The Story of Monday Funday: A Year of Friends, Fun, and Community

During each Cook, Share, and Care session, participants prepare meals for local charities before sitting down to enjoy a meal together. On August 3, we will be making Beef Bolognese and salad for Second Story, a Vienna-based nonprofit that provides safe havens and opportunities for local youth and families in need. If time permits, we’ll also whip up peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the Embry Rucker Community Shelter in Reston.

During that very first cooking session, a mom suggested it would be wonderful to meet again the following week. That gave me an idea: what if we met at a park, made smoothies, and played pickleball? We could call it “Monday Funday!”

We decided to keep the momentum going every Monday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. We started small—our first cooking session had just three participants, and a few more joined us at the park the following week. Today, we have a core group of regular friends, and we are always thrilled to welcome new faces to the mix!

Every week brings a new adventure. Looking back, we’ve covered so much ground across the seasons:

• Fall: We stayed outdoors taking crisp walks, playing lawn games, and decorating pumpkins.
• Winter: As the chilly weather set in, we moved inside for board games, bowling, and brunch at Anita’s. On one particularly cozy morning, I invited everyone to my house to sit by the fire, sip hot chocolate, and bake air-fryer holiday donuts! For Valentine’s Day, we created Dream Boards and hosted a waffle party.
• Spring: As the weather warmed back up, we hunted for shamrocks along the W&OD Trail, strolled through Meadowlark Gardens, and played mini-golf at Oakmont Rec Center.

By April, Fun Programs began collaborating with ECNV to offer Travel Training outings, taking public transit to explore incredible spots like the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum and the Smithsonian National Zoo. Up next? On August 10, we’re taking public transportation to Dave & Buster's at Fair Oaks Mall for our next big trip!

The ultimate goal of Monday Funday is simple: to offer engaging, varied activities that encourage movement, foster creativity, and build real connection. Most importantly, it gives us a way to start every single week on a positive note—surrounded by good friends, exciting adventures, and meaningful ways to give back to our community.