Make A Difference Day is the largest national day of helping others — a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Everyone can participate.
Make a Difference Day falls on the fourth Saturday of October, and this year it will take place on October 25, 2008.
Make A Difference Day 2008
Missoula
Montana Campus Compact and ACMAC are working together to support The Poverello Center, a resource center for homeless and low-income people. Volunteers will decorate the Pov and serve a spooky Halloween meal, as well as making Halloween costumes with children at the Joseph Center. Volunteers will also Trick or Treat for donations of hygienic supplies to the centers.
Event 1: “Spooky Meal” @ the Poverello Center, 535 Ryman
Volunteers needed: between 10 and 15 people. Costumes are encouraged, but not required.
Time: Please have volunteers show up at the Poverello Center at 9:30 a.m. The meal will wrap up by 1:30 p.m. If a volunteer would like to work on another MaDD project, they would be able to leave a little early.
Contact: Graham Murtaugh, 243-5177 ext. 8
Event 2: “Trick-or-Donate” Toiletry Drive for Poverello clients. Toiletry drive volunteers will meet at St. Joseph School, 503 Edith, in the parking lot to pass out maps and organize into collection teams. We will be collecting toiletry donations in the Rose Park neighborhood. Flyers will have been distributed door-to-door the week prior by another group of volunteers.
Volunteers: at least 10, but the more the better because there will be a lot of walking, carrying, and talking with the public (knocking on doors). Also, the more people we have the quicker it will go. Costumes are encouraged, but not required.
Time: Meet @ 1:00 p.m. in the St. Joseph School parking lot for project organization and task outlining. This should only take about 15 minutes if people are prompt. We will leave to canvass the neighborhood and collect donations by 1:30 p.m.
Contact: Kay Quist, 243-5477 or 240-8356
Event 3: Halloween and Costume Making Party at the Joseph Residence, 2405 McIntosh Loop
Volunteers: around 10. Costumes are encouraged, but not required.
Time: Volunteers will meet at the Joseph Residence at 2:00 p.m. The party is scheduled to last until 5:00 p.m.
Contact: Ashley Widtfeldt, 243-5177 ext. 7
Segment from KPAX
Event 4: Community Service Reflection Exercise at University Hall on the UM campus
Volunteers: All volunteers are encouraged to attend so we can reflect on the work we did that day. There will be pizza and other snacks for all the volunteers.
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Contact: Ashley Widtfeldt, 243-5177 ext. 7
Helena
Join us for a Career Day event in Helena featuring a business clothes drive, resume and interview workshops, and tables for local job training organizations. The event will take place Saturday, October 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. For more information contact Jennifer Bezanson at moc.liamg|jnosnazeb#moc.liamg|jnosnazeb or 442-9830 x 35. Career Day 2008 Event Info Sheet and Press Release
AmeriCorps members will also be helping out with a food drive at Van's in the afternoon to benefit Helena Food Share. To get involved, contact Lisa at vog.tm|ybrokl#vog.tm|ybrokl
In addition, interested volunteers should contact Rebecca at moc.liamg|egabrah.acceber#moc.liamg|egabrah.acceber if they would like to get involved with the Warm Hearts, Warm Homes weatherization drive done by the Montana Conservation Corps.
Projects will kick off at 9:00 a.m. with breakfast and an engaging Meaning of Service discussion at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. All volunteers are encouraged to attend.
Miles City
Custer Network Against Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault (CNADA) and Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian Ad Litem (CASA/GAL) are partnering together in the second annual "Poinsettias For Peace" fundraiser. Together, the two organizations serve twelve eastern Montana counties. On October 25th will be our final push to sell the poinsettias. If one wants to help sell door to door for a couple of hours please contact Everet Yi at su.adanc|tereve#su.adanc|tereve
Great Falls
This year, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program and AmeriCorps VISTA, are collecting food donations. We are collecting Thanksgiving food that will be given to the local support group Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. We are looking for donations of canned vegetables, boxed stuffing, rolls, potatoes, packets of gravy, pies, and turkeys. Gift cards and cash donations are also acceptable. Donations can be dropped off at the Retired Senior Volunteer Program office, which is located upstairs of the Senior Center at 1004 Central Avenue Great Falls, MT.
On October 25th, volunteers will help sort and box the donated food to be delivered the Grandparents Raising Grandparents. For many grandparents raising their grandchildren can be difficult. We hope that by delivering a box of food for Make a Difference Day, they can have a wonderful Thanksgiving. If you are interested in donating food or volunteering your time on October 25th you can contact Kristen Cooper at 454-6989. Press Release
Lake County
In Lake County the RSVP and Foster Grandparent Program will be taking part in a two day free spay/neuter clinic 10/25-26. Volunteers will engaged in signing in animals, prepping them for surgery, monitoring recovery, cleaning cages and assisting with the children who always want to come with their special pet. There will be four veterinarians from the spay/neuter task force along with their assistants as well as some local vets participating. They expect to spay/neuter 100-150 dogs and/or cats each day. This is a great benefit to the communities in Lake County as well as teaching children and the public the responsibilities of good pet ownership.
The clinics will take place at the Tribal Community Center in St. Ignatius on October 25 and the Linderman Elementary School gym in Polson on October 26. Life Savers Animal Rescue, Mission Valley Animal Shelter, Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes, and the cities of Polson, Ronan and St. Ignatius are all actively supporting this effort. There will be about 50 community volunteers each day working to make it run smoothly.
Kalispell
Crews from the Montana Conservation Corps along with volunteers from the community will be weatherizing homes through Warm Hearts Warm Homes on the 25th of October. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. at the MCC office in downtown Kailspell. There will be a Meaning of Service Discussion followed by a short training. Crews will then assist low-income residents prepare their homes for winter and save on energy costs by installing insulating window kits, compact flourescent light bulbs, and the like. For more informaion call Cliff of Julia at 406-755-8089.
Butte and Galen
MMS Americorps Member and juvenile offenders will set up a tipi at the Reintegrating Youth Offenders Correctional Facility, which is a detention facility for tribal offenders. The facility is operated by a non-profit out of Butte that tries to help juvenile offenders complete high school and enroll in college while serving their sentences. The juveniles have committed major crimes. Here is the non-profit's web site http://www.cccscorp.com/ryo2.htm
Crow Agency
MM$ members have scheduled a financial literacy/first time homebuyers class for the morning of the 25th. At 4pm they will serve pizza for the parents and children interested in a "create your own costume" party; and, in collaboration with the Apsaalooke’ Meth Project and Meth Free Crow-alition they will be purchasing pumpkins for the children that come, so that children will be able to carve the pumpkins and take those with them as well. For more information, contact Amica Morning, gro.gnisuohworc|nosreffeja#gro.gnisuohworc|nosreffeja
Examples of Past Activities
In 2007, AmeriCorps members assisted at Zoo Montana in Billings.
2007 MaDD Press Release-Missoula
