This Sunday, April 27, from 9am- 4pm, NewtonSERVES will host its annual day of community service, rain or shine. This project returns for its 15th year anniversary, and organizers say the need is greater than ever. Its been 15 years of giving back to Newton, and it is a joint effort by Newton Community Pride, the Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs, and the Parks and Recreation Department.
Newton Community Pride is a private, non-profit 501 c3 corporation dedicated to “enriching the lives of the people of Newton by promoting the arts, culture, volunteerism and beautification of Newton.” Their goal is to encourage citizens to participate to make a difference.
Image courtesy of newtoncommunitypride.org
According to its website, one of Newton Community Pride’s major projects is NewtonSERVES, a day of community service that “brings together over 1,000 volunteers of all ages to complete more than 50 community projects for the benefit of numerous non-profit organizations and City of Newton departments”.
It began as a part of a millennium project in 1999 and has continued to generate support over the years, with over 7,000 volunteer hours and $150,000 worth of services to be logged by 1,400 residents.
Image courtesy of newtoncommunitypride.org
“NewtonSERVES, and the success of the past 15 years, really speaks well of the mayors who have been so supportive and the community that has gotten behind it,” said Linda Plaut, director of cultural affairs for the city.
On this day of service, volunteers work in teams to complete various projects throughout the city, such as cleaning parks, planting gardens, building playgrounds, building and painting school bookshelves, spring cleaning at non profit organizations, and helping senior citizens.
Some new activities this year include reorganizing the library archives, a shoe and clothing donation, and a food drive to help local food pantries.
Image courtesy of newtoncommunitypride.org
NewtonSERVES helps enhance Newton’s sense of community, and helps to foster a culture of year-round volunteerism.
If you want to participate, you can pre-register online here or you can register Sunday at City Hall at 8:30 am.
Click here for a schedule of events and to learn more about NewtonSERVES.
To find out more about Newton Community Pride projects, click here.
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