Spring seems a little reluctant to arrive, but the bright yellow forsythia and the daffodils, especially those planted in the roadway medians, signal that warmer weather will soon be upon us. The crack of the baseball bat and the hum of lawn mowers will replace winds howling and ice being scraped from windshields. Spring also heralds a return to community activities, volunteering, and social interaction.

If you are a senior citizen who likes to sew, volunteers are needed at the Lincolnia Senior Center to craft dolls for hospitalized children. Each Tuesday, a group of older ladies meets at the center, 4710 North Chambliss Street in Lincolnia, from 10 a.m. until noon, to construct small stuffed dolls that offer comfort to children frightened by their hospitalization. The craft project needs your help in all the various steps to produce each doll: machine sewing of the cloth bodies, turning and stuffing, crocheting hair to attach to the head, and finishing details. The ladies even make tiny hospital gowns for the dolls, which are delivered to local hospitals for their small patients. If you would like to join this lively social group on Tuesday mornings, please call Avis Jarrett at 703/941-3469 for more information.

Saint Albans Episcopal Church, 6800 Columbia Pike in Annandale, will host a community clothing sale on Saturday, April 19, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Gently used clothing for men, women, and children will be reasonably priced and could provide basic needs for many area residents. Dee Dee Payne, coordinator for the sale, advises that if any area residents are in a situation where they need financial assistance or are in emergency need of clothing items, St. Albans would like to donate these items to them. To make a donation, or to volunteer to set up, work during the event, or clean up after the sale, please contact Dee Dee at deedeepayne@cox.net. This also is a great opportunity for students to fulfill their community service hours.

The Lincoln at the Crossroads Alliance has been created to celebrate the historic importance of Bailey’s Crossroads and coordinate a re-enactment of the “Grand Review” by President Abraham Lincoln that occurred there in November of 1861. Approximately 70,000 Union troops marched at the Crossroads while 30,000 citizens from Washington cheered them on. Can you imagine the traffic jams that must have caused? It is said that the Review inspired Julia Ward Howe to write the Battle Hymn of the Republic. The re-enactment of the Review is scheduled for November of 2011, and the activity has been endorsed by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. The Alliance is looking for volunteers to help in planning this years-long effort, so if you have an interest in history, Abraham Lincoln, or the Civil War, and have experience in public relations, grant-writing, fundraising, or newsletter writing, the Alliance wants to hear from you. Contact Maria Elena Schacknies at cultura@att.net for more information or to volunteer.