Friday, October 21, 2011
John and Jill Phillips have donated the services on their Squeals on Wheels petting zoo to the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C., for four years.
Veterans’ faces lit up at the sound of ducks quacking and alpacas whining, at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C., last month. Potomac couple John and Jill Phillips have donated their time and services to the retirement home for the past four years, bringing their Squeals on Wheels menagerie of ducks, rabbits, horses and alpacas into the lives of the country's elderly veterans. "Animals tend to bring a smile to everyone's face," said Carol Mitchell, recreation therapist at the home. "It brings a lot of happiness." According to Mitchell and fellow recreation therapist, Amanda Jensema, the farm animals give the veterans an experience that is a little bit different from traditional pet therapy. It also allows many of those …
Check out Patch's announcement section for volunteer opportunities around the area.
It's Friday of Montgomery County's Community Service Week, and Patch wants to know how you're volunteering in your community. If you have pictures, video or stories of your volunteer service, please send them to katie.griffith@patch.com so we can feature your hard work. Looking for places to serve? We've got the answer: Check out Patch's announcement section for volunteer opportunities around the area. There are many opportunities available for those looking to serve, from volunteering with the Manna Food Center to helping transport senior citizens around the area. Don't forget to take a look at bulletins posted around churches and public areas in Potomac, as well as the Montgomery County volunteer website.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Julianne Pearson, a senior at Connelly School of the Holy Child in Potomac, is an active community volunteer and has recently been named the Potomac Chamber of Commerce “Youth of the Year.”
Julianne Pearson, a senior at Connelly School of the Holy Child in Potomac, received the surprise of a lifetime this month when the school’s director of campus ministry, Jean Plummer, called her into her office. Plummer and Pearson’s mother, Judy Costello, had been in cahoots about Pearson’s nomination to be the Potomac Chamber’s “Youth of the Year.” In the school's nomination of Pearson for the distinction, Plummer wrote: "More than once I have heard a student comment that we need more people like Julianne Pearson in the world, and I know that her example inspires others to grow to be better people." When Plummer and Costello learned that Pearson had been chosen for the honor, they planned a surprise for her at the school. After being…
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Check out Patch's announcement section for volunteer opportunities around the area.
It's Wednesday of Montgomery County's Community Service Week, and Patch wants to know how you're volunteering in your community. If you have pictures, video or stories of your volunteer service, please send them to katie.griffith@patch.com so we can feature your hard work. Looking for places to serve? We've got the answer: Check out Patch's announcement section for volunteer opportunities around the area. There are many opportunities available for those looking to serve, from volunteering with the Manna Food Center to helping transport senior citizens around the area. Don't forget to take a look at bulletins posted around churches and public areas in Potomac, as well as the Montgomery County volunteer website.
Local students at Winston Churchill High School strive to improve their communities through volunteer service.
When Winston Churchill High School students Seyeon and Yiyeon Seo traveled to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip last year, they were awestruck by the living conditions. “Every two hours the electricity went out, mosquitoes were everywhere, you couldn’t shower unless it rained and there were barely any roads – they were plain mud,” Seyeon said. The girls had never traveled outside the country for a mission trip before, and the experience gave them a new perspective. “I experienced a lot of things I would’ve never experienced,” Seyeon said. “I strongly encourage people to participate in community service because, not only does it benefit the society, it benefits the volunteer as well.” All Montgomery County residents are encouraged to…
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Potomac volunteers find creative ways to serve.
“Each day, if I have helped someone else, my day was not useless,” said Potomac resident Saba Rashid. With the amount of projects Rashid heads and supports, it would appear that she has had very few useless days. As a board member of the Montgomery County Muslim Foundation, she has helped the group collect food and donations for the Manna Food Center at the local Potomac Giant, gathered food and funds for Thanksgiving dinners and aided in assembling Thanksgiving baskets and delivering them to needy families in Montgomery County. The MCMF also provided food and funds for a Christmas Holiday Gift Basket program for 200 families. But Rashid goes beyond providing time and funds. She is creative and dedicated. Last year, when members of the …
Monday, October 17, 2011
The Potomac Rotary Club supports community and literacy by giving free dictionaries to third-graders in nine area public schools.
Members of the 51-year-old Rotary Club of Potomac are gearing up for their fall community service project. In just a few weeks they will deliver approximately 800 free dictionaries to third-graders in nine elementary schools in Montgomery County, as part of the club’s mission to help increase global literacy. According to Don Harrison, club chair of the national Dictionary Project for the past three years, members will not only deliver the dictionaries, but will meet with students to discuss the importance of dictionaries in improving their communication skills. “It is more than just a dictionary as it contains a copy of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, information on each president, each state and countries around the …
Don Harrison is a Rotary club member and an active volunteer with several area organizations.
Don Harrison, like most Rotarians, was introduced to the Rotary Club through a friend. He liked its mission and motto of “Service Above Self.” Harrison is no stranger to volunteering. He is actively involved with three non-profit groups that support the National Park Service in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park. At September's C&O Canal Park After Dark event, Harrison accepted the William O. Douglas Award on behalf of the Friends of the Historic Great Falls Tavern. The Potomac Rotary Club has 35 active members and meets every Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. for lunch at Normandie Farm Restaurant. Montgomery County’s Community Service Week is in full swing, and Patch would love to share your story. How do you stay involved …
Check out our calendar for more of the day's events.
Welcome to Monday and a whole new week, Potomac! I’m sure you know what that means: It’s time to get your morning started with your daily “5 Things.” Among today’s offerings: weather, a glimpse of what to expect later in the week and a few quick notes. 1. Skies should be partly sunny today with a high near 73, according to the National Weather Service. Tonight, we may see some clouds with lows around 52. 2. Today marks the start of Montgomery County’s Community Service Week, and Patch would love to share your story. How do you stay involved with your community? What service projects are important to you? We will run a series of stories profiling community service in and around the Potomac community all week, so send in your own photos and …
Curious about Community Service Week? This Q&A with service coordinator Lucy Yost should answer your questions.
As Montgomery County celebrates this year's 25th annual Community Service Day with an entire week of service projects, Patch contacted Montgomery County Volunteer Center service coordinator Lucy Yost for the scoop. The volunteer center aims to mobilize people and resources to solve community needs. The center's Community Service Day event usually takes place on the fourth Saturday in October — this year that's Oct. 22. Patch: What is the purpose of Community Service Week? Lucy Yost: The purpose of Community Service Week is to get people involved in service throughout our community. The Montgomery County Volunteer Center is part of county government, and we help people find volunteer opportunities throughout the year. Also, Community …
Rochelle
6:57 am on Saturday, October 22, 2011
What a great story!!!! Thanks more ›