2010 Intergenerational Fall Clean-Up

2nd Annual Intergenerational Fall Clean-Up

The 2nd Annual Intergenerational Fall Clean-Up, collaboration between the Oneida County Youth Bureau, the Oneida County Office for the Aging and Continuing Care, Oneida County colleges, school districts, youth organizations and area merchants took place on Saturday October 23rd and Sunday October 24th. This clean-up, our 4th, was by far our most successful to date. Last month 450 youth volunteers performed general yard clean-up duties; raking and bagging leaves, sweeping porches, driveways and sidewalks and bringing light refuse to the curb for pickup for 100+ locations county-wide! The services were delivered to senior citizens and disabled who physically can’t do the work or financially afford to have the work done.

The 450 outstanding youth volunteers represented the following colleges, school districts and youth organizations; Hamilton College Women’s Basketball Team, Mohawk Valley Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Latino Student Union, Student Congress, WAC and ECOS Clubs, Utica College’s Black Student Union, Physical Therapist Society and Circle K Club, Proctor High School’s Key Club, Student Council and Youth Construction Initiative Program, Camden Central High School’s Varsity Football Team, Whitesboro’s Central High School’s International Club, Clinton Central High School, Remsen Central High School’s Government Class, New Hartford Senior High School’s National Honor Society, Notre Dame High School’s Boy’s Varsity Basketball Team and National Honor Society, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central High School Interact Club and National Honor Society, Holland Patent Central High School.

SADD Chapter, Utica Safe Schools/Healthy Students Underground Café, Utica Municipal Housing Authority, The Slavic Pentecostal Youth Group, Boy Scout Troop 14 from Washington Mills, Boy Scouts from Crew112/Troop 29, Boy Scout Troop 21, Boy Scouts from Troop 4, Boy Scout Troop 502 from Frankfort, YMCA of the Greater Tri-Valley’s Teen Leaders Program and the YWCA of the Mohawk Valley’s YGirls Program.

County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., greeted and thanked many of the volunteer groups for their participation. He also traveled throughout the county witnessing the volunteers work first hand. The County Executive also spoke with many of the thankful senior citizens that benefitted from this initiative. The goal (successfully accomplished) is to connect youth with seniors to gain a better understanding and appreciation of one another. Their interaction is truly heart-warming.

I too was fortunate to have met these remarkable young men and women and we (Oneida County) on a weekend in October, were reminded by their efforts, that there is good in our world, in our youth and Oneida County is a special place to live.

The 3rd Annual Intergenerational Spring and Fall Clean-Ups for 2011 will take place the weekends of April 30th and May 1st and October 22nd and 23rd. If you know of any youth organizations that would be interested in volunteering please have them contact Tom Giruzzi at the Oneida County Youth Bureau by phone at 798-5027 or via e-mail at tgiruzzi@ocgov.net. Any interested senior citizen that would want their yard cleaned should contact the Oneida County Office for the Aging and Continuing Care via phone at 798-5456.