Spotlight: Northern Virginia Family Service

Every day this week, Patch is profiling a local nonprofit agency. If there's a nonprofit that you think your neighbors need to know about, email Doug Tallman or .

Mission: "To empower individuals and families to improve their quality of life and to promote community cooperation and support in responding to family needs."

Contact Information: Phone: (571) 748-2500; Address: 10455 White Granite Drive, Suite 100, Oakton; Website: www.nvfs.org

Financials: During the 2010 fiscal year, Northern Virginia's Family Service's reported expenses totalled $25 million. More information about the group's budget is available online.

History: According to the organization's website, "Originally established in 1924 by volunteers in Alexandria, NVFS is in our Northern Virginia communities to help people in need. Those first volunteers in Alexandria noticed that poor children in their community had no coats and their families had no coal to heat their homes. They addressed those basic, but critically important, needs. Over 85 years later, NVFS continues to address the needs of many communities in our region - nearly 33,000 individuals and families each year - with a wide range of programs designed to deal with the current problems of today."

How you can help: NVFS gladly accepts donations of items on their wish list or monetary donations. The organization is also eager for volunteers. If you're interested in donating or volunteering, find out more on the NVFS website.