-5564 to join in the fun or visit www.pwcparks.org for more information.

If you are looking for other opportunities, please don't forget to call my wonderful team:

» Diane can help senior volunteers with Retired and Senior Volunteer (RSVP) opportunities at 703-369-529, Ext. 207.

» Shelley can help with 1-800 volunteer opportunities at 703-369-5292, Ext. 201.

» Sue can help you with the Medical Reserve opportunities available in Disaster Preparedness at 703-369-5292, Ext. 204.

» Bonnie can help you with all other opportunities available in Disaster Preparedness at 703-369-5292, Ext. 202.

Also visit volunteerprincewilliam.org.

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