The Kickoff Event was a great success!! We had over 160 volunteers and leaders serving around the East End doing small things together to make a big difference. We had teams out in the community picking up litter, teams doing landscaping projects, and teams doing some painting and cleaning. We had people crossing city lines, crossing racial lines, and crossing economic lines!! Here are some notes we received from our volunteers and people in the community:
- “I saw your ‘green’ team picking up in my neighborhood on Saturday and made sure to thank a few. I am hoping that seeing someone else in our community showing care and respect for the environment encourages others to show that they care, too! I am working with the Choice Neighborhood Initiative and I will be sure to tell them how nice Jefferson Avenue looked after all your hard work! Thanks again! I would love to be a part of keeping Ridley Circle picked up on a regular basis.”
- “The STC volunteers that came … wanted me to pass on to you, Officer Greathouse, and Officer Acree a big “Thank You”. They said that the event was very well organized, and that they had a positive, and rewarding experience serving in the areas that they worked. They were very impressed with Officer Greathouse. He was working just as hard picking up trash. Also, the volunteers said something that I thought was really great. They said that they saw past his uniform and saw an individual who cared about a community. Our volunteers are looking forward to the next event.”
- “I thoroughly enjoyed myself working with other volunteers on Saturday at the kick off for Save the City in Newport News. I met some great people and feel we accomplished a lot as a team. I look forward to our next activities in July so count me in.”
- “I live in the east end of Newport News. Today I saw your volunteers out in my neighborhood working. I was excited to see people trying to make a difference here. I would love to get involved. I am hoping that you can give me more information on how to do so. I would also like to know if my kids would be able to volunteer with me as I’m a single mom. I think that it would be good for them as well.”
