1 Day Service Day Returns To Lima,
More Than 500 Volunteers To Come To The Area

On Saturday, Sept. 24, several hundred volunteers from churches and communities throughout the region will come to Lima to revitalize a neighborhood in just eight hours.

The area being impacted is the neighborhood surrounding Liberty Arts Magnet School on Kibby Street. Volunteers will participate in up to 80 projects including painting, trimming, mulching, planting, cleaning city blocks and parking lots, doing home repairs and more.

Last year was the first year for The Big Day of Serving experience in Lima, known last year as 1 By Youth. It was also only the 4th project of its type last year but helped to pave the way for the same event to take place in many more cities around the U.S. in 2011.

Last year more than 450 volunteers from around the region came together to complete 63 service projects in just eight hours.

Projects were completed in the area surrounding the Bradfield Community Center and included the Encore Theatre, two schools, a community garden and more than 50 homes.

Volunteers from as far away as Kentucky who had never heard of Lima before participated in the event. For many volunteers their first impression of Lima is one in which families come together to serve and support one another.

This year's service projects will take place on the streets immediately surrounding Liberty Arts Magnet School which was one of the projects included in the 2010 The Big Day of Serving experience.

Rather than having residents complete and mail in an application for work to be completed a group of volunteers will be going door to door talking with residents in the area where The Big Day of Serving is looking to make an impact.

The volunteers will meet with home residents to discuss desired improvements. All repairs, including labor, supplies and materials, are done at no cost to the homeowner.

The Big Day of Serving Lima experience is an opportunity for churches, youth and service groups, co-workers, families and individuals to take part in a one day mission/service experience close to home. Volunteers will start the morning with a kickoff rally at 8am.

They are then divided into teams to complete the service projects. Lunch is provided. At the end of the day the area residents and volunteers join together for a block party celebration with music, inflatable games and dinner. The event is over around 6pm.

"The Big Day of Serving experience is a great way to bring together residents, businesses and organizations to transform areas of our community while serving one another. It is amazing what you can accomplish in one day when it doesn't matter who gets the credit," says Londell Smith, Event Coordinator.

There are several ways for community members to get involved. Businesses and residents can make cash donations to offset the costs of putting on the event including food, supplies and materials. Second, products or services can be donated to help with the event. Finally, individuals or groups can volunteer and help make this great event happen.

Volunteers should register in advance at www.TheBigDayOfServing.com. As with many mission experiences there is a minor cost.

The small registration fee helps to offset the costs of two meals, t-shirt, supplies, materials, project coordination and more.

For more information such as how to get involved or to view a video and photos from the 2010 event visit www.TheBigDayOfServing.com.

The Big Day of Serving is a national program put on by Group Cares, a non-profit organization that has helped to organize mission projects for more than 30 years.

The national organization partners with local community members to put on The Big Day of Serving experiences which are one day mission projects. In a year's time, The Big Day of Serving group of projects hopes to mobilize 1 Million people to be a part of these 1 day mission events.

Locally, The Big Day of Serving is organized by a committee of individuals and business partners, including Monsanto, Trupointe, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, First Federal Bank, St. Rita's Medical Center and Bluffton-based Jerry Lewis' McDonald's Restaurants, as well as others who are looking to give back and make a positive impact in their own back yards.