A few ideas you can complete at home or in your neighborhood: 

• Do yard work for an elderly neighbor or someone in need of assistance in the community
• Go around your home to find ways to conserve energy (not leave the water faucet running while brushing teeth; powering down electronics when not in use; separating items for trash and recycling; etc.)
• Outdoor beautification projects (Chalk-the-Walk with positive messages on sidewalk; pick-up trash; paint positive messages on small stones and place them along a trail; etc.)

In-Person service opportunities are constantly changing.  Here are some great resources for finding them:

• Volunteer Fairfax - Search for Opportunities
• Fairfax County Government Volunteer Site
• Search X2Vol (Student Login→X2Vol)
• Sign up with Volunteer Reston
• FCPS Service Learning Twitter
• Volunteer Fairfax Directory of Youth Opportunities

Operation Gratitude

Write letters to thank military and frontline responders for their service to our country and our communities

Send a Thank You Note to a Teacher

Teachers always work tirelessly to serve their students.  Just 5-10 minutes to tell them “thank you” and list a few specific things you appreciate about their class/teaching will make their day!  Use the link above to look up any Hughes teacher’s email address.

Smithsonian Digital Volunteers

Digitizing historical documents is an enormous job, but you can chip in and help the Smithsonian Institute do just that.  You can even choose the museum you want to help or the look for projects by themes like “Civil War Era” or “Women’s History.”

Volunteer Virtually with Choice. Respect. independence.

This organization that serves people with developmental disabilities & mental health needs offers some unique remote volunteering opportunities like: 

• Create a DIY STEM Kit
• Kindness Cards
• Create Musical Instruments!

Send a Letter to an Elder

Love for Our Elders is an organization that organizes and accepts letters for seniors in senior living facilities around the country.  Check out the site, register for an opportunity, and share some positive thoughts with a senior who may be especially lonely during this time of isolation.

Become a Citizen Archivist

Assist the National Archives with getting their entire collection online.  Browse the site and register to participate in one of these opportunities.  A great fit for history buffs!

Conduct Science Research from Your Computer with Zooniverse

Complete online tasks like classifying animals and discovering exoplanets to help researchers collect important data.