Hundreds of Reno volunteers honored the legacy of Dr. King by helping out for this year's "Day of Service" at several different locations. At the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, Kim Jardine-Riley spent three hours bending over boxes. She was part of a crew of 30 from Reno's Patagonia factory, but for Kim this was personal. As she told us, she knows too many friends who will be on the receiving end. "I just think of people that I know lost their jobs. They worked on jobs for a long time and now they don't have jobs."
Filling those boxes, co-worker and volunteer Jen Simmons doesn't mind chipping in her time. She told us, "It's a little part. It's packing boxes and putting them in. But you know, every little bit counts, so it's kind of nice to be a part of that."
The family shelter on Record Street was our second stop, where volunteers from St. Catherine of Siena Episcopal Church brought food…and showed parents how to cook with donated crockpots. Supervising her volunteer crew, Beth Osborne didn't call this work. She told us, "You get to know people. The connections with people are invaluable; you get to know what they need. It makes my day."
It was more than that for recipient Bonnie Brinsfield, who knows where her family would be without help: "Out on the street probably. Cold....hungry."
Our third stop was Trinity Church in downtown Reno, where the church youth group was making homemade valentines for veterans, while adults were sewing cloth diapers out of old t-shirts to send to Haiti, South America and Africa. And down the hall, we found a crew of 20 turning old plastic bags into something the needy could use. Peg McCall instructed her fellow Episcopalians to "Cut the bags into strips into long pieces of pseudo yarn."
It takes up to 500 of the plastic shopping bags and about six months work to come up with one floor mat, which will be given to a homeless person so they don't have to lay on the cold sidewalk. It may seem like a lot of effort, but Peg knows someone will appreciate it. If it wasn't this, she'd find something else. Volunteering to her is a lifestyle. She told us, "I really like people. And by volunteering, you get to do something for people, with people."
-written by John Potter
The day of service wasn't the only day to volunteer. Many organizations could use your help:
Washoe County School District Volunteer Services: Schools, students, teachers, staff, parents and the community benefit from the work of individuals who freely volunteer to share their talents and resources. 775-348-0345
Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful: Dedicated to creating a cleaner, more beautiful region through education and active community involvement. KTMB is supported by individual and community donations. 851-5185
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Nevada: Provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported 1-to-1 relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. 352-3202
RSVP of Washoe County: Retired Seniors and Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Washoe County recruits and encourages people 55 years and older to share their unique skills, talents and experience with community not-for-profit and public agencies. 784-8073
American Heart Association Reno Division: Working every day to save lives from America's No. 1 and No. 3 killers, heart disease and stroke. 322-7064
Junior League of Reno: The Junior League of Reno, Inc., is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. 826-0445
Committee To Aid Abused Women: Non-Profit to help abused women and their children. 329-4150
Nevada Youth Empowerment Project: Provides a safe haven for the homeless young females on the streets of our communities and empowers these young women to create a life worth living. 240-2195
Family Counseling Service of Northern Nevada: Our mission is to assist individuals and families to meet the opportunities and challenges of the changing world. 329-0623
Muscular Dystrophy Association: 333-6789
Disability Resources: Serving people with disabilities in Washoe County, Nevada since 1993. 329-1126
American Red Cross Northern Nevada Chapter: 856-1000
Junior Achievement of Northern Nevada: 323-8084
Senior Companion Program: 358-2322
Food Bank of Northern Nevada: 331-3663
United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra: 322-8668
Boy Scouts of America Nevada Area Council: 787-1111
