Contributions to the Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign at Prince William County locations for last year came in nearly seven percent below 2009 levels.  Major Steve Morris of The Salvation Army National Capital Area says the nearly $130,000 collected this year in Prince William compares to more than $139,000 raised a year ago.  And while Prince William fared better than the National Capital Region, which saw overall donations fall by approximately 11 percent, Major Morris expressed concern. "We will have to see where this shortfall leaves us and how it will affect us moving forward," he …

Many holiday giving opportunities are past, but there are still chances to donate to good causes. Through Jan. 8, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage offices are collecting toys and gifts to benefit children undergoing cancer treatment at the Children's National Medical Center and Inova Fairfax Hospital, according to a press release. Linda Wolf, Coldwell Banker agent in Fairfax, has headed up the drive for over a decade. Each year, she sponsors a holiday ice cream party for clients who donate. Donations are also being accepted from the public at all Coldwell Banker offices in the greater …

Today marks the last day for the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots toy donation drive. Yesterday, Governor Bob McDonnell and his two sons, Bobby and Sean, came out to the warehouse location to view the donations. Take a look at the photos and video from the special occasion here.

Last week Santa rode a motorcycle thanks to Prince William County Police Department's Traffic Unit.  These men in blue, commonly called the Motormen, convinced Santa to ditch his sleigh and ride with them to visit patients at Sentara Potomac Hospital. Spreading holiday cheer at the hospital is an annual tradition of the Motormen.  They usually arrive on their motorcycles two by two, but due to last week's snowfall they pulled up in cars. The Motormen accompanied Santa as well as Mrs. Claus to the Pediatric Unit to deliver stuffed animals to the young patients.  After visiting the Emergency …

The Marine Toys for Tots program finished collecting toys this week to be donated to needy children as Christmas gifts. The Prince William County gift drop off located at 3310 Noble Drive in Woodbridge nicely filled up with presents by 2 p.m. on Friday, with even more toys coming in as the day progressed. The Salvation Army's Angel Tree program will begin distributing gifts in Prince William County on Monday, Dec. 20. According to a press release from the Salvation Army, most people make appointments in order to pick up gifts for children. Two locations are available in Dale City to make …

If Thanksgiving truly had you counting your blessings, as it ought to, then hopefully you have spent some time thinking about how much you have and how you can give something to those around you. Sure, we all think volunteering is a great idea, but where do you get started? The following list is far from comprehensive—there are a good many more places and ways to give of your time and resources—but hopefully it will give you a helpful starting point. Literacy Volunteers of America – Prince William Many adults have a hard time in the job market and in daily life because they struggle with …