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E-mail This StoryMore than 100 volunteers will participate in a one-day charity event that will benefit nonprofit agencies that affect the lives of those in need in Collin County from 8 a.m. to noon on July 12.
The volunteers will be undertaking a several outdoor beautification projects such as, painting murals, assisting with landscaping and performing hands-on projects with teens and the elderly.
The Volunteer Center of North Texas, the parent organization of Hands On North Texas, knows that potential volunteers appreciate a way to volunteer without making a long-term commitment. Hands On enables them to register online and show up ready to go.
The first official annual day of service will enable community members to help six Collin County organizations that serve people with developmental disabilities, the elderly, teens, the environment and more.
The team of volunteers will be at the CITY House Teen Shelter on 16th Street preparing meals and participating in a gardening project.
At the City of Plano Sustainability & Environmental Services building, volunteers will be painting a mural for Plano’s Community Garden.
Volunteers will be assisting with decorations, set-up, serving and clean-up of a community party at Dayspring Assisted Living center at 6400 Cheyenne Trail.
Two teams of volunteers will be painting, decorating, designing and landscaping the facility at the Equest Horsemanship Center, located at 3800 Troy Road in Wylie.
The Equest Horsemanship Center has provided equine therapy for children and adults living with disabilities in North Texas for more than 20 years.
A team of volunteers will be renovating cat enclosures by painting and updating designs at the In-Sync Exotics Cat Sanctuary, located at 3430 Skyview Drive in Wylie. The cats will be at a different location at the time of the projects to ensure volunteer safety.
The Outdoor Beautification Team at the Heard Museum in McKinney will be working on a mulching project. They will be mulching the picnic area that guests use. There will also be other outdoor projects for volunteers to work on.
“The majority of the nonprofit organizations that are hosting the beautification projects have all had financial difficulties that prevents them from being able to fund the projects themselves,” said Kathleen Hurley, Volunteer Center of North Texas spokeswoman. “The work done by volunteers allows the organization to re-allocate operating funds toward the patients.”
The VCNT continually holds volunteer opportunities for children, teens and adults throughout the year. There are already more than 900 opportunities this summer.
“More and more volunteers are recognizing that the needs in the community are growing and signing up to help at the various projects,” Hurley said. “It is a great way to help the nonprofit organizations get their needs known.”
Two of the locations are full, but the Volunteer Center of North Texas still encourages the public to register for participating in the Collin County Volunteer Challenge.
Registration can be done quickly and easily online at www.handsonnorthtexas.org. After signing up for a location, volunteers will receive a confirmation e-mail or phone call with further instructions.
The VCNT will not turn away non-registered volunteers who show up to help at any location.
