Published: September 22, 2008 04:23 pm      

Volunteers needed for local projects

Submitted by the United Way of Northwest Georgia



Want to make a difference? Volunteer for Hands On Georgia Week. This state-wide event will inspire thousands of volunteers to address the multifaceted needs of Georgians through a variety of service projects designed to make a difference in their respective communities. United Way of Northwest Georgia’s Volunteer Center is connecting volunteers to three projects taking place Sept. 29–Oct. 4.

In Whitfield and Murray counties, projects will include a river clean-up, reading to local classrooms and painting maps of the United States on four playgrounds. To register for the Hands on Georgia Week projects, visit www.ourunitedway.org. Projects include:

United States Map Painting

Volunteer to paint a map of the United States on the playground of local elementary schools in Whitfield and Murray counties; 15 volunteers are needed for each project from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

• Sept. 30, Pleasant Grove Elementary

• Oct. 1, Roan Street Elementary

• Oct. 2, Valley Point Elementary

• Oct. 3, Northwest Elementary

Four volunteers are needed to help with the preliminary stenciling and outlining for the maps from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at each of the following locations:

• Sept. 25 at Northwest Elementary

• Sept. 26 at Valley Point Elementary

• Sept. 29 at Pleasant Grove Elementary

Volunteers are needed at Roan Street Elementary from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 29 for the preliminary work.

Adopt a Class Volunteer Reader Program

Share the joy of reading with young children. Volunteers are needed to read aloud to young children, in Whitfield and Murray County elementary schools so they can enjoy one of life’s biggest accomplishments, learning to read. You must be able to commit 30 minutes per month, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Specific days and times will vary based on each volunteer’s availability and each site’s specific needs.

Sign up for a one-hour orientation and training session to learn more about this program and have the opportunity to adopt a class. Three trainings are scheduled: Sept. 30 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and Oct. 1 from noon to 1 p.m. at the United Way of Northwest Georgia, and Oct. 3 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Chatsworth-Murray County Chamber of Commerce.

Rivers Alive: Civitan Park River Cleanup

Rivers Alive is a volunteer cleanup event that targets all waterways in the state of Georgia including streams, rivers, lakes, beaches and wetlands. The Civitan Park Clean-Up Project is coordinated by the local Cooperative Extension Office and will take place on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will be picking up trash along the waterway and in the stream, so water proof shoes/boots are a must. Volunteers should be physically able to climb down the bank to access the stream. Trash bags and latex gloves will be provided, but volunteers are encouraged to bring heavy work gloves.

United Way of Northwest Georgia annually connects more than 2,000 volunteers to local needs through the Volunteer Center. Visit www.ourunitedway.org/volunteer or call (706) CAN-HELP for a listing of more than 100 local volunteer opportunities. Contact Andrea Dobbins at andrea.dobbins@unitedway.org or (706) 876-1580 for more information.