News and Information
September 3, 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic has reframed what is considered normal life in our community and the world at large, it has also radically altered the way NCS and their Health and Human Services partner agencies respond to meet the needs of older adults in Fairfax County.
When Senior Centers closed in March to stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus, NCS staff, along with staff from other HHS agencies that support long term care, pivoted to address the most immediate need of older adults by implementing a weekly meal delivery service to replace the meals served in Senior Centers. Five months and 250,000 meals later, the meal delivery program continues to deliver meals each week.
While the meal delivery program addressed one crucial need, during meal drop-off, staff began to discover that older adults were experiencing a range of physical, mental and social issues while self-isolating in their homes. To address the problem, NCS implemented a wellness calls program, using a questionnaire designed to assess fully and respond to the needs of older adults. Senior center staff now make monthly wellness calls to every older adult who has visited one of the 14 senior centers in the past year. Call frequency is increased when it is determined that extra monitoring is needed. Often, senior center staff work collaboratively with other NCS staff to help connect the participant’s family members to services.
“We are taking a holistic approach in our wellness calls to older adults. We want to ensure that their physical, emotional and social needs are being met. We also believe that helping an individual thrive means ensuring that the needs of their family unit are also met.” - Norma Lopez, Region 2 Operations Manager
NCS championed a team approach in developing the Virtual Center for Active Adults, creating a one-stop site where older adults and adults with disabilities can connect to a diverse range of resources and services offered by organizations throughout the county and beyond. By partnering with Service Source, NCS was able to begin offering live virtual programs to seniors via Zoom starting in May. The team now offers programs daily from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
“Your work has provided new joy in my mom's life. While being isolated at home due to health issues may have limited her ability to engage in the activities that she cherished so much just a few years ago, she has found new joy and renewed life through the virtual center activities that you offer.” - Lee H.
“I want to let all the staff putting together the virtual programs for the Senior Centers know how much I am enjoying them and appreciate everyone’s hard work! All the programs are so creative and each day has such a variety to pick from, making each day full of learning, fun, and exercise.” - P. Bestrain
Programs range from fitness classes to cooking demonstrations, art instruction to lunch bunch social hours. Each week, approximately 700 people participate in 30 virtual programs and popular fitness classes, such as SAIL (Stay Active and Independent for Life), regularly log 80 or more participants.
What can older adults look forward to next from NCS? Coming this fall, staff plan to offer more opportunities to learn and connect by expanding the Zoom programs offered. They are also producing a library of diverse on-demand programming that can be enjoyed any time from home. To learn more, visit the Virtual Center for Active Adults and be sure to follow us on Twitter @FairfaxNCS for the latest news and information.
What’s In Your Water? Find Out with the 2020 Fairfax County Virginia Household Water Quality Program
September 4, 2020
Do you know what’s in your drinking water? While public water supplies are tested daily for contaminants, most private water supplies, like wells and springs, are rarely tested. It is recommended that well owners test their water at least annually for bacteria and nitrates. Fairfax County residents can learn more about the quality of their water and how to care for their water system as part of the 2020 Fairfax County Virginia Household Water Quality Program.
Registration for the 2020 program is open now through Thursday, Sept. 10 at noon. Participants will learn about common water quality issues in the region and receive information on where to pick up water sampling kits. The program begins with a kick-off meeting via Zoom. Once water samples have been collected, they will be analyzed for iron, manganese, nitrate, lead, arsenic, fluoride, sulfate, pH, total dissolved solids, hardness, sodium, copper, total coliform bacteria, and E. Coli bacteria.
Following analysis, confidential reports will be mailed to participants and an interpretation meeting will be held via Zoom to explain the report results and options for dealing with water problems. Experts will be on hand to answer questions.
Any Fairfax County resident with a private water supply system (including wells, springs, and cisterns) may participate. The program is $60 per household. Learn more and register for the program online. A limited number of need-based scholarships are available. For more information, please contact the Fairfax County Virginia Cooperative Extension Office at 703-324-5369.
September 8, 2020
For the past nine years, Stuff the Bus has held food drives twice a year during times when donations often drop off – after the winter holidays and during the summer. Hosting drives during these critical times ensured that area nonprofits were able to meet the needs of hungry people in Fairfax County.
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for food in our area, so Stuff the Bus is working to respond to the demand. In May, food drives were held on two days at 21 locations throughout Fairfax County. The response was immense, with 33.6 tons of food collected for area nonprofits.
On Saturday, September 12 and Saturday, September 26, Fastran buses will again be parked at 21 locations from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to collect food donations. Buses will be located in less-frequented lots throughout the county, including many Board of Supervisors’ offices and the Fairfax County Government Center, to allow donors to comply with social distancing recommendations.
See the complete list of locations to drop off your food donations, what to put on your shopping list to donate, and tips for donating safely at Stuff the Bus.
Stuff the Bus Virtual Food Drive
For those who are unable to donate in person but want to contribute, donations can be made to the virtual Stuff the Bus food drive by visiting Volunteer Fairfax’s Donation Page to connect with and donate to nonprofits serving our community.