News and Information
August 30, 2024
Help feed Fairfax County families in need by participating in the Virtual Stuff the Bus campaign in September.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors proclaimed September 2024 as Hunger Action Month in Fairfax County. From Sept. 1-30, 2024, individuals and community groups can make monetary donations directly to local non-profit organizations that provide food assistance in Fairfax County.
Since 2011, the Fairfax County Government has partnered with local non-profits for physical donations to fill Fastran buses with shelf-stable food and hygiene items. The program was developed in response to a critical need to help restock the shelves of local food pantries after the holidays.
The county added the virtual Stuff the Bus program in November 2023. The physical Stuff the Bus program will return in early 2025; the virtual food drive will help prepare Fairfax County’s non-profit food access partners for the busy holiday season.
Information on the community partners and the virtual drive is available at Stuff the Bus Virtual Food Drive.
The Capital Area Food Bank’s 2023 Hunger Report reveals multiple and compounding factors that have driven food insecurity to remain at staggeringly high levels. Inequitable economic recovery from the pandemic, inflation, and the end of many federal benefit programs make it difficult for families to put food on the table. According to the Capital Area Food Bank Survey, it’s estimated that 24% of Fairfax County residents are food insecure.
“We saw in 2023 how adding the virtual food drive was able to increase our impact in collecting items for families in need,” said Alisa Brooks, Food Access Program Manager for the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services.
"We are excited to offer this option again in September 2024. It is convenient for donors, and non-profits receiving the contributions use the funds to purchase fresh and culturally-appropriate foods for the neighborhoods they serve.”
The virtual Stuff the Bus campaign runs through Sept. 30. Learn more about ways to fight hunger and homelessness on this Fairfax County resource page. For more information, visit the Stuff the Bus page.
August 14, 2024
The community is invited to a ceremony renaming Bailey’s Community Center to the Minnie H. Peyton Community Center at Bailey’s. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, at 10 a.m. at the center located at 5920 Summers Lane in Falls Church, VA.
Minnie H. Peyton
The new name honors Minnie Peyton (1889-1985), a pillar of Springdale, a historically Black community in Bailey’s Crossroads that originated as a home to freedmen since the Civil War. In 1935, Minnie Peyton and her sister, Florence, purchased five acres of land in Bailey’s Crossroads. They sold the land to the Fairfax County School Board in 1954. In 1956, Lillian Carey Elementary school, which served Black students, opened on the sisters’ former land. The former school site is now a part of Bailey’s Community Center.
In September 2023, former Mason Supervisor Penny Gross introduced a Board Matter to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to explore the name change. That was followed by a community engagement meeting in June 2024 and online public feedback survey from June 26 – July 11, 2024. At the request of current Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez, the Board approved the renaming at its meeting on July 16, 2024. For more information on the engagement process, visit Bailey's Community Center Renaming.
Bailey’s Community Center is a multipurpose facility for all ages and abilities. The center’s features include a senior program, gymnasium, computer clubhouse, weight and exercise rooms, outdoor tennis and basketball courts, a baseball diamond, playground and more.
Event Flyers:
Renaming of Bailey's Community Center flyer (PDF)
Renaming of Bailey's Community - ESPANOL (PDF)
Renaming of Bailey's Community Center - Eng/Esp (PDF)
Renaming of Bailey's Community Center - AMHARIC (PDF)
July 29, 2024
The community is invited to join Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services, the Fairfax County Police Department and other county agencies in celebration of National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024.
National Night Out is a national community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.
Find the fun at these free events at NCS centers:
Lincolnia Senior Center, 4710 North Chambliss St., Alexandria, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. (Tea Party)
Jim Scott Community Center, 3001 Vaden Dr., Fairfax, 5 - 7 p.m.
Willston Multicultural Center, 6131 Willston Dr., Falls Church, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. (Ice Cream Social)
Bailey's Community Center, 5920 Summers Lane, Alexandria, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. (Ice Cream Social)
Mott Community Center, 12111 Braddock Rd., Falls Church, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. (Ice Cream Social)
James Lee Community Center, 2855 Annandale Rd., Falls Church, 6 - 8 p.m. (Ice Cream Social)
Sully Community Center, 13800 Wall Rd., Herndon, 6 - 8 p.m.