Tag Cloud
Friday, February 10, 2012
Rev. Jesse Jackson to Kick Off Volunteer Effort
by Kevin Johnson, published on March 1, 2009 at 11:48 AM
Storyline: Obama's Inaugration
Community Tags
city hall
government
handsonsacramento
jesse jackson
kevin johnson
mayor
radical
volunteer
On Monday at the Boys and Girls Club downtown, I will be joined by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Founder/President of PUSH/Rainbow Coalition, to kick off "Volunteer Sacramento."
This new effort is designed to encourage greater volunteer participation in our community. Led by Honorary Chair Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento), this will be a "full-court press" with local nonprofits to strategize on how to harness the energy of more Sacramento citizens to held local nonprofits during this challenging economic time. More than 50 nonprofit leaders and agency heads will join us, as we discuss efforts to attract more citizens to participate in making our community a city that works for all of us.
Rev. Jackson is well-known for his grassroots organizing efforts -- a "community organizer" long before it was popular. I am honored to have him to join us here in Sacramento.
Since my swearing-in back in November, I've been working with community agencies to boost volunteerism. Hands On Sacramento www.handsonsacto.org has been partnering with us to engage more and more citizens to help fill critical community heads. We had a burst of success in November and December, and need to keep that going. That's why I am committed to making Sacramento the #1 city in California in volunteerism with this new initiative
You'll be hearing more about this effort in the days ahead. In the meantime, if you have a spare hour or two, contact handsonsacto.org to learn how you can help make our city a better place.
Conversation Express your views,
debate, and be heard with those in your area closest
to the issue.
Leave a Comment
It is one of hundreds of non-profits in the area--at least from the booklet issued by Community Services Council--each with a very specific and limited service or goal with paid staff and ask for donations. FOLLOWING IS FROM THEIR "PROJECTS:"
Something inspiring is happening in Sacramento. Every day, people are finding easy ways to make meaningful, rewarding improvements in the community through Hands On Sacramento.
Volunteers feed the homeless, visit the elderly, build homes, restore our environment, tutor teens, care for abandoned pets, and much more.
Hands On Sacramento connects 2,500 volunteers a year with opportunities to match their schedules and interests. Volunteers select from one-time, group-based volunteering to longer-term opportunities to opportunities for volunteer leadership.
They choose from projects at over 100 different non-profits, schools and government agencies. They volunteer alone, with family and friends or with co-workers. In whatever they select, HOS volunteers enrich their lives while strengthening our community. END
Many of those projects are very nice and often needed. However, the closest to relating to meeting central city neighborhoods is Caring Neighborhoods which is connected to the city. I won't go into detail but very dedicated staff made a couple of presentations to the Neighborhood Advisory Group (NAG) but there was little to no substance that related to our central city neighborhood needs.
Kevin, I think that is the key--defining and your staff understanding specifically NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS to make that neighborhood sustainable and improve residents' quality of life-- not just a group of people who need help worthy as that may be.