Letter: Welcoming Place
To the Editor: Bonnie Hobbs did a great job covering the Nov. 12 grand opening of the Bull Run Elementary School Family Center. I hope the community recognizes the great effort and coordination done by Bull Run staff to make the center a warm and welcoming place for families. Mary Shepherd Family and School Partnerships Specialist Fairfax County Public Schools
Making Spirits Bright 12/12/2012
FACETS helps children give presents to their siblings.
No matter people’s income levels, their children still want presents at Christmastime. So each year, FACETS holds Sibling Shops, enabling children to peruse a variety of toys, games and other items, select gifts for their brothers and sisters and have them wrapped.
The Community Comes Through
Members of Stone Middle School's National Junior Honor Society and other volunteers worked at the Saturday, Dec. 8, Panther Drop-off. Area residents brought new toys and clothes to the school for Our Neighbor's Child to distribute for Christmas to local families in need.
Helping Those in Need
Local teen collects items for the poor and homeless.
In this season of giving, even the generous heart of just one person can make a big difference in other people’s lives. Westfield High junior Nick O’Connell knows this firsthand because he’s now in his fifth year of doing just that.

Sikhs Bring Foundation of ‘Service to Others’
Fairfax Station temple active in community outreach.
On a recent Thursday evening, Ajaib Singh, 78, one of the founding members of the Sikh Foundation of Virginia, politely escorts a visitor to the area where one removes shoes and dons a headscarf.

Dynamic and Diverse
New immigrants bring religious diversity to Fairfax County.
At the intersection of Hooes Road and Silverbrook Drive, on the dividing line between Lorton and Fairfax Station, is the largest Hindu structure in three states.

Bienvenido! Huān yíng! Welcome!
Chantilly Bible Church thrives on diversity by providing outreach to immigrants.
Pastor Isaac Huang vividly remembers the day he landed in the United States from Taiwan. It was Jan. 7, 1982, and Huang, 25, was looking forward to studying computer science at Old Dominion University.

Being Muslim in Fairfax County
Immigrants face the challenge of balancing Islamic faith and American culture.
Over the years, Muslims from different countries migrated and settled in the Fairfax County area; however, the children of immigrant parents often struggle the most because they have to balance their Islamic faith along with the influence of American culture.

Paying It Forward
Leukemia survivor raises money for hospital that helped him.
When Centreville’s Daniel Shank-Rowe was 9, he was diagnosed with leukemia. But he was successfully treated at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., and is now in remission.

Day Shifts, Night Shifts On the Road to Success
An Indian immigrant’s story: Making it and giving back.
When the chain pharmacy he worked for opened a drive-through pharmacy, it was the final straw for Amit Shah of Fairfax.

Building a Better Life
An Afghan immigrant’s story: From Soviet war to American Dream.
“Personally, I never think anyone is better than me, and I never think I’m better than anyone,” Bob Zahory of Centreville chuckles as he offers up another pomegranate lemonade.

Social Programs Adapt To Fulfill Immigrant Needs
Fellowship House, Interfaith help immigrants on their way to self-sufficiency.
A visitor to Hunter’s Woods Fellowship House in Hunter’s Woods Square in Reston could hear 21 different languages.
Avoiding Holiday Debt
Plan now to prevent post-holiday bills.
Festive store displays mean the holiday shopping season is in full swing.

Tips for Year-End Charitable Giving
Financial experts offer suggestions for ensuring one’s donations are well spent.
’Tis the season for giving, and that includes donations to charities.
We Are the World, at Garfield
Teachers discuss challenges of teaching English as a Second Language.
Garfield Elementary School in Springfield, like all of Fairfax County, has a population that reflects a wide range of backgrounds.