October 24, 2006 > Make a Difference Day

by Pushpa Warrier

Beginning in 1990, Make a Difference Day, initiated by the USA Weekend magazine and Points of Light, was created to celebrate unity of a diverse communities and neighborhoods. People are encouraged to volunteer individually or in groups for projects to help make their community a better place to live. This annual worldwide event takes place on the fourth Saturday in October. In 2005, a record 3 million volunteers participated and an estimated 28 million people in need benefited, accomplishing thousands of projects in hundreds of towns.

As motivation for people to volunteer in their neighborhood, actor Paul Newman, a supporter of Make a Difference Day, offers a reward of $10,000 to 10 selected projects. Outstanding Make a Difference Day projects are honored in USA Weekend Magazine during National Volunteer Week. Thousands of employees of multinational corporations have volunteered on Make a Difference Day even including a large group of Moskovites who participated a few years ago, and U.S. military personnel stationed overseas.

This year, over 20 projects have already been planned in Fremont including such projects as cleaning and beautifying projects at Oliveira Elementary School and Niles Perennial Garden; a food drive for seniors in need; graffiti removal at Quail Run; a mitten, sock and glove drive for the Tri-City Volunteers; a garage door repair and bathroom remodeling for frail and ill seniors; new clothing and school supplies for One Child; and a clean up and planting at Duck Island. To learn more on how to create a project or volunteer at a project already planned, please contact Dr. Len Kruszecki, Make a Difference Day coordinator, at (510) 574-2042 or email makeadifferenceday@ci.fremont.ca.us.

Junior Girl Scout Troop 25 in Fremont will be coordinating a collection of new socks, mittens and gloves.  The drive will be held at Gomes Elementary School in Fremont. Collection dates are October 16 through 26. The sock drive is an annual tradition for Gomes Elementary School.  Troop 25 has expanded the drive to include new mittens and gloves along with socks for National Make a Difference Day. Troop 25 will coordinate the drive at the school and will deliver the items to Tri-City Volunteers in Fremont. If you know a child attending Gomes Elementary School, you can help by donating a new pair of socks, mittens or gloves to that child. In turn, the child can bring the items to the donation bin that will be located in the school's office. Contact Jill Hiroto, Troop 25 at (510) 252-1964.

To post your own project or look for volunteer opportunities, you can go to www.makeadifferenceday.com. Simply click on "DAYtaBANK" and enter your city's name.

Below is a list of some of the Make a Difference Day projects on October 28 in the greater Tri-City area:

Salvation Army Beautification Project
Landscape building
Salvation Army
430 A St., Hayward
(510) 581-6495

Clean Up
clean up street and neighborhood
Tyrell Elementary School
2700 Tyrrell Ave., Hayward
(510) 293-8526

Early Childhood Education
Help clean furniture
CSU East Bay
25800 Carlos Bee Blvd., Hayward
arthur.jenkins@csueastbay.edu

Plant trees, flowers and cleaning
8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Zanker Elementary School
1585 Fallen Leaf Dr., Milpitas
(408) 945-2438

Come see the garden and help plot a new one
8:30 a.m.
Meyers' Estate
Mission Blvd. at Whipple Rd., Union City
(510) 675-5394

Help make the community a cleaner place
Union City Community (call for details)
Union City
(510) 471-3232 x308

Gardening at the Local History Museum
Clean up, plant and water native plants
Museum of Local History
190 Anza St., Fremont
(510) 623-7907

Repairing Duck Island
Restoration of the bird habitat
Lake Elizabeth at Central Park
40000 Paseo Padre Pkwy., Fremont
(510) 790-5541

Book Drive
Books for appropriate children, teens and youth
City of Fremont's Youth and Family Services
39155 Liberty St., Fremont
(510) 574-2121

Build Self-Esteem in Children
Collect new clothing, backpacks and book supplies
43545 Byrant Street, Fremont
(510) 823-5971

Food for Seniors
Collection of gift cards, certificates and more
Fremont Senior Center
40086 Paseo Padre, Fremont
(510)574-2057

Niles Perennial Garden
9 a.m.
Clear out weeds and replant garden
Niles Rose Garden
Niles Blvd. at Nursery Ave., Fremont
(510)794-6844

Remove Graffiti
Remove and paint at Quail Run housing
Corner of Quail Run Rd. and Sanderling Pl., Fremont
(510) 790-1673

Trail Restoration
Pick up debris and litter
Stivers Lagoon Nature Area at Lake Elizabeth
40000 Paseo Padre Pkwy., Fremont
(510) 790-5541

Tri-City Homeless
Distribute food, clothing and blankets
35888 Niles Blvd., Fremont
(510)386-1460

Together We Prepare Class
Class on disaster preparedness given by Red Cross
10 a.m. -11 a.m.
40086 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont
Fremont Senior Center
40086 Paseo Padre Parkway
(510) 908-0776
Please RSVP disasterclass@yahoo.com

Help a Senior
Repair automatic garage door opening and bathroom remodel
36895 Ruschin Drive, Newark
(510)574-2065
rnarayan@ci.fremont.ca.us

Sock, mitten and glove drive
Deliver collected socks, mittens and gloves to Tri-City Volunteers.
Girl Scouts
555 Lemos Lane Fremont
(510)770-1985
caizawa@comcast.net

Trick-or-Treat Scavenger Hunt
Join the "Trick-or-Treat Scavenger Hunt" to collect wish list items for the Tri-City Homeless Coalition
Sunrise Village
588 Brown Rd Fremont
(510) 657-7409
rubyjmorgan@tricityhomeless.org