March 3, 2025
A lot of news this time, so I will jump right in.
1 – Letter from a resident to their neighbor
2 – Latest ECHO News
3 – ECHO collection request from a resident
4 – County information with resources for Immigrants and Federal Employees
5 – Upcoming West Springfield Police event – Tuesday, March 4
6 – Effort in Facebook Group to provide support to our neighbors
7 – County pilot program to recycle textiles
8 – Summary of VDOT Meeting regarding Rolling Rd
9 – Calendar
1 – I received this from a resident that asked me to include it in the newsletter. I figured it was better insert it than transcribe it:
2 – From the latest ECHO Newslstter:
Barbara Ryan, Housewares Chair, is so happy to welcome seven new volunteers, Austin, Harris, Shafuq, TJ, Karen, Haryad, and Patti, to her team! They are all ready to receive household goods that ECHO clients need. We especially need bathmats, shower curtains, any size comforter, and flatware (these don’t have to be in sets).
Volunteers in the Clothing area are just as eager as their Housewares counterparts to receive donations. They need contributions of new underwear for men in waist sizes 32 to 38, men’s new or gently used jeans in waist sizes 30 and 32, boys’ sneakers in sizes 5 and 6, packages of baby wipes, disposable diapers in sizes 4, 5, or 6, and feminine pads.
A volunteer opportunity of interest to an amateur (or professional) photographer is available. We need someone who would partner with Communications volunteers to build a video and photographic record by photographing and archiving ECHO’s special events. The time commitment would vary.
A few more volunteer opportunities exist for working with donations on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday mornings, or working to interview and assist clients on a Tuesday or Thursday evening. We would like to add one or two more adult supervisors for our Teen Program on Wednesday evenings. If you want to find out more about volunteering with ECHO, see job descriptions and information about which positions are currently open at www.echo-inc.org/volunteer-opportunities-for-adults. If you’d like to sign up for a particular volunteer position, send an email to volunteercoordinator@echo-inc.org.
Our Food Pantry welcomes all non-perishable foods and personal hygiene items, though we currently have plenty of canned vegetables and boxed stuffing mix. We need canned meats and fish as well as dried beans, bagged rice, spices, and condiments such as mayonnaise and ketchup. Children’s toothbrushes are almost always in short supply. See the complete list of things we try to keep in stock on our home page, www.echo-inc.org.
Please bring donations to our Donation Door at 7205 Old Keene Mill Road on weekdays between 9:30 am and 12:30 pm, or between 7:00 and 9:00 on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evenings. Receipts are happily provided.
For those who can’t get to ECHO during our hours of operation, please note that Springfield United Methodist Church, 7047 Old Keene Mill Road is hosting their Spring Food Drive to benefit ECHO on Saturday March 8 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. in the church parking lot. Access the parking lot from Spring Street. Any size donation of non-perishable foods and personal hygiene supplies is welcome!
Mark Your Calendar for ECHO’s Grand Yard Sale
If you’ve never attended the ECHO Yard Sale, you’ve missed a fun opportunity to hunt for treasures among the thousands of items organized by category on dozens of tables in St. Bernadette’s School Gymnasium. You will have an opportunity to see why people will line up early for our 8:00 am opening on Saturday, April 26, at St. Bernadette’s, 7600 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield. From home decorating items to electronics to jewelry, we have loads to choose from at wonderful prices. Proceeds support ECHO, Ecumenical Community Helping Others.
ECHO Sponsors Scholarships to NVCC
ECHO sponsors some financial aid scholarships for students who attend Northern Virginia Community College and who live in ECHO’s service area. The scholarships of $1,000 each can be used toward tuition, books and supplies Preference is given to students whose families are clients of ECHO, but the scholarships are not limited only to client families. The process for students to apply can be found at nvcc.edu/admissions/financialaid/index.html . Even if a person is not yet enrolled at NVCC, there is no cost to get a student ID login to find out more about scholarship opportunities.
Upcoming Dates to Note
March 1 - Saturday Opening
March 8 - Springfield Methodist Food Drive, 1:00 -3:00 pm
March 17 -19 - Clothing Changeover to Spring/Summer
April 5 - Saturday Opening
April 17 - Closed in the evening
April 18 - Closed for Good Friday
April 26 - Spring Yard Sale St. Bernadette’s Gym
Congregational and Other Food Drives
March - Prince of Peace Lutheran, Springfield Christian, Springfield United Methodist
April - Adat Reyim
For more information about ECHO on the following topics, please click the links to our website:
Tips on Holding a Donation Drive
3 – Following this is a request from a resident for their son collecting for ECGO:
Hello, my name is Ian Womack. My Eagle Scout Project is to collect housewares and clothing in good condition for ECHO. I will be collecting items between the 1st and 14th of March. Drop off points will be at the lobby in Rolling Valley Elementary School and the front porch of 8141 Edmonton ct. If you cannot bring them to either spot, we will come by and collect it from your homes. For further information on what ECHO can accept, please go to the ECHO website at www.ECHO/inc.org. If you have any questions or would like to arrange pick up, contact me at 703-451-5076 or at izilla@icloud.com
4 – With recent firings and ICE raids, here is information from Fairfax County that you might need for yourself, your family, or your friends:
The County created this list of resources to assist impacted residents:
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/help-residents-affected-federal-workforce-restructuring
Additionally, the County has developed this list of resources for our immigrant residents and customers to provide links to legal assistance and educational information, with translations available in English, Spanish and Korean:
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/topics/immigrants-fairfax-county
5 – This Tuesday, 3/4, there will be a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) Meeting at the West Springfield Police station at 6140 Rolling Rd, 7-8:30pm.
6 – There was a recent post in the Facebook group about having gatherings like potlucks to help those who might have suddenly lost their job. It got a good bit of traction, similar to those who said we should have a Social Committee to plan and coordinate such events. I have heard many people say they want to help, but no one has emailed me to saythey actually want to do it. If anyone coordinates an event, please let me know and I will include it in a newsletter.
7 – From the Franconia District newsletter:
A textile recycling pilot program has been launched in the county. In partnership with a New Jersey-based company called Helpsy, the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) Solid Waste Management Program is implementing the pilot to provide residents with a convenient way to recycle unwanted textiles. Helpsy is dedicated to extending the life of clothing and reducing textile waste. Items accepted include clothing, shoes, and household fabrics.
Items can be dropped off at the new blue collection bins located next to the Recycling Loop at the I-66 Transfer Station. It’s near where residents also can drop off recyclable materials and food scraps for composting.
Why Recycle Textiles?
Textile waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the United States, yet 95% of discarded textiles can be reused or recycled. By participating in the program, residents help reduce waste, conserve resources, and support sustainability efforts within the community, which align with the county’s Zero Waste Plan that includes, in part, recycling, reuse and recovery.
How the Program Works
Residents can drop off their textiles at the designated blue bins at the I-66 Transfer Station. Items collected through the program are either:
- Reused: Resold through thrift partners in North America and globally or donated to community organizations.
- Recycled: Repurposed into new materials such as insulation, industrial rags, and other useful products.
What Can Be Donated?
The program accepts a wide range of textiles, including:
- Clothing – Tops, sweaters, jeans, dresses, outerwear, baby clothes, undergarments, and more.
- Footwear – Sneakers, boots, heels, slippers, cleats, and more.
- Accessories – Hats, bags, gloves, scarves, jewelry, and sunglasses.
- Linens – Sheets, pillowcases, blankets, comforters, curtains, and table linens.
- Other Items – Stuffed animals, sports uniforms, and luggage.
All dropped-off donations must be clean, dry, odor-free, and in a securely closed plastic bag.
8 – For those of you who were not able to attend the meeting, VDOT staff gave a presentation about the project with the Contractor present. The information everyone wants to know is that it is scheduled to end 10/22/2027. The first phase is to pave over all of the medians to allow residents living on Rolling Rd access to their houses, which will end in October. The intent is for there to be a single lane traveling at all times. They will then do the improvements from the south on the northbound side until they go to the end and then turn around and work on the southbound side. The last phase is to rebuild the medians which will have grass. There will be a few sound walls for areas significantly impacted by the increase in road noise.
The VDOT Construction Manager is Adam Travers. You will see him in the field during construction. You can contact him about things you see at Adam.Travers@vdot.vitginia.gov. The VDOT Construction Manager is Mary Martin. If you have questions about the design and how it will impact your property, you can email her at Mary.Martin@vdot.virginia.gov. you can get the latest information on the project at https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/projects/northern-virginia-district/rolling-road-widening-and-old-keene-mill-road-intersection-improvements-in-fairfax-county/
If you have any questions that you want me to pass along, feel free to send them my way.
9 – Calendar
March 4 – CAC Meeting at West Springfield Police Station, 7-8:30pm
March 8 – ECHO Springfield Methodist Food Drive, 1:00 -3:00 pm
March 9 – Daylight Savings Time begins (clocks Spring forward an hour)
March 17 – Saint Patrick’s Day
March 20 – Start of Spring