Picente: Youth Volunteers Continue To Amaze

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. today announced that in 2014, 951 Oneida County youth gave back an amazing 1,995 volunteer hours to the community through the Oneida County Children Care Initiative, an Oneida County Youth Bureau initiative that began in 2009.

“As Oneida County supports our youth through programs and activities at some of our grassroots agencies, we want the young people of our community to know that it is just as important to give back to the community as it is to do anything else,” Picente said. “The Oneida County Children Care Initiative helps youth understand the benefits of community and volunteer service so that as they mature, they strengthen their community roots and their commitment to service.”

Oneida County Youth Bureau Director Bob Roth said youth volunteers from The Center for Family Life and Recovery, Cornell Cooperative Extension, The Neighborhood Center, Thea Bowman House, The Salvation Army of Utica, Upstate Cerebral Palsy and Utica Safe Schools/Underground Café performed community service that included assisting in a bicycle giveaway for Utica children, making Christmas cards to send to veterans and service members, soliciting donations, collecting money and walking in Utica’s version of America’s Greatest Heart Run and Walk, the Walk to end Alzheimer’s, Out of the Darkness Walk to Prevent Suicide, Making Strides to end Breast Cancer Walk, cleaning senior citizen’s yards, preparing food and serving meals at local food pantries, youth mentoring and tutoring and other community activities.

“The Oneida County Children Care Initiative began in 2009 with the goal of teaching our children the benefits of being involved, community conscious citizens,” Youth Bureau Director Bob Roth said. Roth added, “This initiative is a testimony to the hard work our youth serving agencies do on a daily basis and to the youth of Oneida County, who really do care.”