Volunteer Projects: Cleaning up the neighborhood, Gardening
 

Summary: Every Tuesday during the month of April, youth volunteers picked up trash and swept sidewalks on the corner of Elm and Eagle Streets, all around the grounds of the former St. Francis DeSales Church. They also cleaned the parking lot and playground at the DeSales Center, located at 309 Genesee Street. Their efforts improved the appearance and made (especially) the playground safer for the younger children to play in.
 

Their work was recognized by Sister Joan Corcoran and the corner grocery store owner, as they rewarded the youth volunteers with candy and popsicles.
 

During the months of June, July and August of 2009, youth volunteers planted vegetables at a garden located at Linwood Place, tended the vegetables, picked the vegetables and in August, gave the vegetables to the food pantry at Thea Bowman House. Food pantry workers were very touched by all the hard work the youth volunteers put into the harvest. The vegetables that were grown supplemented the availability of fresh produce at a time in which funding for such food is low. The clients at the pantry were delighted with the healthy offerings.
 

The youth volunteers enjoyed learning how to grow vegetables for the food pantry and took great delight in offering their produce to Thea Bowman House’s Cupboard.