OP, it would be a bit of a hike from Arlington/Alexandria, but ECHO in Springfield is one of my favorite charities:
https://www.echo-inc.org/

It works with almost no overhead, relying primarily on volunteers, many of whom are retired. It's religiously affiliated, but nondenominational and IMHO, the kind of religion that's really about walking the walk. They have several different volunteer needs that sound like they might be a good fit for your MIL.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here---thanks for the good leads. I had originally thought that faith community would be the first step, but I think that MIL---like many Catholics I know--is currently disillusioned with the Church but not yet able to "cut the cord" and switch to another Christian denomination. Will check into the Alexandria and Arlington programs!

Hi, OP - there are some Catholic parishes with a very strong service focus. St. John Neumann in Reston is great for this - https://saintjn.org/. This is a very loving and open Catholic community that feels less conservative than your typical Arlington Diocese parish. I know it's not super close to you, but they have a ton of very active ministries.

Sorry, PP here again. Holy Trinity in Georgetown is another good one for this. It's right next to Georgetown University - I used to drive there from Alexandria for mass on Sunday nights b/c it was such a welcoming community.

Anonymous wrote:OP here---thanks for the good leads. I had originally thought that faith community would be the first step, but I think that MIL---like many Catholics I know--is currently disillusioned with the Church but not yet able to "cut the cord" and switch to another Christian denomination. Will check into the Alexandria and Arlington programs!

Hi, OP - there are some Catholic parishes with a very strong service focus. St. John Neumann in Reston is great for this - https://saintjn.org/. This is a very loving and open Catholic community that feels less conservative than your typical Arlington Diocese parish. I know it's not super close to you, but they have a ton of very active ministries.

All NoVa jurisdictions I'm aware of, allow nonresidents to sign up for classes/trips/activities. For a nominal higher fee. At a time a little later than residents.

Another thought, if your MIL is interested in genealogy, there are lots of resources and clubs around here.

Anonymous wrote:OP here---thanks for the good leads. I had originally thought that faith community would be the first step, but I think that MIL---like many Catholics I know--is currently disillusioned with the Church but not yet able to "cut the cord" and switch to another Christian denomination. Will check into the Alexandria and Arlington programs!

Once you pay the $20 annual fee, many of the Arlington 55+ activities are free. Huge bargain. They also have trips to museums etc for a low price, as well as exercise classes. I've done a lot of the art class activities which will return in the fall when the teachers are no longer doing kid camps.

Thanks for the kind words. My MIL was a social worker. However,, social work is emotionally exhausting work, so I'm not sure she would want to volunteer in that field.

OP, what kind of work -- paid or unpaid -- did your MIL do earlier in her life? My MIL was a librarian and when she retired and moved with my FIL to a new community, she got involved in volunteering at the library. Also, just want to say that you are a great DIL and your relationship with your MIL sounds awesome! As a soon-to-be MIL, I hope I can have as strong and loving a relationship with my new DIL as you do with your MIL.