Volunteers sought for National Make a Difference Day programs
For more than 20 years, National Make a Difference Day has activated millions of volunteers throughout the United States. This year’s day of volunteerism and community pride is coming up on Saturday, Oct. 23. This civic engagement event grew from an initiative of George H.W. Bush’s Points of Light organization, which supports different types of development through community activism. Those looking to get involved this month will have a lot of options to help “make a difference.”
Get out and give back in nature with Five Rivers MetroParks. Community members of all ages will work at various sites throughout the MetroParks to help clean parks and prepare for the winter season. Online registration is available for individuals or group volunteers, or call (937) 275-PARK (7275)..
Types of activities will include invasive plant removal, habitat restoration, tree planting, edging landscape beds, cleaning up the river banks and recreation trails, garden bed winterization and litter removal. Volunteers are advised to wear suitable clothing for the weather and boots or thick-soled shoes.
“Volunteers are an important part of our everyday operations at Five Rivers MetroParks,” said MetroParks Director of Parks and Conservation Chris Pion. “Events such as Make-A-Difference-Day connect us to large numbers of volunteers in one day that allow us to plan and complete large-scale projects that would otherwise not be possible. We are so thankful for the dedicated support that we receive from these wonderful volunteers.”
The United Way also has many options and partner organizations that offer different types of volunteer opportunities, including:
- Catholic Social Services, https://cssmv.org/help/volunteer/
- Project READ, https://www.project-read.org/volunteer/
- The Foodbank, https://thefoodbankdayton.org/volunteer/
- Clothes That Work, https://www.clothesthatwork.org/get-involved/
- Good Neighbor House, http://goodneighborhouse.org/how-to-help/
