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Scrapbook and Photo Album - Members of Volunteer Team

Love Your Levee - The Love Your Levee clean up involved youth and adults in an effort to care for the environment. Volunteers cleaned up along the levee and learned about the levee system from staff in the City's Utilities Department. Students from Kennedy and McClatchy High Schools joined in the effort along with members of the City of Sacramento's Youth Commission. Sponsored annually by Councilmember Robbie Waters, the program was held in May, 2009.
Teens Go Green!  - Youth and teens gathered in Natomas and Meadowview to support water and energy conservation and recycling. The teens heard presentations about conservation measures and went into the neighborhoods to gather pledges from residents to recycle and conserve energy. They also exchanged incandescent bulbs for energy efficient ones. The team gathering the most pledges won special prizes! This program was part of Global Youth Service Day in April, 2009 and was sponsored by the City of Sacramento's Office of Youth Development.
VITA, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program was offered at 6 sites through the City of Sacramento in 2009. Volunteers train each year to help low-to-moderate income residents complete their income taxes at no charge. Shown at left are Bena, Pete, Matt and Bill. At right Mac helps a client. Volunteers not pictured included Chi, Rakesh, Leo, Greg, David, Verdia, Yuan, Gloria, Kathy, Bingwei and AmeriCorps *NCCC Gold 2 Team.

Volunteers celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day in many ways on the weekend of January 19, 2009. Caring volunteers assisted seniors to create warm scarves against the winter chill at Pioneer House as part of a program providing information and resources about disaster preparedness for seniors. The City's Office of Emergency Services provided extensive information about developing an emergency "to go" kit. Below are photos of volunteers helping at other City events for the weekend including Hart Senior Center, McKinley Park, and Oak Park Community Center where beautification efforts and environmental work were completed. Additional projects included a learning forum for START after-school students on the legacy of Dr. King.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in 2008 provided free tax preparation services to low-to-moderate income residents at 7 community centers. The program trained 40 individuals to assist with tax preparation including the AmeriCorps*NCCC team Silver 5 shown on the steps of the Crocker Art Museum. The AmeriCorps*NCCC team also organized a community resource fair. The City's award-winning VITA program was recognized by the IRS for exceptional community service through the volunteer return preparation program and by the Volunteer Center of Sacramento as the winner of the Spirit Award for Volunteer Group of the Year 2008.

National Family Volunteer Day, held on November 22, 2008 joined families and friends together to make holiday cards to accompany gifts provided to frail seniors through the Caring Neighborhoods Program and Eskaton TLC. In addition to families, Girl Scout troops, California Scholarship Federation students from McClatchy High School and Key Clubs from Mira Loma and West Campus lent their helping hands.

The Sacramento Hotel Association provided over 232 volunteers to enhance the Hagginwood neighborhood in September 2008. Volunteers cleaned the park and community center, planted flowers and trees and donated thousands of children’s and adult clothes for distribution at the community center’s family nights.

The City of Sacramento celebrated National Martin Luther King Jr. day in conjunction with Hands on Sacramento and other community groups in January 2008. Volunteers helped to deep clean the Hart Senior Center and the Oak Park Community Center. Additional volunteers spent time clearing debris from the Duck Pond at William Land Park. Volunteers also assisted with the distribution of information packets about free and low-cost City services.
National Family Volunteer Day provides families the opportunity to work together as a team to better their communities. On November 17, 2007 families and friends joined together to make holiday cards to accompany gifts provided to frail and shut-in seniors through the Caring Neighborhoods Program and Eskaton TLC. In addition to families, Girl Scout troops and sororities from California State University Sacramento and University of California, Davis joined in the fun.
The Sacramento Hotel Association in collaboration with the City of Sacramento, Hands on Sacramento and the Southside Park Neighborhood Association provided over 200 volunteers to enhance the Southside Park neighborhood. Volunteers painted amenities, cleared debris from the pond, cleaned the playground, mulched the community garden, painted over graffiti in the surrounding area, delivered informational packets, pruned shrubs, and painted addresses on the curbs for safety.
At the celebration of the Grand Re-opening of the Hite Park playground, volunteers spread new wood chips and planted new shade trees. This past May, the playground was destroyed by fire. After the re-dedication, residents were treated to a Family Fun Day and Health Fair at Prairie Elementary School which is located next to the park. During the fair, residents were able to sign-up for low or no-cost health insurance programs, health screenings, and register children for preschool and kindergarten.
Volunteers celebrated Earth Day along the Sacramento Northern Bike Trail with "14 Miles of Service". Community members planted ten valley oak trees, removed 2,000 non-native plants, and collected 8,647 pounds of debris. As a result of continuing stewardship of this area, volunteers are able to concentrate on the planting of new trees, nurturing young trees and roses, and removing invasive plant species.
Students and faculty from the University of Alabama arrived in Sacramento to serve the community for their Alternative Spring Break. The group volunteered for a variety of environmental projects for the Discovery Museum, the William Land Park WPA Rock Garden, Forest Services, Community Gardens and the Old Sacramento Living History Program. The group is pictured in front of the Fremont Community Garden. Alternative Breaks seek to use this experience as s springboard into lifelong active citizenship where the community becomes a priority in an individual's life decisions.
VITA, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, is a project of the City of Sacramento in collaboration with the IRS and the California Franchise Tax Board. Community volunteers train to assist citizens with their income taxes. This year the City hosted sites at the following community centers: Hart Senior Center, Robertson, George Sim, Oak Park and Pannell/ Meadowview. Volunteers who assisted at the Pannell/Meadowview Center included: Michael, Mary Lynn, Leo, Dung, Bill and John. Not pictured were Veronica and Shin.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service was celebrated January 15, 2007. The City of Sacramento participated as part of the community-wide service event. Volunteers beautified William Land Park, McKinley Park, the Pannell/Meadowview Community Center and the Hart Senior Center. Mayor Heather Fargo (photo right) thanked all the volunteers for their efforts. Volunteers tended the rose gardens at McKinley Park (photo far right).
National Family Volunteer Day was celebrated by the Caring Neighborhoods Program on November 18, 2006. Families created hand-crafted holiday cards to accompany gifts provided for low-income and isolated senior citizens in our neighborhoods. Each year Caring Neighborhoods and Eskaton TLC program sponsor the Giving Tree project for over 400 seniors. Family volunteering strengthens families and encourages lifelong volunteers and a legacy of volunteering.
Over 500 volunteers from Home Depot (see photos right), AmeriCorps*NCCC, and the community participated in a project in Meadowview involving Hands on Sacramento, the City of Sacramento, and the Sacramento City Unified School District in September 2006. The volunteers planted 160 trees in local parks, stenciled 173 storm drains to prevent water pollution, delivered 1,200 resource packets, deep cleaned the community center, painted amenities, cleaned up illegal dump sites, created greeting cards for seniors, and spread 130 yards of bark at 3 parks.
The City of Sacramento collaborated with AmeriCorps*NCCC, Hands On Sacramento and the Sacramento City Unified School District to develop the Oak Park Neighborhood Enhancement Project, July 2006. Over 235 volunteers painted over graffiti (see photo right), planted trees, did yardwork for frail and isolated seniors, cleaned up parks and neighborhoods, deep cleaned the Oak Park Community Center, helped deep clean neighborhood schools as well as developed community gardens, distributed resource materials to residences, sorted donations and framed a house. VIEW SLIDE SHOW!
AmeriCorps*NCCC members clean up an illegal dump site as part of the Avondale/Glen Elder Neighborhood Enhancement Project, July 2005. The project was developed by the City of Sacramento's Parks and Recreation Department/Caring Neighborhoods Program and George Sim Community Center, Human Resources Department/Volunteer Services, Neighborhood Services Department and Councilmember Kevin McCarty. VIEW A SLIDE SHOW!
Volunteers enhanced the Avondale/Glen Elder Neighborhood in a variety of ways: abating tagging and gang-related graffiti, stenciling storm drains to deter dumping of toxic chemicals into the water supply, improving two community gardens, providing improvements to the low-income housing complex at Kennedy Estates, and cleaning the George Sim Community Center. VIEW A SLIDE SHOW!
AmeriCorps*NCCC members paint the home of a senior as part of the Avondale/Glen Elder Neighborhood Enhancement Project. Project sponsors included: AmeriCorps*NCCC, Citizens Acting Collectively, Inc., Container, U.S.A., Home Depot-Folsom Boulevard, Home Depot - Florin Road, Hastie's Capitol Sand and Gravel, InfoLine Sacramento, Councilmember Kevin McCarty, Redi-Gro Corporation, Rebuilding Together, and Tierra del Oro Girl Scout Council.
Volunteers serve in many programs. Volunteer Molly Kenneth (center) helps a member of the public fill out paperwork to have her dog vaccinated at a City Animal Care Services Free Pet Care Clinic.
Volunteer Stephanie Cyr introduces Cleo, a Rhodesian Ridgeback Mix, to a member of the public at the No More Homeless Pets Super Adoption Day.
De Dee Cornelius, Director of Oak Park Community Center presents "Top Giver" award to volunteer Leslie "Sarge" Thomas at the Sacramento City Council Meeting, September 21, 2004. Mr. Thomas has volunteered for the City of Sacramento for 25 years.
"Top Giver" Volunteer Judy Hodges accepts award at Sacramento City Council Meeting, September 21, 2004. Mrs. Hodges volunteers in the Caring Neighborhoods program and has helped organize a holiday food basket program and a health fair.