This year, Keep Liberty Beautiful and the local United Way office are teaming up to participate in Global Youth Service Day, which is actually a three-day celebration that runs from April 15-17.
Global Youth Service Day is an annual campaign that celebrates and mobilizes the millions of children and youth who improve their communities every day through service and service learning. Established in 1988, Global Youth Service Day is the largest service event in the world. It also is billed as the only day of service dedicated to children. GYSD is celebrated each year in more than 100 countries.
Each year, millions of children and youth around the world work with schools, youth organizations, nonprofits, community and faith-based organizations, volunteer and national service programs, government agencies and faith communities to address the world’s critical issues and change their communities on Global Youth Service Day.
Global Youth Service Day is organized by Youth Service America and its Global Youth Service Network, which includes:
• Sponsors: State Farm, United Healthcare, Disney, Sodexo, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and Learn and Serve America
• International partners: More than 50 global partners, 10 regional partners, dozens of country partners and hundreds of local organizers
• U.S. partners: More than 150 national partners, 75 GYSD lead agencies, 13 Semester of Service organizers and hundreds of YSA grantees and local organizers
In 1988, Youth Service America and the Campus Outreach Opportunity League organized the first National Youth Service Day, then called, “A Day in the Life of Service.” Nearly 1,000 programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia participated. In 1990, YSA joined forces with COOL, the United States Conference of Mayors, Weekly Reader and the Jefferson Awards to celebrate the day. More than 1,500 programs, a bipartisan group of 331 mayors and 13 governors planned special service events, recognition and award ceremonies, as well as citywide youth forums. In 2000, YSA founded Global Youth Service Day by adapting the model of National Youth Service Day in the United States. Since then, GYSD has grown to include hundreds of partners and millions of participating young people worldwide.
Last year, during the weekend of April 23-25, millions of youth participated in thousands of service and service-learning initiatives in order to improve their communities. Here are some impressive statistics:
• Volunteers participated on 6 continents.
• 3,091 projects were registered on GYSD.org.
• 648 grants were disbursed to youth, nonprofits and schools, totaling $716,000.
• Projects got thousands of media placements with close to 2 billion media impressions.
• 1,165 local, state and federal government officials signed 35 state proclamations; there were 27 co-sponsors for the U.S. Senate resolution and 44 co-sponsors for the U.S. House resolution.
As part of the Global Youth Service event, we invite local youth groups, church groups and schools to participate in the upcoming Great American Cleanup events listed below. Groups also may schedule a beautification activity or cleanup during April 15-17 by calling 880-4888 or e-mailing klcb@libertycountyga.com. We can help with supplies and water for volunteers. Participants also get Great American Cleanup T-shirts. Here are some of the events already scheduled for this year’s Global Youth Services Day on April 16:
• Neighborhoods and communities cleanup
• Flemington cleanup
• Walthourville cleanup
• Allenhurst cleanup
Cleanups will begin at 8:45 a.m. and conclude around 12:30 p.m. after a volunteer appreciation picnic. To register and receive information about the cleanup you are interested in helping with, call Keep Liberty Beautiful at 880-4888 or the United Way at 368-4284. We want to make sure that we have enough supplies and food on hand so please register in advance.
We need volunteers to make this Great American cleanup our best one ever. Green starts here and it starts with you. Contact us to get involved!
Here are more local events that need volunteers:
• Riceboro cleanup:  March 26, 8:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• Hinesville cleanup: April 23, 8:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• Midway cleanup: April 30,
8:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• Gum Branch cleanup: April 30, 8:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• Read Across Liberty Day:
April 8