November 9, 2010
Contact: Lindsley Smith
Communication Director
479-575-8328
[email protected]
Volunteer Community Of The Year
Fayetteville was honored for the second year in a row as a Volunteer Community of the Year.
The award is given by The Office of Governor Mike Beebe, the Department of Human Services Division on Volunteerism, and the Arkansas Municipal League. This award will be presented to Fayetteville at the Municipal League Annual Conference in early 2011.
In the past year, well over 38,000 volunteers worked over 500,000 hours to the benefit of our community and the quality of life of Fayetteville residents. These hours are inclusive of several community organization and business programs around Fayetteville, the City of Fayetteville, and the University of Arkansas. As for the City of Fayetteville, 285 Fayetteville residents served on City Boards and Committees in the past year, which amounted to well over 6,000 volunteer hours. The CityParks and Recreation Department and the Fayetteville Animal Shelter involved 747 volunteers in projects, events, and their day-to-day operations, totaling over 24,326 hours. These active volunteer programs engage children and adults in learning and exercise activities, find homes for needy animals, as well as making the locations clean and green for the entire community. The Community Development and Solid Waste and Recycling Departments had 116 volunteers giving more than 712 hours, and the City’s “With a Can We Can!” program, started in 2009, has led to thousands of pounds of food donated by Fayetteville citizens to stock local food pantries. Organizations through out the community have embraced the volunteer spirit of Fayetteville and involved the public in tens of thousands of volunteer opportunities all around Fayetteville.
Fayetteville has a strong community spirit and has long been praised for one of its greatest strengths, her People. In good times and trying times, Fayetteville citizens consider others, and even in trying times, there continues a great solidarity of spirit. Fayetteville is strong because our people are strong in spirit and in their giving. In September, 2010, Mayor Lioneld Jordan proclaimed September as “Volunteer Month” in the City of Fayetteville at the first annual city-wide Volunteer Celebration. The celebration was held to say “Thank you!” to all of our community volunteers and gave volunteer organizations a free opportunity to do the same as well as let the community know about their programs. Thank you Fayetteville for all you do to enrich our community!
For more information about the Fayetteville Volunteer Community contact Julie McQuade, Community Outreach Coordinator, at (479) 575-8302 or [email protected] .
