VOLUNTEERS COME OUT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SUNNYVALE

SUNNYVALE, Calif. – On Saturday, October 23, more than 100 community volunteers spent their morning sprucing up Sunnyvale’s Baylands Park as part of Make a Difference Day, a yearly national event sponsored by USA Weekend magazine and the national Points of Light Foundation. While volunteers of all ages worked to renovate native owl habitats, clean debris from the recent wind storm, restore trails and native grasses and refurbish children’s play areas, they also formed a stronger connection with their community and demonstrated that each person really does “Make a Difference.”

The event, sponsored by the Department of Parks and Recreation and Sunnyvale’s Volunteer Resources office, highlighted the importance of volunteerism both to the community and to City operations. Volunteers in Sunnyvale take on many traditional roles such as coaching sports and mentoring students. But today’s volunteers increasingly support technical and specialized projects, such as research, assisting in public safety, teaching classes or taking a leadership role at special events.

The Volunteer Resources office, which promotes community engagement through service and volunteerism, estimates that in the past fiscal year, Sunnyvale volunteers contributed more than 30,000 hours of service, saving the City more than $350,000.

If you would like to learn more about volunteer opportunities in Sunnyvale, call Romola Georgia, Volunteer Resources Manager at (408) 730-7536, TDD (408) 730-7501, or visit our Web site: www.sunnyvale.ca.us and click on Volunteering.