NewtonSERVES Accepting Project Registrations for Annual Day of Service

NewtonSERVES, Newton's annual day of city-wide community service, is now accepting applications for projects in need of local volunteers. 

The 2012 NewtonSERVES will be held on Sunday, April 29, according to a press release issued by the Mayor's Office for Cultural Affairs.

Now in its 12th year, NewtonSERVES brings together community volunteers, local non-profits and city departments to complete projects like planting gardens, building school bookshelves and cleaning up parks. 

The event consists of day-long and half-day volunteer projects followed by an ice cream social, sponsored by Cabot's Ice Cream. According to the press release, last year's NewtonSERVES consisted of more than 60 projects and involved 1,000 volunteers across the city. 

Organizations interested in registering their service projects should consider the following criteria:

• Each project must be organized by a Newton non-profit, community service agency, city department, or a group of citizens (e.g., neighbors cleaning up a park). No businesses or political action groups.
• As the project leader, the organization/non-profit will be responsible for organizing and directing the project activities.
• Complete and submit the project application no later than Friday April 1.

Organizations can register projects online. 

Online registration for volunteers has not yet opened, but more information is available on the NewtonSERVES website. 

Questions? Email NewtonSERVES@newtoncommunitypride.org or call 617-528-8283.

A copy of the full press release is below:

NewtonSERVES is currently accepting Project Registrations for its 12th Annual Day of Service to be held on Sunday, April 29, 2012. Last year, more than 60 projects, involving 1,000 volunteers were set up across the City to benefit local non-profit organizations, schools and public spaces.

Newton-based not-for-profit organizations, groups of Newton citizens, community service agencies and Newton city agencies can create morning, afternoon or all-day projects in which community volunteers can participate. Typical projects include cleaning up parks, planting gardens, building and painting school bookshelves, spring cleaning at non-profit organizations and helping senior citizens.

Project sites benefit from having volunteer labor and accomplishing tasks on their wish list. In some cases, volunteers bring their own tools, mulch, and garbage and yard waste bags. Project Partners are invited to a City Hall Breakfast on the morning of the event, receive snacks, water and t-shirts for all their on-site volunteers, and are invited back to City Hall at the end of the event for an ice cream party donated by Cabot’s Ice Cream. To register a project, application forms can be found at http://newtoncommunitypride.org/NewtonSERVES.html.

“Because of NewtonSERVES, many organizations are able to accomplish projects that they might not otherwise be able to do without volunteer support. Registering a project with NewtonSERVES saves them time and resources, and helps to build a greater sense of community,” said Linda Plaut, Director of the Mayor's Office for Cultural Affairs and Planning Committee Member of NewtonSERVES. “We all know that Newton is a great community in which to live in large measure due to its caring citizens.” 

NewtonSERVES was founded in 2000 as an annual day of community service. It is co-planned by the Mayor's Office for Cultural Affairs, the Newton Parks and Recreation Department, and Newton Community Pride. It is in part funded by a generous $20,000 donation from Cambridge Savings Bank. Now in its 12th year, and following Mayor Setti Warren’s lead, NewtonSERVES has expanded into a village-based, year-round activity that brings communities closer together to solve local issues. For more information, please visit http://newtoncommunitypride.org/NewtonSERVES.html.