It’s important to stay up to date on healthcare appointments like yearly check-ups, immunizations, and sick visits. Even if you’re not eligible for Medicaid, there are options for free or low-cost medical care in Fairfax County. You can get care for dental visits, behavioral health, pharmacy assistance, and much more. Learn more about what would work for you and your family and take care of your health today.

This September, we observe Healthy Aging Month as an opportunity to highlight aging well. What does it look like to age well? Let’s begin with our eyes. While getting older brings about physical changes, it doesn’t have to diminish our vision. A nutritious diet supports optimal eye health, helping to preserve vision and reduce the risk of age-related eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. Read about nutrient-rich foods you can eat to support your eye health in the September issue of the Golden Gazette.

It’s that magical time of year again—our Adopt-A-Family Holiday Program officially opens on September 15, 2025! Thanks to your incredible generosity, last year we set record-breaking milestones, bringing joy, hope, and love to 2,190 children and 1,009 families. Help us surpass those milestones this year! Learn more.

Survivors of domestic violence are at increased risk of housing and economic insecurity when they leave an unhealthy relationship. Advocacy Services staff can help survivors understand their housing options, open a bank account, repair their credit, and more. Learn about the resources the housing and economic support specialists provide.

Did you know that according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, nationally, only 60% of youth who age out of foster care graduate from high school or get their GED by age 19 and 75% reach that milestone by age 21. Unfortunately, only 3-10% of those graduates receive a vocational certificate/license, associate or bachelor’s degree, or higher by 21 years old according to the National Youth in Transition Database. This is all the more reason to celebrate the 14 youth who graduated from high school, four that completed a certificate or trade school program, and two college graduates this year in Fairfax County Foster Care! Learn more about how they were recognized!

Our Employment Services team launched Workforce Development Month with two successful events for job seekers! In partnership with Virginia Career Works – Annandale, the Future-Ready & Fearless: Mastering the Art of Interviewing & Networking workshop taught attendees how to navigate today’s hiring landscape with tools like LinkedIn, led by experts Vanessa Rodriguez (Fairfax Employment Resource Centers) and Lee Buoy II (Microsoft).

Meanwhile, Virginia Career Works – Alexandria hosted an info session with Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) for their open NCS Center Leader role. Sharan Kaur, Assistant HR Manager with NCS, guided attendees through the application process in a dynamic, interactive session. Learn more and register for more upcoming events for job seekers in September.

Love bombing is a form of emotional abuse where an individual intent on causing harm showers a new partner with excessive attention, affection, compliments, declarations of love, and gifts to create an intense emotional bond and a sense of urgency and dependence, which then paves the way for manipulation once the partner is “hooked.” There might also be attempts to isolate the partner from family and friends, ultimately making the victim lose their sense of self within the relationship. Check out these signs.