Press release for Spring into Action Volunteer Recruitment Fair

Saturday, March 21st, marks the first full day of Spring 2009 and, in spite of blossoming flowers and sunny weather, the economy still leaves many local citizens with a chill of uncertainty. Petaluma 4 Change, a local organizing forum that arose from volunteers who worked together during the Obama campaign, is hoping to ease this chill by hosting ‘SPRING INTO ACTION’ - a local Volunteer Recruitment Fair featuring local community service organizations in need of helping hands. Spring into Action is to be held in the Petaluma Community Center, 320 N. McDowell Blvd., from 10am-4pm on Mar. 21st.

According to Sarah Gibson, co-organizer for Spring into Action:

“Many of our neighbors are in serious need of help, but equally as many are ready to help and don’t know where to start. Our Spring into Action Fair provides a unique opportunity for locals with a spare hour or two a month or some extra food in the cupboards a ‘one-stop-shop’ to learn about local volunteer opportunities and to donate much-needed items to provide immediate relief to the participating organizations.”

Prospective volunteers can preview organizations represented at the Spring into Action Fair by logging onto Organizing for America and searching for events in Petaluma's zip code area. Look for events with 'Spring into Action' in the event heading. The lineup includes COTS, Petaluma Kitchen's Food Box Program, Rebuilding Together Petaluma, the California Veterans Home at Yountville, the Petaluma Food Pantry, and the local American Red Cross Chapter. The Food Box Program and COTS are also collecting critically needed food donations and other supplies. As demand for local food bank inventories has steadily increased, donations have dropped. Help to replenish these local larders by bringing non-perishable food items with you to the Fair.

Petaluma 4 Change is also hosting a Spring into Action 'hands-on’ project in Wickersham Park for those in search of an outdoor project that will provide immediate satisfaction for a job-well-done. Volunteers can show up anytime between 10am and 4pm on Sat. the 21st to give Wickersham's gardeners' house a new coat of paint and some sprucing-up TLC. Sign-ups for this event can be found on line as well. All tools and training will be provided.

PETALUMA SPRING into ACTION Preview:

SATURDAY MARCH 21ST

10AM - 4 PM

LOCAL DAY OF SERVICE:

Join the community on the first full day of Spring as we lift our hands

in a day of service for Petaluma.

Socialize, smile, and help those in need at a one stop volunteering experience!

Collect some VERY NEEDED food items that will fill the bare cupboards of

COTS, Food Box Program, and the Petaluma Food Pantry.

Cruise our VOLUNTEER FAIR from 10 am to 4pm,

at which you can sign up to volunteer for:

Petaluma Kitchen's Food Box Program,

Rebuilding Petaluma,

California Veterans Home, the Red Cross....

just to name a few of the many agencies that will be on hand!

Don't forget to bring a pair of work gloves to help

repair our Community Center Atrium Garden!

LEARN FREE CPR at 1:00 pm ( class size limited).

Keep your eyes posted here for an update on times, locations, and sign ups

this MONDAY March 9th!

Watch Sarah Gibson represent P4C at a City Council meeting

Sarah did a terrific job during the public comment period at the Feb. 23rd City Council meeting, informing councilmembers of our upcoming Petaluma Spring Cleaning Day event on Mar. 21st.

To watch her presentation, click on this link, and then, under Archived Videos, click on the video link to the right of Regular City Council/PCDC Meeting, Feb. 23, 2009. Fast forward to about 30:54 for her 2:12-minutes-long announcement.

Petaluma SPRING into ACTION

Due to a perfect storm created by the enormous success in Petaluma of the recent National Day of Service projects, and by the ongoing critical needs of local organizations that address local poverty, needs that are increasing at alarming rates due to the current economic crisis, P4C member Sarah Gibson is organizing a local Day of Service in Petaluma, which she has named Petaluma SPRING into ACTION. When? Sat. Mar. 21st.

Complete these steps to be an event organizer/host:

1. Choose a need for which you would like to host a drive. For ideas, review the needs successfully addressed by the local National Day of Service projects hosted in Jan. If you click on this link, you can read a couple of blog posts about these prior events. You can also go back into our blog archives and read about them, here, here, and here.
   
2. Post your event on Organizing for America.
3. Let us know that you have posted an event. We will promote it among our members, and we will ask the Argus Courier to collectively promote all of P4C's events. There will be other ways we will promote these events, ways that will become increasingly clear as our awesome members, that's you!, AKA agents of change, step forward with suggestions and offerings.

Petaluma SPRING into ACTION: LOCAL DAY OF SERVICE

Hey P4C friends. . . looking for the next way to stay involved and active here in our community?
Well get ready to roll up your sleeves and pitch in with a LOCAL SERVICE PROJECT on Saturday March 21st.

P4C is sponsoring a day of service right here in our City thanks in great part to the overwhelming generousity and response from the National Day of Service on MLK Day in January. We have every expectation that our local day of service will be a sensation and hold high hopes that we can make it an annual event.

Keep checking online with us for a listing of projects in which you can be a part.

Got an idea for a project?? GREAT! Let us know by sending us an email and we will help you organize and run your service project!