Grant supports environmental initiatives that culminate on Global Youth Service Day
Annapolis, MD – April 12, 2010 – The Volunteer Center For Anne Arundel County was one of 75 successful applicants around the world to receive a $500 Disney’s Friends for Change grant supporting youth-led environmental initiatives for Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), the largest service event in the world, April 23-25. Disney’s Friends for Change: Project Green (www.disney.com/projectgreen) is a program that encourages young people to take steps together with their friends to help the planet. The grants, administered by Youth Service America (YSA), offer youth the resources they need to bring environmental initiatives to life for their local communities.
Each Disney’s Friends for Change grant recipient participating in GYSD will join the thousands of projects and millions of youth who work to make their communities a better place. The funded service projects will address a broad range of environmental issues including clean water, creating community gardens, and raising awareness about renewable energy.
On Saturday, April 24, 2010 from 9:00 am- Noon, Join the Volunteer Center’s Help Save the Bay Project at Lake Waterford Park, 830 Pasadena Road, Pasadena, MD 21122. You can join with volunteers from the Youth Volunteer Corps of the Corridor, Bello Machre’s Aktion Club, Comcast Cares volunteers, Naval Academy midshipmen and other community volunteers to use conservation landscaping practices at Lake Waterford Park.
To protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the group will plant butterfly/rain gardens, weed, mulch, and do cleanup work. This will also be an opportunity to learn more about how Lake Waterford Park serves people of all abilities. Sponsoring organizations are: Volunteer Center, Anne Arundel Recreation and Parks, Bello Machre Aktion Club and Comcast Cares.
“Youth around the world care a great deal about the environment,” said Steve Culbertson, YSA president and CEO. “Disney’s Friends for Change grants are providing thousands of young people an opportunity to address those environmental issues that are the most pressing in their communities. And participating in Global Youth Service helps raise awareness of how children and youth are working towards creating a healthier planet.”
To participate in the April 24th project at Lake Waterford, contact Jennifer Calub at 410-897-9207 or info@volunteerannearundel.org . For more information about the Disney Friends for Change Grants, visit Disney.com/projectgreen. To learn more about Global Youth Service Day, visit www.GYSD.org.