Burke Resident Spends Thanksgiving Volunteering Close to Home

Thanksgiving is usually a time to celebrate with family, friends and loved ones and eat a lot of food, but for some, it's also a time to give back.

Lake Braddock Secondary School alumna and Burke resident Andrea Harmon recently spent her Thanksgiving break volunteering.

Harmon, who is a senior at James Madison University, volunteered with Washington, DC nonprofit Food & Friends during JMU's Alternative Thanksgiving Break Program.

Harmon volunteered from Nov. 22-30, according a news release. The mission of Food & Friends, according to their website, is to "foster a community caring for men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses by preparing and delivering specialized meals and groceries in conjunction with nutrition counseling."

Harmon, along with other volunteers, helped package and deliver 3,500 holiday meals to sick adults and children for Thanksgiving.

Harmon, who is majoring in music at JMU, recently won the 2013 HMU ACDA Conducting Competition and served as a conductor alongside Dr. Maria Guinand of Venezula for the school's 13th Annual Choralfest.