Children's Book Drive

Alexandria Bookshelf (ABS) needs your gently used books!Every holiday season, Alexandria Bookshelf, one of the many community outreach projects of the DreamDog Foundation, gives out thousands of books to children in Alexandria. You may have seen these books in your own homes – they have a sticker on them advertising our program. Now in our 3rd year, ABS has more than 200,000 books out in Alexandria on more 35 bookshelves around the community, in schools, recreation centers and in the city’s housing authorities.
This holiday season, we’re asking for your help in filling Alexandria homes with fantastic children’s books, often for kids who don’t own books of their own. ABS is getting books in the "Hands, Homes and Hearts of ALL Children! Thank you for helping make that possible!
Please clean out your children’s bookshelves and donate gently used books at one of the following locations:
Hooray for Books at 1555 King Street in Old Town.Mt. Vernon Rec Center in Del Ray at 2701 Commonwealth Ave.UpCycle at in Del Ray at 1712 Mt. Vernon Avenue (2nd floor)CrossFit by the water in Old Town at 805 North Royal Street.31 E. Masonic View Ave.Or 23 W. Myrtle St.
This is a win-win – you get to make space in your homes just in time for the holidays. And our city’s kids get to experience the joy that comes with a really good read.Questions? Want to volunteer this holiday season? Email jesswehrman@yahoo.com

Alexandria Neighbors Help Family Impacted By Tragedy

Alexandria neighbors are joining together to help the family who lost their son in a tragedy last week. Jose Luis Ferman Perez was a 24-year-old city resident w hose life was taken at our iconic neighborhood playground last week. Many neighbors have expressed their desire to help his family, especially his mother who wishes to return his remains to his beloved home country. Anything you give will make a difference. Thank you for your consideration. 

"On Monday, November 9, 2015, we lost a great person, Jose' Luis Perez Ferman. He was a good son, brother, father and friend. Only 24 years old, he left us to be by God’s side. He was a good person in every possible way. Our family is obviously not prepared for this tragedy and losing a person this loved is painful and unexpected. Funeral expenses are very expensive and we have created this page to request assistance for these expenses. Whatever amount you can provide would be very much appreciated. Thank you and God bless you. We need your support to cover the funeral expenses of Jose' Luis Perez Ferman." 

Your Beverley Hills Neighbors, 

Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/n4a8aajg 

Interview of Jose's mother: 

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Body-of-Man-Found-at-Alexandria-Playground-343656742.html 

Funeral Saturday at 7pm at Commonwealth Baptist Church 700 Commonwealt h 

Turkey Trot Volunteers Needed

The Turkey Trot is less than two weeks away -- and we still need volunteers! 
  
We are making some significant changes this year, the 40th year for Turkey Trot.  We have developed a more automated system of registering runners, which will alter the way we do business.  Now, runners will be assigned bib numbers as they pick them up rather than in advance.  What does this mean?  First off, we no longer need to come in Tuesday night to set up and mark bibs. On Wednesday night and Thursday morning, volunteers will be given a stack of bibs.  When a runner reports for check-in, a simple computer search for their name -- then their bib number is filled in the computer.  No more labeling bibs in advance, and no more searching for someone's name in a stack of bibs.  We have hit the technology era head on!!!! 
  
Here is what we need help with on Thursday morning (we currently have enough volunteers for Wednesday night): 
Set-up -- includes moving bicycle racks around so somewhat heavy lifting involved (6-7:30am) 
Runner registration, aka data entry, on a laptop (7:00-8:45am) 
Runner check-in, aka handing out bibs on a computer or tabloid, (7:00-8:45am) 
T-shirt vendors (7:00-8:45am) 
Parking marshal, aka herding cars in the parking lot (7:00-11:00am) 
Route marshal, aka herding runners on streets (8:45-10:30am) 
Handing out water (9:15-10:45am) 
Clean up includes moving bicycle racks back, so again, heavy lifting involved (10:45-Noon) 
  
Thanks so much for helping to make this community event a great signature event for Del Ray.  If you can help Thursday morning, please contact Lee Perna at leeperna@yahoo.com or drop me an email and let me know when you can help. 
  
Many thanks! 
Pat Miller 
pmiller1806@comcast.net


FROM THE DEL RAY LISTSERVE

Duncan Library seeks Lego Donations

Duncan Library is currently accepting donations of Legos for a new program. Starting in December, Duncan Library will offer a Lego, creative play program, for all ages two Saturdays most months. If you have any Legos you are no longer using, we would love to have them for this program! The first Duncan Lego program will be Saturday, Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to noon.


Please contact Ms Robin Sofge

Youth Services Manager
Alexandria Library
James M. Duncan, Jr. Branch Library
2501 Commonwealth Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301
703.746.1793 (office)
703.746.1785 (fax)
www.alexandria.lib.va.us

Thanks, 
Mansi Kothari
V.P Ecommerce
Friends of Duncan library