Originally published on SaportaReport.
By Hannah E. Jones
The Atlanta area is home to many beautiful, unique and engaging parks but to ensure they thrive, we need all hands on deck!
Last year, Park Pride engaged residents for countless hours of service work in local parks. Volunteers had hands-on experiences with a variety of projects, ranging from painting to mulching, planting to trail maintenance. Thanks to their efforts, parks across the City of Atlanta and DeKalb County have gotten some extra TLC. These opportunities also give folks the chance to increase their civic engagement and foster stronger connections with their neighbors. However, we’re still working to get back to our pre-pandemic numbers, and we can’t do it without you!
“Volunteerism is all about connection,” Sponsorship & Annual Fund Manager Shannon Roudebush said. “Connecting with a cause, a community, a passion, with people… Not only are you giving back, but it nurtures a sense of community between volunteers and the communities the work is serving. Volunteering unites people from different walks of life with a common good.”
Park Pride has a robust volunteer program, with both corporate and individual opportunities. The team hosts several Greener Good Volunteer Days throughout the year, including MLK Day and Earth Day, which are open to the public. These events are hosted in different parks around the city and are customized to meet the needs of the park and surrounding community. There’s always something to be done, whether that’s giving the playground a good scrubbing, picking up litter or clearing invasive plants.
Additionally, many Friends of the Park groups host regular volunteer days to sustain long-lasting, positive change in the neighborhood parks. There are several volunteer events on the docket for this fall — including a clean-up day at Pea Ridge Park and habitat restoration at Herbert Taylor Park & Daniel Johnson Park — which can be found on the Hands On Atlanta website.
Park Pride also offers custom, private volunteer experiences, an option available to corporate supporters. After selecting a date and location for the volunteer event, Park Pride handles all event logistics so your business can focus on staff recruitment. This is also a great opportunity for team building!
People of all ages and abilities are invited to volunteer with Park Pride. Sign up on your own or with a group — everyone is welcome!
“Volunteerism is all about giving back and fostering connections with the communities we serve,” Volunteer Associate Joanna Patterson said. “At Park Pride, we firmly believe in the healing power of parks. Any volunteer activity that maintains, enhances or activates parks contributes to the overall health of the communities we serve.”
Consider volunteering with Park Pride and getting your hands dirty for a good cause. After all, the power of parks can only be activated with the help of our community!