District Youth Come Together in Service for Global Youth Service Day 2009 - Releases

As part of National Volunteer Week, area youth are set to volunteer for Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), April 24th - 26, 2009. With GYSD slated annually as the largest service event in the world, thousands of young people in the District will join millions of young people around the world to participate in meaningful service projects in their communities.

For its eighth consecutive year, Serve DC – The Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism – will coordinate this youth-led service event. To date, Serve DC has coordinated more than 100,000 volunteers in more than 500 projects. This weekend there will be over 100 projects occurring in all eight Wards of the city.

This year’s theme “Youth Make It Happen!” places emphases on the importance of young people and their contributions to service and volunteerism by providing millions of youth worldwide the opportunity to tutor young children, engage in disaster relief, educate their communities about good nutrition, distribute HIV/AIDS prevention materials and meet many more community needs through their service. GYSD encourages youth to participate in a lifelong path of service and civic engagement.

The official kick-off celebration for GYSD 2009 will be held on Friday, April 24th, 2009 at Watts Branch Recreation Center located at 6201 Banks Place, NE from 4-6 pm. More than 150 young people will participate in greening, beautification, and park restoration projects.

Signature service projects for the weekend include:

Adams Morgan BowWow PowWow: Third annual event educating the public on pet welfare and nutrition, and beautify the Marie Reed Center.
Columbia Heights Educational Campus Beautification: Led by students from Bell Multicultural High School, flowers will be planted, with general greening and beautification to occur as well.
The Senior Prom: A fun, intergenerational event sponsored by the George Washington University Office of Community Service, where over 200 senior citizens will join GW students to enjoy an evening of dinner, dancing and, conversation.
St. Thomas Apostle Church Youth Education Room: Members of the St. Thomas Apostle Church and volunteers will develop a room for the youth of the church to encourage fellowship and hold activities. Volunteers will paint, build shelves, and decorate.
City Year McFarland Middle School Beautification: Volunteers will combat graffiti by painting murals, work on landscaping, and plant flowers.
Hands on DC Beautification at Dunbar High/Ferebee-Hope Elementary: Members of the Hands on DC team will join volunteers on a beautification project of mulching, planting, and painting.
Metro Teen HIV/AIDS Outreach: Youth representatives will distribute information about safe sex and HIV/AIDS prevention at the Gallery Place and Metro Center metro stations.
DC Department of Parks and Recreation Kenilworth-Parkside Beautification: In an effort to make local recreation centers more appealing, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation has identified centers at which volunteers will remove graffiti, paint, plant flowers and lay mulch.
Student Conservation Association Greening at Anacostia Park: Volunteers will be planting, weeding, and mulching garden beds, removing invasive species, and restoring the sea wall.

Learn more about Global Youth Service Day in the District. For more information regarding signature service projects or GYSD in general, please contact M. Rene Arnold or call (202) 727-7931.

About Serve DC:
Serve DC’s mission is to strengthen and promote the District of Columbia's spirit of service through partnerships, national service and volunteerism.