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A day to make a difference
Volunteers help out with a variety of projects to help the needy and beautify neighborhoods.
By Melanie Hicken
BURBANK — Burroughs High School freshmen Flannery Weiss and Christina Sookhoo greeted grocery shoppers Saturday morning as they entered Albertsons, asking for canned goods to help those in need.
“We’ve only been out here for an hour-and-a-half and we already have 2 1/2 carts full of food,” said 14-year-old Flannery, who was taking part in the food day for Make A Difference Day.
Make a Difference Day is an annual event sponsored by USA Weekend and the Points of Light Foundation in an effort to encourage local neighborhood service projects. Last year, more than 3 million people took part across the country, according to the foundation.
Volunteers stood in front of six local grocery stores collecting canned goods to donate to the Burbank Salvation Army, Family Service Agency of Burbank and the Burbank Temporary Aid Center.
Hank Diel, a member of the Burbank Civic Pride Committee who helped organized the food drive, said the event was especially important amid the protracted recession. And even though he said he was worried that tough financial times would keep people from donating, volunteers appeared to be doing well.
“The economy is down, but we are doing better than expected,” Diel said.
Glendale and La Crescenta residents also took part in the annual celebration of community service.
Residents of all ages spanned Foothill Boulevard on Saturday morning picking up cigarettes and pulling weeds along the roadway.
“It’s dirty work, but if it helps the environment, then its worth it,” said 14-year-old Hailey James, who along with several friends from her Girl Scout troop filled trash bags with cigarette butts and other litter. Picking up cigarette butts is important to keep them from going down storm drains and into the ocean, officials said.
The trash pick-up was one of several community beautification efforts that more than 200 volunteers took part in for the 16th annual Foothill Community Clean Up in conjunction with Make a Difference Day.
Other foothill beautification efforts included pulling weeds and scattering poppy seeds at three strips of land.
“Maybe in the spring, we’ll have poppies instead of weeds,” said Sandra Rodriguez, a program coordinator for Glendale Neighborhood Services, which helped sponsor and organize the event with the Committee for a Clean & Beautiful Glendale and the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Volunteers also filled sandbags for residents preparing against potential mudflows this winter. By noon, hundreds of sandbags were stacked at Dunsmore Park.
“We’ve only been out here for an hour-and-a-half and we already have 2 1/2 carts full of food,” said 14-year-old Flannery, who was taking part in the food day for Make A Difference Day.
Make a Difference Day is an annual event sponsored by USA Weekend and the Points of Light Foundation in an effort to encourage local neighborhood service projects. Last year, more than 3 million people took part across the country, according to the foundation.
Volunteers stood in front of six local grocery stores collecting canned goods to donate to the Burbank Salvation Army, Family Service Agency of Burbank and the Burbank Temporary Aid Center.
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“The economy is down, but we are doing better than expected,” Diel said.
Glendale and La Crescenta residents also took part in the annual celebration of community service.
Residents of all ages spanned Foothill Boulevard on Saturday morning picking up cigarettes and pulling weeds along the roadway.
“It’s dirty work, but if it helps the environment, then its worth it,” said 14-year-old Hailey James, who along with several friends from her Girl Scout troop filled trash bags with cigarette butts and other litter. Picking up cigarette butts is important to keep them from going down storm drains and into the ocean, officials said.
The trash pick-up was one of several community beautification efforts that more than 200 volunteers took part in for the 16th annual Foothill Community Clean Up in conjunction with Make a Difference Day.
Other foothill beautification efforts included pulling weeds and scattering poppy seeds at three strips of land.
“Maybe in the spring, we’ll have poppies instead of weeds,” said Sandra Rodriguez, a program coordinator for Glendale Neighborhood Services, which helped sponsor and organize the event with the Committee for a Clean & Beautiful Glendale and the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Volunteers also filled sandbags for residents preparing against potential mudflows this winter. By noon, hundreds of sandbags were stacked at Dunsmore Park.
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