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The Michigan Community Service Commission, the state’s lead agency on volunteerism, encourages Michiganders to engage youth in volunteerism as part of Global Youth Service Days, April 26-28.
The Michigan Community Service Commission will support 17 volunteer projects across the state, engaging an estimated 3,195 volunteers, with 2,736 younger than 25, in nearly 11,000 service hours.
Governor Whitmer also issued a proclamation for April 26-28 to be Global Youth Service Days in Michigan.
The Michigan Community Service Commission will provide $15,000 in funding to Michigan nonprofits and schools to conduct community clean-ups, plant gardens and meet other community needs. Projects will take place throughout April and early May.
“As Global Volunteer Month comes to an end, we encourage Michiganders to find a way to engage youth in service,” said Michigan Community Service Commission Executive Director Ginna Holmes. “If youth understand the power of volunteering and the importance their actions have in strengthening communities, it can lead to a lifetime of service.”
Students at Reid Elementary in Goodrich are celebrating Global Youth Service Days by participating in a project called Day of Difference. Students learn about nonprofit organizations and the needs in the area and then will make items to help their causes.
“Our school is a Leader in Me school so this project helps the students see that they can be leaders in their community,” said Georgia Richmond, project organizer. “Another goal is for students to learn about different places around us that help people less fortunate, or sick, etc. to show them a different side of life.”
In Lansing, the Allen Neighborhood Center is hosting three events. On April 20, volunteers went to Hunter Park and painted information signs, gardening activities and helped create a rain gardens, which are bowl shaped ditches that get filled with plants. The goal of these gardens is to take on excess water to help prevent flooding and ease the burden that would otherwise be placed on storm drains. The water is supposed to stay in the garden for less than 24 hours before it gets absorbed into the ground to be used by the plants. It also has a good impact on the local ecosystem.
“These rain gardens offer what we call “eco-system services,” Tom Martin said. “It will offer some water filtration. The plants that are in the garden will help to filter out the bad chemicals that we don’t want in our drinking water. The plants will also help out different creatures in the ecosystem, such as the birds and the bees.”
The United Way of Saginaw County will engage high school students from around the city to volunteer for a variety of community needs.
While the main goal of this project is to clean up the city of Saginaw before the Canadian Hockey League’s Memorial Cup comes to town, Brian Jackson (the Director of Donor Service and Special Initiatives at the Saginaw Community Foundation) hopes that by giving students “a safe environment to interact in that they will realize they’re aren’t as many differences between them as they may think.”
The AmeriCorps Urban Safety Program teamed up with Clark Park Coalition and Marathon for their event on April 19. The program helped with public safety, while also provided food and fun.
The Michigan Community Service Commission issued grants ranging from $100 to $1,000. Funding has also been provided by AmeriCorps and Youth Service America.
Environmental and Climate Change Projects
|
Location |
Organization |
Project |
To Participate |
|
Bay City, Saginaw County |
Boys and Girls Club of Bay County |
On April 14, 140 youth will install a community garden on the grounds of Bay City Club. The garden will provide a renewable source of fresh, healthy produce for Bay City families. |
To volunteer contact brandon@greatlakesclubs.org |
|
Bay City, Saginaw County |
Boys and Girls Club of Bay County |
On April 25, 26 and 29, 95 youth volunteers will restore a garden comprised of several raised beds at the Saginaw Kids Campus site. |
To volunteer contact brandon@greatlakesclubs.org |
|
Newaygo County |
TrueNorth Community Services |
On April 25, 100 students from Freemont High School will clean-up at Camp Newaygo. On April 26th, TrueNorth will host an annual tree distribution and planting event that allows the public to plant saplings in the community. |
To volunteer contact laura@campnewaygo.org
|
|
Wayne County, Detroit |
Cadillac Gardens |
During the Cadillac Urban Gardens Community and Youth Week of Service from Saturday, May 4 through Saturday, May 11, 150 youth volunteers will weed, spread compost, water, plant fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and complete various gardening tasks to prepare the garden for the upcoming growing and produce distribution season that supports 750+ households. |
To volunteer contact Sara at clarksj10@gmail.com |
|
Wayne County, Detroit |
Clark Park Coalition |
On April 13, more than 150 youth will clean up a park area and help restore sports fields and gathering places. |
To volunteer contact
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|
Kent County, Grand Rapids |
Heart of West Michigan United Way |
During the month of April, students from the Grand River Preparatory Academy will do water testing and clean up on the Buck Creek to examine the current health of the creek as well as research ways to improve it. |
No public volunteer opportunities are available for this role. |
|
Ingham County, Lansing |
Lansing Catholic High School |
On May 3, 400+ students will undertake improvement projects at several sites across Lansing to plant flowers, clean up landscaping at their annual Work A Thon. |
No public volunteer opportunities are available for this role |
|
Bay County, Bay City |
United Way of Bay County |
High school students from Bay County will work with Code Compliance to address landscaping issues for seniors’ homes on April 26. |
To volunteer contact maryb@unitedwaybaycounty.org |
|
Wayne County, Detroit |
Demographic Inspirations- Detroit
|
120 youth will renovate an urban area into a gravel garden with lighting, plants and seating for a gathering space in an otherwise unused area. |
To volunteer contact
|
|
Antrim County, Bellaire |
Bellaire Schools |
Students will create a butterfly garden and structures to promote increasing the monarch butterfly population. |
No public volunteer opportunities are available for this role |
|
Isabella County, Beal City |
Beal City Schools |
High school students will do yard clean ups for seniors in their community on April 22. |
To volunteer contact
|
|
Clare County, Clare |
Clare Public Schools |
As part of Clare Pride Day on April 19, high school students will do various community improvement projects including planting flowers, landscaping, and doing small repairs |
To volunteer contact
|
|
Ingham County, Lansing |
DreamWorld Studios of the Arts
|
On May 4 and 5, 40 youth volunteers will be launching a clean-up day at Adado Riverfront Park in anticipation of June’s Black Girl Play day at the site. |
To volunteer contact dreamworldstudios2015@gmail.com
|
|
Macomb County, St. Clair Shores |
Kids on the Go |
Adults and youth will work together to restore and plant a community garden at the location where six nonprofits serve the community. |
To volunteer contact kristyschena@kidsonthegocamp.com
|
|
Ingham County, Lansing |
Allen Neighborhood Center |
On April 13, 20 and 26, volunteers will prepare and plant for the community’s edible garden offered by the community center |
To volunteer contact tomm@allenneighborhoodcenter.org
|
|
Saginaw County, Saginaw |
United Way of Saginaw County |
On May 9, youth and adults will undertake a beautification project for downtown Saginaw in advance of the Memorial Cup Hockey Tournament held annually. |
To volunteer contact
|
|
Newaygo County |
TrueNorth Community Services |
On April 19, 35 youth will host a community seedling give a way and planting event to help residents have access to fresh produce. |
To volunteer, please email
|
Youth Projects
|
Location |
Organization |
Project |
Participation/Project Amount |
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Alpena County, Alpena |
Boys and Girls Club of Alpena |
From April 1-May 12, youth will host a literacy project where they will receive donations of free books and do literacy events with younger children |
To donate contact
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Genesee County, Goodrich |
Reid Elementary |
Elementary students will learn about various nonprofits and students will make items to help the clients the nonprofits serve. |
No public volunteer opportunities are available, but to donate for supplies contact
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Wayne County, Detroit |
Kids on the Go |
On April 21, youth will host and prepare a meal at a local soup kitchen. |
To volunteer contact bahles@crossroadsofmichigan.org
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