Friday, November 12, 2010
Local library volunteer dedicates three days a week to assisting library patrons' needs.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- Jessie Biele
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Friday, November 12, 2010
For as long as she can remember, Beverly Morse has always loved literature. It is only fitting that this longtime Mount Vernon resident has spent the past decade volunteering at Sherwood Regional Library. "If you're volunteering, you might as well do something you really enjoy," said Morse. "In fact, we have a rule: we don't volunteer for anything we don't enjoy." Morse worked as a library assistant for Fairfax County Public Schools before becoming a homemaker and raising her family. She began volunteering at the library ten years ago after her friends, who were also volunteers, convinced her to join. She started by sorting and checking in books that were delivered to the library and continues to work in that role. She fell in love. "I …
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Two locals tackle the issue of domestic violence in Mount Vernon.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- Jessie Biele
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Saturday, October 30, 2010
Editor's Note: This week's Volunteer of the Week features two women I met recently. Mattie Palmore and Kari Warren have worked tirelessly over the past six years in order to bring an important, taboo issue to light: domestic violence. According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the Mount Vernon District has the highest rate of reported incidents of domestic violence. Both Palmore and Warren work with the women and men who are victims of this social and cultural epidemic. Palmore and Warren are always willing to lend an ear and their support to victims of domestic violence and help them navigate the intricacies of the criminal justice system. Through their hard work and dedication, they have helped hundreds of victims in the Mount …
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Mount Vernon native John Politte makes a difference to immigrants learning to read and speak English.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- Jessie Biele
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Thursday, October 21, 2010
John Politte describes his volunteer work teaching English as a Second Language classes at Mount Vernon nonprofit Progreso Hispano as his "second career." Politte, a lifelong resident of Mount Vernon, was working at the U.S. Department of Education when he began teaching ESL classes 10 years ago at Groveton Baptist Church . At the time the Groveton Baptist Church had one of the area's largest ESL programs. Said Politte, "They were sort of the big game in town for doing the Route One ESL." He volunteered as an ESL teacher at Groveton for four years until the church cancelled the program. He and his fellow instructors were toying with the idea of starting their own ESL program until he got the call from Progreso Hispano, a local nonprofit …
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Mount Vernon Patch will profile one outstanding local volunteer each week.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- Jessie Biele
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Thursday, October 14, 2010
Mount Vernon Patch is currently accepting nominations for its first Volunteer of the Week. Each week, we will be profiling a local resident who goes above and beyond to make Mount Vernon a better place to live. Whether he runs monthly food drives independently, or she donates her time to one of the many nonprofits in the area, we want to recognize residents' efforts no matter how small. Do you know a community member who should be recognized as the Mount Vernon Patch Volunteer of the Week? Please e-mail me: jessie.biele@patch.com. Be sure to include the nominees' name, e-mail address, phone number, and a paragraph on why they should be recognized as Volunteer of the Week. The winner will be contacted the following week and will be featured…
