Sweaters for Seniors

This is a warm initiative that the Athens Community Council on Aging is working on and we wanted to share it with you:


"Sweaters For Seniors” Makes New Friends In Athens
September 21st, 2009

Last Friday, the “S4S” team had the chance to meet with Athens Community Council on Aging (ACCA). The meeting, which came about through the magic of social media, was to discuss our newly formed partnership with them in our “sweaters” project.

It was through a friend of S4S’s Linkedin account, (Joan Curtis) that Michelle Brinson, Program Director, Senior Community Employment Service Program found us. She took the proverbial ”ball” of yarn and ran with it. And next thing you know, Sweaters For Seniors, up until now an Atlanta/Gwinnett program, will be benefitting seniors in Athens, too.

While we spent a few hours in Athens on Friday having lunch with Michelle, meeting with ACCA directors and touring their senior center and day care facility housed in an historic railroad depot–it’s impossible to fully comprehend all that ACCA is doing for seniors in Athens. Although, feel free to check out their website. I also hear they have an amazing newsletter!

With that said, today I simply want to acknowledge the committed individuals we met who make up a comprehensive team dedicated to the well being of seniors in Athens. They are:
Eve R. Anthony, Co-Deputy Executive Director; Sarah McKinney, Program Director, Home Delivered Meals; Paige Tidwell, Program Director, Kinship/Project Healthy Grandparents; and last but not least, Michelle Brinson, Program Director, Senior Community Employment Service Program

Keep up the tremendous work, ladies. And we look forward to working with you on “Sweaters For Seniors.”

iParticipate week

As you sit down to enjoy your favorite television show tonight, you may notice something a little different in the plot: volunteering. This week over 90 shows on all major networks will feature volunteering, as part of a week-long initiative called iParticipate week. iParticipate was started by the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a non-profit foundation dedicated to using the influence and power of the entertainment industry to positively impact the community. iParticipate week is the first multi-network, week-long television event in history. The goal of iParticipate is to celebrate volunteering in local communities while also inspiring people to get out and actively volunteer in the community. Here is a complete listing of television shows promoting iParticipate:
ABC

America's Funniest Home Videos
Brothers and Sisters
Castle
Cougar Town
Dancing With the Stars
Desperate Housewives
Eastwick
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Grey's Anatomy
Hank
Modern Family
Private Practice
Scrubs
The Forgotten
Ugly Betty
All My Children
General Hospital
One Life to Live
The View
Jimmy Kimmel Live!

NBC

30 Rock
Access Hollywood
Community
Heroes
Parks and Recreation
The Biggest Loser
The Jay Leno Show
The Office
Today


CBS

Accidentally on Purpose
Cold Case
Criminal Minds
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Miami
CSI: NY
Gary Unmarried
Ghost Whisperer
How I Met Your Mother
NCIS
NCIS: Los Angeles
The New Adventures of Old Christine
Numb3rs
Rules of Engagement
The Big Bang Theory
The Mentalist
Two and a Half Men
Late Show With David Letterman



FOX

America’s Most Wanted
Bones
Brothers
COPS
Lie to Me
Major League Baseball
So You Think You Can Dance?
’Til Death
The Wanda Sykes Show (Future segment)


The CW

I Pledge


Nickelodeon

TeenNick HALO Awards


WeTV

The Locator
My Fair Wedding


Lifetime

Army Wives (Future story line)
Project Runway
Rita Rocks
Sherri


BET

The Mo’Nique Show


Disney Channel

Wizards of Waverly Place
Sonny With a Chance
Hannah Montana
The Suite Life on Deck


CNN

American Morning
Showbiz Tonight: HLN


Syndicated shows

The Dr. Oz Show
Dr. Phil
Entertainment Tonight / The Insider
Extra: The Entertainment Magazine
Jerry Springer
Judge Jeanine Pirro
Judge Mathis
Maury

Source: Entertainment Industry Foundation

Be sure to tune in this week!
For more information about iParticipate, please visit the website: http://www.iparticipate.org/.

For volunteer opportunities in the Athens area, be sure to check out HandsOn's calendar: http://www.handsonnortheastgeorgia.org/.

Shannon's Year of Service

Well, here it is. This will be my last blog as an AmeriCorps member at Community Connection/HandsOn Northeast Georgia!! During my time, I have made quite a few friends and have really learned about volunteering, various service agencies in Athens-Clarke/Oconee/Barrow Counties, and how these agencies work to service needy people in them. The people that work for all the agencies, I have worked with or come in contact with, are dedicated and work tirelessly to ensure that all their clients have the very best service possible and that their needs are met, to the best of each agencies ability!! Many of the agencies can't do the work of their agency without the help of volunteers. The volunteers I have had the pleasure to work with are also dedicated and feel (and truly are) making a huge difference in the community. There are still many opportunities to volunteer and make a difference! The HandsOn website contains volunteer opportunities across all of the "needs" areas. Those opportunities also occur at various times and days that will fit into any schedule. Additionally, there are volunteer opportunities for singles, families, and groups. It doesn't matter who you are, you can find an opportunity. It just a matter of deciding on which one is right for you!! So, take a few minutes and browse the website. I know you'll be glad you did!! I have enjoyed working at HandsOn Northeast Georgia and will continue to volunteer for various projects in the future. I hope to see you there!!

Is there a volunteer opportunity for me?

Earlier this year, President Obama challenged America to get out and volunteer. According to volunteeringinamerica.gov, in 2008, 26.4% of Americans actually spent time volunteering, a 0.2% increase from the previous year.

As more and more people begin to volunteer, more and more volunteer opportunities arise. Volunteer opportunities are not limited to building houses or sorting through food at food pantries (although these are wonderful opportunities to be involved with). Maybe your talent isn't with swinging a hammer or organizing boxes of cans. So, where can you get involved?

Opportunities to volunteer are as numerous as people's individual talents and skills. Good working with children? Try mentoring. Like being outside? Become a trail guide or volunteer with landscaping projects. Skilled with computers or other technology? Offer to do web design or help out with social media at an agency.

No matter what your skill set, there is always an opportunity to volunteer. What are some areas other areas to volunteer? What are some areas you would like to see more opportunities with?

Oconee Animal Shelter Gardening & Landscaping

Saturday the 18th of July was an excellent day for a project at the Oconee County Animal Shelter! The weather was fantastic! The temperature was in the 70's, at the start, and rose to the high 80's but with low humidity it was perfect for working outdoors. The work group consisted of ten young adults from the Mormon Church, Geri, the project Coordinator, and me. Geri and I arrived early and organized the equipment and sign-up table. The group arrived early and was ready to work, so Geri signed everyone in, gave a safety and work briefing, and showed the group the different places where they would be working. There were three areas to be weeded and mulch to put down in one of the areas. The group worked hard and even found some innovative ways to get the work done (picture)!! There was an amazing transformation from a group of weed infested areas to beautifully cleaned up areas awaiting future plantings (link to pictures). The next work day will be the 15th of August. Follow this link to the HandsOn Website to sign up for the next one!

SingleServe at the Morton Theater

SingleServe provides an opportunity for singles to connect while volunteering together in the Classic City.
Why get involved with SingleServe? Committee Chair Ashley Harp says:

"Two years ago, I found myself in a new, old city. The Athens area is where I grew up, but ten years of college, grad school, and life in another state had made a new city out of the Classic City. How to get involved, become more a part of the community and meet people like me - other singletons in their 20s and 30s - was a challenge.

"Enter SingleServe. It's a group of singles who volunteer about once a month on a project through Hands On Northeast Georgia. Hands On connects us to the organizations that have volunteer needs, and we supply the 'hands on' the ground to get things done.

"This year, SingleServe has cleaned up a playground, set up a major exhibit at the Classic Center and staffed AthFest. Later this month, we'll be at the Morton Theatre ushering for a performance of Bye, Bye Birdie. And more projects are under development now.

"SingleServe is a way to meet people, to make friends, and best of all, to give back to the community. If you're looking for a volunteer opportunity for parties of one, come join us!"

SingleServe's latest project is ushering for Bye, Bye Birdie, a production of Athens Creative Theatre, at the Morton Theatre July 23.
Enter to win a pair of free tickets to the event one of two ways:
1. Using Twitter: Beginning at 9 am July 17, tweet "@HandsOnNEGA is the best way to get involved in the Classic City http://bit.ly/wbz2E #followfriday".
2. Using Facebook: Become a fan of the HandsOnNEGA page, and like our status when it
says "SingleServe volunteering at the Morton Theatre."
The contest closes at 8 pm July 17. Winners will be announced shortly after closing.

For more information about SingleServe, Athens Creative Theatre or the Morton Theatre, please check out the following websites:
SingleServe
ACT
Morton Theatre

HandsOn With Dad turned out to be a great event. There were 40 volunteers from numerous families taking part to spend some time with their Dad's while cleaning up Sandy Creek Park. The temperature was hot, in the nineties, and very few clouds. It was going to be a day requiring sunshade, hats, and lots of water!! Three projects were created for this effort. One was a clean up of the lake area. The volunteers got in canoes and paddled around the lake, picking up trash found on the shoreline and in the water. Many bags of trash were collected, making the area much more pristine and clean. Another project was working on Swimming Deer Creek Trail. The volunteers were transported by pontoon boat to the midpoint of the trail and walked a mile and a half to the trail starting point. They picked up trash along the trail and cut branches and invasives from protruding into the trail. They also enjoyed the fact that it was a shaded area abd therefore much cooler than the other projects!! The last project was in one of the dog park areas. Volunteers cleared invasives and other overgrowth from along the fence line and away from a picnic area located inside this dog park. A great deal of this growth was cleared away, except for those areas that had poison ivy!!! Those areas were reported to the staff for later removal by them. Overall, a lot of work was accomplished during the project time. At the end of the work day, the volunteers assembled in the "air conditioned" visitor center for lunch. It consisted of an excellent array of four kinds of sandwiches, salad, feta cheese, pita chips, various kinds of crackers, and dip which were provided by Mama's Boy and Marti's At Midday. All the volunteers dug in to the lunch with gusto and shared stories about their day. Everyone present said they really enjoyed working at the park. It was a most delicious and cool end to a great day of service for Dads and their families at Sandy Creek Park!!