Agency: Utica Safe Schools/Underground Café

Volunteer Projects: Collecting Non-Perishable Foods, Hoops and Dreams, Build-A-Bike, Intergenerational Spring and Fall Clean-Ups

Summary: Beginning in early 2011, youth volunteers from the Underground Café collected non-perishable goods in a food drive they organized to benefit the Westminster Church Food Pantry. They also ran a dance, “Cans for a Cause”; admission to the dance was a (can) non-perishable food item.

On Saturday February 26, 2011, youth volunteers assisted with all aspects of the Hoops and Dreams event. They helped with set-up, clean-up and any other area where needed.

Youth volunteers spent many hours promoting the Annual Build-A-Bike event. On Saturday March 12, 2011, they walked in Utica’s St. Patrick’s Day parade and held promotional signs promoting the event as well as giving out candy to the young children. They also helped by collecting used bicycles and on Saturday April 16, 2011, they tagged the bicycles, assisted mechanics, helped children select bicycles and help fit helmets at the Utica Safe Schools/Underground Café’s Annual Build-A-Bike event.

On Saturday April 30, 2011 and Saturday October 22, 2011 youth volunteers and staff from the Underground Cafe participated in the Oneida County Youth Bureau and the Oneida County Office for the Aging and Continuing Care’s Annual Intergenerational Spring and Fall Clean-Ups. The youth volunteers performed general yard clean-up duties for senior citizens who physically can’t do the work or financially afford to have the work done for them.