News - Regional volunteerism drive needs volunteers - sacbee.com Subscribe: Home Delivery Special! Sign In | Register Now | PressClub Site HelpSearching for: sacbee.com Web Shopping Sacramento.com Site Navigation NewsSportsBusinessPoliticsOpinionEntertainmentLifestyleTravelMultimediaCarsHomesJobsShoppingNews: Community | State | Nation/World | Crime | Education | Health | Projects | Obituaries | WeatherMore in this section Regional volunteerism drive needs volunteers By Bobby Caina Calvan - bcalvan@sacbee.com Last Updated 12:34 am PST Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Story appeared in METRO section, Page B3 Print | E-Mail | Comments (0)| Digg it | del.icio.us WANT TO VOLUNTEER? To learn more about volunteer opportunities and to sign up for a public service project on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, call Hands On Sacramento at (916) 447-7063, ext. 344, or sign up online at www.handsonsacto.org The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. might have spoken eloquently about racial justice, but his famous words – that "everybody can be great because everybody can serve" – have also become the anthem for the nation's cadre of volunteers. On Monday, the day honoring the slain civil rights leader, a massive display of volunteerism is scheduled throughout the Sacramento region, but organizers worry that the army of Samaritans won't show up to spruce up neighborhoods, plant trees, reshelve library books and perform other good deeds. Hands On Sacramento, a program of the Community Services Planning Council, had hoped to enlist as many as 1,500 volunteers for 20 public service projects across the region – including six along King's namesake boulevard. Thus far, a mere 200 volunteers have signed up to staff the projects – prompting organizers to consider canceling most of them if a rush of people doesn't materialize in the next few days, said Kathy Chow, executive director of Hands On Sacramento. "We don't want to cancel any of these projects," Chow said. The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is the agency's traditional kickoff for its year of advocating volunteerism. Chow hopes the low signup numbers aren't a sign of things to come as people struggle with a faltering economy and become more preoccupied with their own immediate needs. The recent storms haven't helped. As a consequence, she said, "connecting with their community is taking a back seat." Sacramento is one of five cities – the capital's third straight year – to take part in this year's King Day of Service sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that oversees the AmeriCorps program. Chicago, New Orleans, Memphis, Tenn., and Biloxi, Miss., are also taking part. The capital's designation comes with a $13,000 grant. At Father Keith B. Kenny Elementary, a charter school in Oak Park, Principal Beya Pasha is counting on teachers and parents to help dig out a fallow community garden – and turn it into a grassy patch for children whose only playground has been a vast stretch of blacktop. Pasha concedes she doesn't have many people lined up for her school's slew of projects scheduled for Monday, including repainting lines on an outdoor basketball court and reshelving stacks of books in the library – which no longer has a librarian because of budget cuts. Tearing out the community garden will take a lot of extra hands, Pasha said. "I don't know who will show up, how many will show up, but I know they'll show up," she said. "I'm not worried," she insisted. "People are going to turn out. Why wouldn't they?" Studies say time-crunched people – those stuck in long commutes, struggling to make ends meet or too consumed by the other stresses of life – are, in general, less likely to find the time to volunteer. The capital region leads California's largest urban centers in the number of hours per capita devoted to volunteerism, according to the federal community service agency. Among the country's 50 largest metropolitan areas, Sacramento's overall rate of volunteerism ranked it 37th. "We've got lots of busy people, and there's lots of good intentions … but people sometimes need to get reminded," said Mark Anderson, executive director of the Sacramento branch of the Resource Area for Teaching, a support center for the region's teachers. Anderson hopes for a rush of last-minute signups to help assemble educational kits destined for Sacramento-area classrooms. Fewer than a dozen people have signed up, but Anderson hopes that 65 volunteers will turn out to lend a hand on Monday. "Volunteers usually wait until the last minute," Anderson said. Less worried is Mary Lynn Perry, the coordinator for the city of Sacramento's volunteer program, who is working with Hands On Sacramento to drum up interest. "It's always challenging to get the word out right after the holidays. I think eventually, people find out and sign up," she said. "In the end, everything usually comes together." But that's not to say people should wait to get involved, she said. About the writer: Call The Bee's Bobby Caina Calvan, (916) 321-1067. Unique content, exceptional value. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Comments There are no comments posted so far. Be the first to add a comment. Most Popular StoriesE-mailedCommentedSearches Last 24 Hours Levee report shocks city Last Updated 6:18 am PST Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Evidence shaky on N. Korea counterfeiting Published 12:00 am PST Thursday, January 10, 2008 Kings are at full strength as Bibby, Artest return Last Updated 5:51 am PST Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Bill Clinton wows UCD Last Updated 12:35 am PST Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Foster mom was cited Last Updated 12:34 am PST Wednesday, January 16, 2008Last 7 Days Evidence shaky on N. Korea counterfeiting Published 12:00 am PST Thursday, January 10, 2008 Driver found unbuckled in crash, but beer 12-pack safely belted in Published 10:41 am PST Monday, January 7, 2008 Levee report shocks city Last Updated 6:18 am PST Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Man is haunted by fatal shooting Published 12:00 am PST Thursday, January 10, 2008 Fun and games Last Updated 4:01 pm PDT Friday, July 6, 2007See more most popular stories »More Stories in News Foster mom was cited Levee report shocks city Gun death toll soars for the young Victims in fatal shootings identified Wind knocks out power overnight in Dixon Subscribe to RSS feed for News SUBSCRIBE NOW! Top JobsOccupational Therapist Staff ... SALES TERRITORY MANAGER Northern ... Service Tech Service and ... ADMIN ASST, Mid-sized forensic acctg ... ADMIN NEW YEAR RESOLUTION? ... Administrative DOCUMENT PRODUCTION ... Administrative EDAW seeks an exp'd ... AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN/MECHANIC, ... AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN/MECHANIC, ... Banking EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT ... View All Top Jobs News | Sports | Business | Politics | Opinion | Entertainment | Lifestyle | Travel | Multimedia | Cars | Homes | Jobs | Shopping | Archives Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Site Map | Advertise | Advertise Online | Guide to The Bee | Bee Jobs | FAQs | RSS Contact Us | Subscribe | Manage Your Subscription | E-newsletters | Sacbeemail sacbee.com | Sacramento.com | Capitol Alert | SacMomsClub.com Copyright © The Sacramento Bee 2100 Q St. P.O. Box 15779 Sacramento, CA 95816 (916) 321-1000 Go to Home PageContact The Bee: (916) 321-1000 | E-Mail Guide to The Bee Subscribe Customer Service Site Map