An upcoming yard sale will help Kira Glock. The 1-year old Spotsylvania girl has Down Syndrome and was recently diagnosed with leukemia. She is receiving treatment at UVA hospital.

The Down Syndrome Association of Fredericksburg will host the yard sale on Sept. 11, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 6802 Lakeridge Drive
Fredericksburg, VA 22407.

Looking for a service project? Or a simple way to reach out to the community? Here are a couple of upcoming ways to help:

SERVE is looking at empty shelves. The emergency food pantry in Stafford needs food to give to those in need.

Food donations may be dropped off at 15 Upton Lane, across from the Stafford Courthouse, Monday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday, 1–4:30 p.m.

Financial donations may be mailed to: SERVE Inc., Box 1357 Stafford, Va. 22555.

To volunteer with SERVE , call 540/288-9603.

Rappahannock Community Services Board needs shoes for participants in its early intervention program.

A physical therapist  is looking for leather moccasins for infants and toddlers requiring foot braces. The braces are made of plastic and cause the children to slip when trying to walk. Traditional, hard-sole shoes are too big and clunky for these children. Soft leather moccasins, like the Robeez brand by Stride Rite and Ministar brand at Target, work perfectly. Sizes 18-24 months are needed (new or used). Many of the families are unable to purchase these shoes on their own.

If you have any of these type of shoes to donate, please:

• mail to RACSB, attn: PE-ID, 600 Jackson St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401
• drop off at any RACSB clinic

o   Caroline County Clinic: 19254 Rogers Clark Blvd., Ruther Glen (across from high school)

o   Fredericksburg Clinic: 600 Jackson St., Fredericksburg

o   King George County Clinic: 8479 St. Anthony’s Rd., King George

o   Spotsylvania County Clinic: 7424 Brock Rd., Spotsylvania (next to Post Office)

o   Stafford County Clinic: 15 Hope Rd., Stafford

Micah Ecumenical Ministries needs volunteers to provide dinner to recovering homeless patients. Volunteers can bring, cook and serve dinner at the ministry’s respite home. To volunteer, call call 540/479-8302.

From the Virginia Department of Social Services:

The deadline to apply for 2010 cooling assistance is Monday, Aug. 16. The 120 local departments of social services throughout Virginia will accept applications postmarked or received through Monday, Aug. 16, as part of the Virginia Department of Social Services’ (VDSS) Energy Assistance Program. Assistance is available to households that include a child under age six, a disabled individual or an adult age 60 or over who meet income and eligibility requirements.

Cooling assistance can be used to assist families and individuals with:

• payment of electric bills up to $100 to operate cooling equipment;
• payment of security deposits for electricity to operate cooling equipment;
• repair of a central air conditioning system or heat pump;
• purchase of a whole-house fan, including ceiling or attic fans; and
• purchase and installation of one window unit air conditioner for households without a working one.

The Energy Assistance Program is funded by the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program block grant.  The cooling assistance component served nearly 70,000 Virginia households last year.

To learn more visit http://www.dss.virginia.gov/benefit/ea/cooling/index.cgi. Families and individuals must apply at the local department of social services in the locality where they reside by Aug. 16, 2010.

One of my key chains is the faded half of a “best friends” charm. It was given to me by a 9-year-old Hannah Montanna fan. Shayla was living in a motel at the time, and a photographer and I followed her family for a story about how federal laws count children in motels as homeless for educational purposes but not for homeless counts.

The story opened my eyes in many ways. First, it was shocking to see just how many kids gathered in the motel parking lot for games or on the front steps for popsicles after school. Second, while I tried not to have any preconceptions, I walked into the story thinking that living in a motel wasn’t really all that bad. Seeing a mom, exhausted from overnight shifts as a waitress, cooking dinner for three kids and two parents on a hot plate changed that perception.

At the time, Lisa von Dohlen, then director of social work for Stafford County Public Schools, told me:

They’re not going to picture a working family with children. And those children are homeless, and they have no choice to control that situation, and if we as citizens of the richest nation in the world aren’t outraged by that, then we need to take a long, hard look at ourselves.

Since then, the situation hasn’t gotten any better. This story was in early 2008, just before more and more families struggled through foreclosures. And the government is still trying to align the two definitions of homelessness.

Last month, HBO started airing a documentary by Alexandra Pelosi on children living in motels in Orange County, Calif., one of the richest areas in America. It looks haunting, from the trailer. The HBO site includes a trailer and an interview with Pelosi about the project.

Shayla and her family, by the way, did leave the area last I heard. The last time I saw Shayla was at a community dinner at Fredericksburg Baptist Church. She ran into my arms for a hug, but seemed suddenly overwhelmed and very sad before she left. I hope things are looking up for her. But statistics are not very good on the fates of homeless children.

DOC Auto, a Chatham Heights auto repair shop, is teaming up with the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank during what is historically that organization’s lean time of year.  For the month of August, DOC Auto will perform a 27 point vehicle maintenance inspection free of charge, and, if the car needs brakes, will not charge for the pads or shoes in exchange for a donation of non-perishable food or back-to-school supplies.  The donations will be collected at the repair shop and picked up by the Food Bank.

“This is the sixth year we’ve supported the Food Bank this way”, Dave O’Connell, owner of DOC Auto says.  “When we began this program in the fall of 2005, Dayle Reschick at the Food Bank told us that late summer is their toughest time of year.  Times are really tight right now for a lot of people, so we feel the need to do this is stronger than ever.”

Appointments can be scheduled at DOC Auto by calling Brandon at 540/899-3732, or e-mailing  brandon@docautocare.com.  Donations of non-perishable food and back-to-school supplies may be made at DOC Auto at 175 Chatham Heights Road near Earl’s True Value.

The Fredericksburg Area Food Bank serves Virginia’s Planning District 16, the fastest-growing and fourth most populous in the Commonwealth.  Staff  distribute more than a million pounds of food annually.

I have to wonder if the children of New York City are just a little bit disappointed to hear the ice cream truck but instead get a nutritious lunch.

Still, it’s a pretty clever idea. According to the No Kid Hungry blog, about 1 million NYC students receive free meals each day. But only a third of them receive meals when school is out. It’s a problem seen around the country–and right here in the Fredericksburg area–most families who rely on free or reduced lunches during the school year struggle to find help throughout the summer months. I’ve talked with families who say that between the rising energy bills and grocery bills, summer is just a brutal season. Moms talk about skipping meals so their kids can eat, and kids talk about eating Ramen noodles all the time. Some children talk about going without food, too. It’s hard to hear.

In New York, officials piloted a Summer Meals Truck which brings food to parks and playgrounds in underserved communities.

Here in Fredericksburg, such a program doesn’t exist. But many area food pantries are trying to meet the needs. They’re struggling to keep food on their shelves. In summer, more families come for help. But regular donors also go on vacation and get busy, so donations drop.

Want to help?

SERVE: Food donations may be dropped off at 15 Upton Lane, across from the Stafford Courthouse, Monday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday, 1–4:30 p.m.

Financial donations may be mailed to: SERVE Inc., Box 1357 Stafford, Va. 22555.

To volunteer with SERVE, call 540/288-9603.

Fredericksburg Area Food Bank: To find out more about the food bank, visit fredfood.org or call 540/371-7666.

Nonperishable food can also be dropped off (and later given to the food bank) at these locations:

Electrical Equipment Company

4617 Mine Rd

Fredericksburg, VA 22408

540-891-8828

Avery-Hess Realtors

Route 17 North

774 Warrenton Rd

Fredericksburg, VA 22406

540-373-9300

Allstate Insurance

Southern Stafford County, Rt 218

43 Town and Country Dr, Suite 105 (Near Giant Food)

Fredericksburg, VA 22405

Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 am to 5 pm

540-368-9000

Y.M.C.A

South Stafford Area

212 Butler Rd

Stafford, VA 22405

540-371-9622

Y.M.C.A

Spotsylvania

5700 Smith Station Rd

Fredericksburg, VA 22407

540-371-9622

The Virginia Department of Social Services has a new web page of resources for shaken baby syndrome. The site offers tips for preventing the serious, often fatal condition. And it offers advice for staying calm when your baby is driving you crazy. Probably not surprisingly, researchers found that a baby’s crying is often the trigger. My youngest son had colic for eight months, and I remember trying many of these techniques–for calming yourself when you can’t calm your baby.

Here’s the VDSS press release:

Richmond – The Virginia Department of Social Services’ Child Protective Services reported 45 founded cases involving children in the Commonwealth who died as a result of being violently shaken from 2001 to 2009.
Shaken Baby Syndrome, more recently known as Abusive Head Trauma, is a serious condition that can be fatal or leave devastating permanent injuries. A new Web page on the VDSS website offers information and assistance to parents and those who care for children.

“Our goal is prevention through education,” said VDSS Commissioner Martin Brown. “It’s critical that parents and caretakers understand just how much damage can result from shaking an infant and toddler. Likewise, we’re providing practical suggestions for recognizing and diffusing the stressors that put children and caretakers at risk.”

The new Web page provides information on what can happen to a child when shaken, and offers an easy-to-download brochure with tips for soothing a crying child, phone numbers to call for help, and ways to reduce parental frustration.

“Research has identified crying as the number one trigger for shaking a baby or young child,” explained VDSS Director of Family Services Paul McWhinney. “Parents and caregivers don’t plan to do it. It can happen in an instant in a rash moment of stress, anger or agitation. The webpage offers resources and suggestions for coping with these stressors,” McWhinney said. Other common triggers include what the adult perceives as misbehavior and activities like toilet training or feeding.

Because of babies’ weak neck muscles and large head-to-body ratio, violent or sustained shaking can cause:

• Seizures
• Partial or total blindness
• Learning and physical disabilities
• Hearing and speech impairments
• Cognitive disabilities
• Cerebral palsy
• Behavior disorders
• Decreased level of consciousness and vomiting
• Cessation of breathing and heartbeat
• Extreme irritability
• Limp arms and legs
• Death

House Bill 411 was passed in this year’s General Assembly session, signed in to law by Governor Bob McDonnell and went into effect July 1. The law not only provides for the online information on the new webpage, but also calls for the distribution and availability of such information to foster and adoptive parents and the staffs of child day programs and children’s residential facilities.

“We want parents and caregivers to have more than information on what Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma is. We give them resources. We encourage them to make a plan in advance as to what they will do when tensions run high. Call a friend. Walk away for a few minutes after ensuring the baby is safe and secure. Take deep breaths. These are simple solutions, but they can save a child’s life. Remember, it’s more important to stay calm than to stop the crying,” McWhinney said.

The rainy season is underway in Haiti, and many desperate people still live in makeshift tents. To call them tents, really, seems like a stretch. They are four sticks with tattered bedsheets and tarps. An area nonprofit is raising money and collecting tents so that Haitians living in these flimsy shelters can have more protection.

Empowering the Poor will hold a car wash and bake sale on Saturday to raise money for this effort. The event will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fas Mart at the Valero station on State Route 3 in Spotsylvania County.

Proceeds will help buy and ship tents, medical and school supplies for Haiti.

If you can’t make the fundraiser, you can donate online or mail checks to: PO Box 42031; Fredericksburg, Va. 22404.

The University of Mary Washington is competing for a $25,000 Pepsi Refresh Challenge grant to support its Autism Clinic and Play Lab.

Nicole Myers, associate professor of education, said that the Autism Clinic and Play Lab will provide much-needed resources for children with autism and related disabilities in the Fredericksburg area. The Play Lab allows UMW students, under faculty supervision, to learn how to work with children with autism and related disabilities and to train parents in strategies they can use at home.

This month, UMW’s endeavor is eligible for public voting on the Pepsi Refresh website. You can vote for your favorite project once daily through Saturday, July 31.

The Pepsi Refresh Project awards up to $1.3 million every month during 2010, in the categories of $5,000, $25,000, $50,000 and $250,000. The proposals must be from individuals, non-profit organizations, or pro-social businesses that want to make a positive impact in the community.

The UMW project is currently ranked No. 56, but must be in the top five to be funded. Vote here. You will be prompted to register, if you haven’t already. Then, you can vote each day this month for the Play Lab.

For details, contact Myers at 540/286-8026 or nmyers@umw.edu.

The U.S. Department of State is part of a new photo challenge. The contest begins today and asks people across the globe to submit photos which finish the phrase “Democracy is…”

Entries will be accepted until July 28, at the contest site.

An independent jury will chose 36 finalists, and the public will choose 12 winning photos through a global online vote. That vote will start Aug. 19 (International Day of Photography).

Winners will be announced Sept. 15, which is the United Nations’ International Day of Democracy.