Here's How Families and Groups Are Pitching in to Maintain National Parks During Government Shutdown
These volunteer-led initiatives show that Americans are more than willing to take care of their parks and communities when trouble arises.
Volunteer
Showing 181 - 200 of 246 Posts
Retiree Has Driven Over 64,000 Miles to Ensure Low-Income Students Can Get to Class
This 76-year-old is much more than just a driver – he is also a "grandpa" to hundreds of students.
When Cancer-Stricken Farmer Can't Go Outside, Neighbors Complete His Weeks of Work in a Few Hours
When this community heard about a sick farmer's inability to harvest his crops, they finished half a million dollars worth of work in a matter of hours.
Aussie College Grad Builds First Night School in East Africa
Kyle De Souza created the first Masaai night school in East Africa, where he spent seven months building solar and wind infrastructure that could power the lights for villagers who must work in the fields during daylight hours in one of the most impoverished communities in the world.
Hundreds of Volunteers Renew Gulf Oyster Beds for New Coastline Project
Volunteers from across the country are rebuilding oyster reefs along the Gulf of Mexico shoreline, hoping to revive oyster beds weakened by the BP oil spill and decades of overharvesting and human encroachment.
Earth Day Activities Launched in Biloxi to Clean up Hurricane Mess
750 volunteers from all over the country descended on Biloxi, Miss. for the official kickoff to the 2006 national campaign, launching a full-day of Hurricane Katrina Restoration activites.
Photo of Broom Army Inspires the Web After England Riots
Following the riots in London, crowds of people turned out to help clean up the glass and ashes left on streets in cities across the country. A photo of brooms raised in the air has become an internet sensation via Twitter, and used by journalists to praise the decent citizens who have come out in full force.
Good Prevails Amidst Bad in London Riots as Twitter and Facebook Users Plan Clean-up
Twitter and Facebook users are harnessing the power of social networking to coordinate a massive clean-up operation in areas affected by the riots across England. An account on Twitter called @riotcleanup has so far attracted more than 70,000 followers.
Volunteerism Erupts During Egyptian Protests in New Spirit of National Pride
While Egyptians battle for their political future, social change is already sweeping the country. Amid the protesters, volunteers are sweeping the streets, picking up litter, and handing out food.
Couple Sneak in to Save Pets From Japan Exclusion Zone
The Japan Animal Rescue Shelter has undertaken several clandestine and dangerous trips into the exclusion zone to rescue 200 dogs and cats from the now off-limits towns around the power plant.
Architects Launch Rebuilding Effort After UK Riots
In the aftermath of the riots, a couple of noble London are injecting some guerrilla design into the cleanup process, and helping those who can't rebuild.
Tears of Joy as Retired Couple Returns to Find New Home
Retired grandparents Jeanne and Burt Metz lost their home when Superstorm Sandy hit Breezy Point, New York. A volunteer organization told the couple that their floors and walls would be rebuilt – but little did the Metz family know that hundreds of people were working to resurrect their entire house.
Research Shows Doing Good is Good for You
It is generally accepted that volunteering is a good thing to do for others. But is it true volunteering also benefits the volunteer? UnitedHealth Group wanted to look into this phenomenon further so they decided to conduct a comprehensive survey and analysis on the positive effects employees and employers receive from volunteering.
Personal Songs Offer Musical Medicine to Sick Kids
An Iowa girl, whose stubborn leukemia is blasted every week with chemotherapy, jumped at the chance to receive a song made especially for her. It's called Songs of Love.
Remodel Gives Dallas Army Veteran A Home Fit For A Hero
Trista Hopkins, a U.S. Army veteran in Dallas who was raising two daughters in a dilapidated home with holes in the roof and no running water, now has a renovated home with new furnishings -- just in time for Thanksgiving.
900 Lbs of Fruit Gleaned by Volunteers for Calif Food Pantry
Village Harvest began two years ago, when Craig Diserens founded a backyard gleaning effort in California that now gathers thousands of pounds of fresh fruit from historical orchards (some planted during the Gold Rush 150 years ago) and private property for donatation to food agencies.
Volunteers Are Making Mittens for Injured Koalas
Volunteers around the world are sewing and sending mittens to help koalas that suffered burns on their paws while trying to escape the catastrophic bush fires in South Australia and Victoria.
Join Thousands Converging on National Parks for Free Admission Saturday
On Saturday, September 24th, more than 170,000 Americans will volunteer at parks and beaches across the country building trails, removing invasive plants and picking up trash in honor of National Public Lands Day. Admission fees into national parks will by waived for the general public that day, a gift from the 100 or so parks that normally charge entrance fees.
Hundreds of Elderly Volunteers Want to Clean up Fukushima Plant
A group of more than 200 Japanese seniors are volunteering to clean up the mess left in the Fukushima nuclear power station. All are over the age of 60, many are retired engineers, and they are taking responsibility for the nuclear power plants which their generation erected.
Mormons Skip Church for Weeks to Volunteer for Families Flooded by Sandy
Thousands of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints volunteered for weeks following Hurricane Sandy, assisting the devastated families in digging out their flooded homes. A beautiful video was made on November 11th, when thousands of these church members cancelled their Sunday services and arrived by air, bus and train from all across the country to help.
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