by Heather Garlich

By Lisa Fikes, Director of Volunteer Arlington

“Matching” is everywhere! Whether singing the infamous song from “Fiddler on the Roof”, logging into “Match.com”, or driving your kids to the daily soccer match, we hear this word a lot in our culture. It is interesting to me that in the references just mentioned, the word can be used to suggest either connection or competition.

The McLean-Arlington-Falls Church Shepherd's Center 2016 Volunteer of the Year is Sofia Rontaler. Sofia has a passion for helping senior citizens and she has devoted hundreds of hours over the past year to helping them through the Shepherd's Center ride program. She started volunteering to provide rides to doctor's appointments with the Shepherd's Center about 2 ½ years ago.  She also helps the riders she's met through the Shepherd's Center in informal ways by taking them on necessary errands or even to a movie, concert or out for coffee or a walk.

Volunteer Arlington hosted its quarterly Lunch & Learn Session on May 18, 2017. The topic for the session was "Conversation Groups." The group ate their bagged lunches while hearing from Lisa Fikes, Director of Volunteer Arlington, about important upcoming dates and information. They then split into two groups led by Reverend Andrew Marrow, Rector at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Arlington, and Stephanie Berman, Director of Program Operations at The Reading Connection.