Looking for some civic engagement to spice up your fall? HandsOn Greater Richmond is an online convener of volunteer opportunities -- and the nonprofits that rely on volunteerism -- around town. Look at all of the work thatâs being done or find a project to give back with by browsing the âOpportunity Calendar.â HandsOn offers a variety of special events and programming, including the Youth Philanthropy Project (instilling the ethic of service in high schoolers and getting them engaged with their community), opportunities for the whole family, and DIY projects (which can be completed on your own time and from home). For professionals looking to serve organizationally, HandsOn offers a non-profit board member development program through the Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence. And their flagship event is HandsOn Day, a region-wide âservice blitzâ where more than 1,000 volunteers lend a hand in their community. HandsOn Day 2013 will be the sixth annual event, and this yearâs project offerings will improve parks, museums, gardens, schools and more. Volunteers will clean up Shiplock Park on the James River, paint games on the blacktop for E.D. Redd Elementary School, and string lights through Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden -- and much more. For more information, visit http://www.handsonrva.org.
Elaine Summerfield, host Jay Westermann, sound engineer