Agency: Utica Municipal Housing Authority

Volunteer Projects:  Summer Playground Clean-Up, Guardian Angels Team, Coats For Kids, Thanksgiving Food Drive, Senior Citizen Garage Sale, Senior Citizen Dinner

Summary: “Helping Hands Team”, is the name given to the Utica Municipal Housing Authority’s youth volunteers from their Teens and Dreams Program. They take part in many volunteer efforts throughout the year.

From June 1, 2011 through September 1, 2011 these youth volunteers continually monitor and make sure the playgrounds at the Utica Municipal Housing Authority’s Adrean Terrace location is clean and safe for the children to play on. They sweep debris, pickup trash and rake the grounds.

Youth volunteers from the “Guardian Angels Team”, a part of the “Helping Hands Team”, regularly checked in with senior citizen residents who have special needs and assisted them with any chores they could not do; taking out their trash, cleaning their residence, etc, as well as socializing with them.

Beginning October 1, 2011 and continuing through December 30, 2011, youth volunteers collected coats, mittens and hats from area residents, employees and families of the Utica Municipal Housing Authority and distributed them to youth residents of the Utica Municipal Housing Authority’s locations; Adrean terrace, Gilmore Village and Humphrey Gardens. The initiative, implemented in 2010 has been a major success and now is an annual event.

Throughout the months of October and November, leading up to Thanksgiving, youth volunteers implemented a food drive. They made and passed out flyers, collected canned foods from MHA locations and gave the collected canned foods to the Rescue Mission for Thanksgiving. They enjoyed volunteering with their peers, saw the positive difference their efforts made and felt a sense of pride and accomplishment when their food drive was completed.

Youth volunteers canvassed MHA locations for items to be sold at the Senior Garage Sale. They collected the items and brought them to the MHA Chancellor Apartments location for the Senior Garage Sale held on Thursday October 6, 2011.

On Tuesday November 15, 2011, youth volunteers prepared food, waited on tables and cleaned up afterward at the Senior Citizen Dinner.