Family Services – Community Corner

There’s still time to Adopt-A-Student and help them start the school year prepared and confident. The Department of Family Services’ annual School Supply and Backpack Drive continues through August 7. We are asking for a donation of a brand-new backpack and grade-specific school supplies. This is a great way for you or your organization to help the DFS Volunteer and Partner Services program support the educational success of children in our community. Learn more.

If you speak Spanish and English, you have access to select bilingual job opportunities! DFS Workforce Development supports bilingual job seekers looking to utilize their language skills in high demand positions. We recently held an information session in Spanish with Fairfax County Department of Human Resources that showed attendees how to find and apply for Fairfax County job openings. Keep an eye out for more Spanish sessions this fall! Bilingual job seekers can also join us every Tuesday at 11 a.m. at our Annandale office location for the Conversational English for Job Readiness session – no registration required. Lastly, there’s still time to register for tomorrow’s virtual information sessions with Employment Enterprises about bilingual office careers and open positions seeking Spanish-speaking candidates!  

Have you ever driven through a neighborhood the night before trash day and marveled at all the good-quality, usable items sitting on the curb waiting to be picked up? We often throw away things that can be useful to others, not sure what else to do with them. Before you put something on the curb for the trash truck, stop and ask yourself if it can be donated. In addition to helping someone in need, you will also keep items out of the landfill. Learn where you can donate useful but unwanted items in the July issue of the Golden Gazette.

A trigger is a reminder of a past trauma. This reminder can cause a person to feel overwhelmed, sadness, anxiety, or panic. Triggers can take many forms. They may be brought on by a physical location, a sound, a certain smell, or the anniversary of the traumatic event. Learn more about triggers and how to manage them.

The Department of Family Services’ Body Safety Program is recruiting volunteer facilitators to help prevent and interrupt child abuse in our community. It’s easy to get started—and you can make a significant impact in just a few hours each week. If you can speak Spanish, we especially can use your help. Si usted habla Español, nosotros necesitamos su ayuda! Check it out.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps eligible Fairfax County households buy groceries each month. To avoid delays and get the maximum benefit you qualify for, start by gathering key documents such as proof of identity, Social Security number or proof of immigration status, proof of income such as wages, benefits, child support, and all allowable expenses, since these can increase your benefit amount. Answer every question, review your contact information, and be sure to sign and date your application. After you apply, check your mail and voicemail and respond quickly to any requests for more information. Learn more about how to apply, upload documents, understand changes, and stay enrolled. 

Dissociative disorders are mental health conditions that involve experiencing a loss of connection between thoughts, memories, feelings, surroundings, behavior, and identity. These conditions include escaping from reality in unwanted and unhealthy ways. Children who are sexually abused--particularly chronic abuse that started at an early age—may learn to dissociate to cope with the abuse and may have long-term difficulties managing everyday life. On this episode of Unscripted, host Kendra Lee; Domestic and Sexual Violence Services Counseling Services Supervisor Kathryn Harlow and Laura Ballard, a mental health therapist at the Arlington County Mental Health Center in Arlington, Virginia, discuss these disorders, how they show up in survivors’ lives, and the best ways to treat them.