Archive: Around Town

It’s National Volunteer Week and Tompkins County residents are taking part in getting out and volunteering throughout the community.

As a part of New York State’s Volunteer Generation Initiative, the Regional Volunteer Center of the Southern Tier awarded over $3,800 in grants to local organizations participating in National Volunteer Week volunteer activities. This diverse group of projects will allow organizations throughout the region to celebrate National Volunteer Week through community service, volunteer recognition, and education.

Local recipients of the grants include Catholic Charities Tompkins/Tioga to organize and renovate the clothing storage area that serves the main Clothing Closet Program;  Foodnet Meals-on-Wheels to support building a vegetable garden to grow fresh vegetables;  Habitat for Humanity Tompkins Cortland to support their week long event “Truss Days” providing hands-on activities building onsite roof trusses for Habitat homes with students and employees on Ho Plaza at Cornell University and the  Ithaca Children’s Garden to post educational signs, paint their nursery fence and tool shed, and plant vegetables and flowers.

Other volunteer activities this week include a need for male and female volunteers for the Mentor-Student Program at Cornell Cooperative Extension on Thursday  afternoon, a Volunteer Tutor Orientation  Sat., April 27th,  at Tompkins Learning Partners, and volunteers are needed for the March of Dimes ‘Ithaca March for Babies’ at Cass Park also on Saturday.

On Friday, April 26th the United Way of Tompkins County will host its 2012-13 Campaign Celebration  & Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast. Presentation of the Patricia E. Stage Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award will take place during the program.

National Volunteer Week began in 1974 as a way to recognize and celebrate the efforts of volunteers. Since then, the original emphasis on celebration has widened; the week has become a nationwide effort to urge people to get out and volunteer in their communities. Every April, charities and communities reinforce the week's official theme ("Celebrating People in Action") by recognizing volunteers and fostering a culture of service.

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