Do Good

Reston Interfaith, Inc.
11150 Sunset Hills Rd. Suite 210
Reston, VA 20190 (map it)
(571) 323-9555

I don’t have much experience with this group, but I am on their mailing list and know they do good work so thought I’d put them out there for folks who are looking for a place to donate or volunteer.

I know that even the most privileged moms can feel like their hands are tied when they’re sleep deprived, drowning in diapers, and learning to live on one income or two incomes minus childcare. In my personal journey to continue helping others — even with small children — I have learned a lot of lessons and experienced many false starts:

• Showing up to fix a meal at a shelter with a baby on your back can lead to whooping cough - even if you vaccinate your kids.
• Kids are not welcome in the Red Cross mobile donation vehicles.
• Ditching your partner and kids to volunteer may not lead to domestic bliss.
• While protesting during the first trimester, there will not always be a bathroom handy when you need to pee or throw up.
• Others may not be comfortable when you show up at community meeting with a fussy baby in arms and start to breastfeed.

There’s a great new group of Ashburn and Leesburg moms out there pondering how to make a positive impact on our community by helping other moms in need. This group is convinced that we moms can find a way to help each other, especially those moms who are facing bigger challenges than most. Come join us now while we are still defining our goals and figuring out how to make an impact right here in Loudoun County.

It has come to my attention that I am not the only one who wishes we had a Trader Joe’s in Loudoun County. Apparently there is a grass roots effort to attract them to a new shopping center in Ashburn. Hooray! To join this effort all you need to do is fill out Trader Joe’s location request form.

You can fill out as you like, or complete as the masses have suggested:

City: Ashburn
State: Virginia
Comments: Village Center at Belmont Greene

5/26/08 UPDATE: Another local blogger has done some digging on this topic. Here’s what she discovered.

www.givelife.org
 1-800-GIVELIFE

It can be hard to find ways to give when we are juggling motherhood. A kid free hour on the weekend that involves resting and eating cookies is not a bad option.

The Red Cross actively pursues my husband. They track his donation dates and as soon as he is eligible again they call persistently until he schedules a new appointment. Since they want nothing to do with me (lived in the UK, must carry mad cow disease!), I figure I can help by reminding you to give blood. So, please, schedule an appointment at a blood drive near you!