Donating Food, Supplies, Time ... and Gaining Friendship

God works through people. It is a saying often uttered by Oprah, and no more evident than at Works Sunday, a day of service and volunteering organized by 20 different faith communities in the Reston area. 

From donating blood to performing music for seniors, volunteers from communities as diverse as the Buddhist Tzu-Chi Foundation, Sikh Dharma of Virginia and the committed their time and energy to service organizations such as the , Reston Interfaith’s and the Abused Women’s Shelter of Fairfax County.

Nancy Vollmer and Debbie Aschenbach, both from , helped to set up a collection center for donations at . 

Although Works Sunday’s primary focus is on service to those less fortunate in the area, Vollmer said the event is more than volunteering: “I think it’s natural for our community to get to know each other — to try to get to know other people that worship in different places and in different ways, and try to be together for the greater good.”

Amidst the donated packs of batteries and baby wipes, gift cards and bags of rice allocated for the shelters, Esther Johnson, organizer of , a weekly hot-lunch program for day laborers at Trinity Presbyterian Church, arrived with more supplies. 

Christopher Wist, head of the Works Sunday planning team, braved the rain to make his way to the church’s parking lot to donate blood at the . He planned to attend the recital at the Tall Oaks senior center afterwards.

“It gives us insight into what other groups are doing and how we can better support the community as a whole,” Aschenbach said. “And, we’ve made a lot of friends.”