From September 11th to the 28th, we’re urging Marylanders from across our state to come together and serve. When you choose to participate in Day to Serve you help feed the hungry, improve our neighborhoods, and clean up green spaces in and around our communities.
Each year since 2012 we’ve doubled our success. With the hard work of a diverse coalition of Marylanders, from faith-based groups to social and environmental organizations, more than 20,000 Marylanders volunteered to serve in 2013 — completing 60,000 hours of service at 456 events. Just last year, we planted more than 1,500 trees and cleaned up 1,500 bags of garbage during Day to Serve.
September is also Hunger Action Month, and last year, we collected over 350,000 pounds of food donations during Day to Serve. The Maryland Food Bank has enlisted the assistance of the Maryland State Police and the Department of Transportation to open more than 100 food drive drop-off locations to make donating easy.
You can also join us for Day to Serve Night at Camden Yards on September 15 as the Baltimore Orioles take on the Toronto Blue Jays to raise money for the Parks and People Foundation.
Additionally, the Volunteer Center for Anne Arundel County will join our Maryland Dept. of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Naval Academy, and a number of other local groups and organizations to commemorate the 9/11 terrorist attacks with service. Starting at the Maryland World War II Memorial overlooking the Severn River and continuing to Jonas Green Park on September 13, volunteers will help clean up the environment and protect the health of the Chesapeake Bay. The Volunteer Center is one of 14 recipients of 9/11 Remembrance Mini-Grants totaling $25,000 through the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism — funds that have been matched, dollar-for-dollar, by faith-based and non-profit organizations.
So how will you serve your community this September?
Be sure to talk to family, friends, and neighbors about Day to Serve. Become a part of the conversation on social media with #DaytoServe on Twitter or at Day to Serve on Facebook!
Thank you for your commitment to giving back and recognizing that we are all in this together.
For more information on Day to Serve, and to sign up to volunteer, visit us at www.daytoserve.org.
It's amazing what we can do to make a difference. A.J.
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