Big Plan for Saturday's Volunteer Event!!!!

Dear Volunteers, (We need all hands for this one so please invite a friend or family member!!!)

As a reminder we have a Multi-Agency Volunteer Event coming up this Saturday, July 30th @ 9AM. We will be at 425 Virginia Ave in Lake Worth to help and uplift a member of our community and neighbor to all of the Palm Beaches. Agencies represented will be Rebuilding Together of the Palm Beaches, SWA's Paint Your Heart Out, Neighbors Helping Neighbors Project, Residents of Lake Osborne Heights, Members of neighboring Associations including groups from as far south as Boca Raton and as far north as Jupiter, Members and Graduates from this years REAP Program as sponsored by our friends at OCR and many other support Agencies such as departments from the City of Lake Worth and many more. (Representative will be on hand to sign off on any community service hours!!!)

We will have Three Major Teams which include the yard/landscaping team, House Painting Team and inside clean out team. When you arrive we ask that you park at Lake Osborne which is the North end of Virginia Ave and our location is 3 houses south. (We will need to keep the front of the home street side clear to dump our debris for pick up). Please proceed to the sign in tent before starting any work....It is very important to all the agencies and the program that we track all hours for each of our events.
Please note that the sign up tent will also be the First Aid Station and where we will keep the water and ice! Even if your coming for a visit please sign in.....(We need Two or Three volunteers to help at the tent and circulate continuously through the volunteer groups to ensure everyone is staying hydrated - Safety First is the main thing and we want to avoid any heat stress issues)

Directions: From I-95 South or North exit 6th Ave South go west over the track and turn right (north) on Wright Drive then first left on Virginia Ave....(go around the turn) and then to the end of the street for parking. From the Western Communities please take Lake Worth Road east....You will pass Congress Ave and Palm Beach State College and John Prince Park....Turn at first Right on to Lake Osborne Drive and follow the lake around to Virginia Ave and park at the lake.

What to Expect: Weather wise we are expecting a hot but breezy day so in light of the heat we suggest Light-colored Clothing made of light material such as cotton but keep in mind they will get dirty. Please use Sunscreen and if your outside a hat is encouraged. Plan to take breaks often as to avoid heat stress and when asked to get some shade and water to please do so....We will be providing gloves and all material to do the work and for those on the inside team we will have masks. Since we will have multiple teams working please be aware of the volunteers around you and be safe. All debris will be taken to the roadside and Vegetation must be separated from debris for proper pick up.

Yard Teams will be mowing, trimming and removing debris of any kind from the yard with one of our two landscapers that are attending....The back yard is very large and we also want to identify any breaks in the fence line in order to secure so that the homeowners dog will not be able to get out of the yard. (Dog - There is one dog at the location who will be in and out during the day if your allergic to dogs this is not an event for you so please keep this in mind - the dog is extremely people friendly and we all need to make sure she is kept hydrated as well) All Debris closest to the home should be removed first for the painting team. Take Breaks Often!!!

Landscaping Team will be following the direction of our other landscaping professional who will plan out our beautification portion of the front of the home. (donation of plants are more than welcome and donated plants can be used on all sides of the home) We have about 20-25 bags of mulch and many plants that will have to all be delivered on Friday Evening so if you are bringing plants please get them to me or make arrangements for a drop off (My cell is 909-8708 PLEASE leave a message!!) Example of plant donation is I have to thin out a very large patch of Amarillo's that will work well in almost any area of the yard. Keep in mind the main beautification is the front side of the home that will benefit the homeowner and the neighborhood as a whole. Landscape team may want to come to the location earlier around 8:30 and please do not plant anything at the building's edge...beds must be away from the building to ensure the success of the painting groups. Take Breaks Often!!!

Painting Team will be in charge of painting the exterior of the home and all the supplies and paint will be provided. You will need to decide who is doing trim work and who is rolling the main walls. Power Washing was completed already and the home is ready to go. There is one section in the back that has some wood work and our experts will determine if it needs to be removed or can be repaired first thing in the morning. As with the other outside teams please take breaks often!!!!

Inside Clean Out Team will be required to where gloves and masks....all large items should be removed first and taken to road side (Furniture in most rooms is not salvageable and must be taken out however if in question ask a team lead first) Furniture donations are already being received but will not be brought to the home until all inside debris is removed, every inch has been cleaned and sanitized. (We have already received a beautiful complete set for her home office) Conditions inside are not what most of you will be used to and we ask that everyone remember that we must treat this with sensitivity and encouragement that we are here to help. All small debris must be bagged and placed to curbside as well. And remember to take breaks often!!!!

Words of Encouragement - We ask that everyone understand that there are many social, economic and various issues that lead people down many different paths and as volunteers we are coming into a home of someone that has faced her challenges, has taken action to improve her quality of life and has invited us into her home to help....We are guests and should understand that what you will be witnessing is more common in our county than most would think....Please treat the situations with kindness, respect and dignity. Also please be aware when you go back to your neighborhood to take a big look around.....if you have situations in your area we would like to encourage you to ask a few questions to see if you have a neighbor in need. Sometimes a person just needs a helping hand and a few kind words. After we end on this Saturday we will be able to re-asses the homeowners needs and send out communications for items to be donated or set her up with other agencies in order to get the assistance that she needs.

Last but not least there will be people of all ages and backgrounds. Please remember that we need to watch our language so that we are respectful of each other....even though we will be working hard we also want to have fun and enjoy each others company and spirit of giving back to our communities and most of all we hope that you meet new like minded volunteers so that we can become a closer family as a county and help each other where ever the challenges that face our residents take us. Partnering and collaborating with each other is a very powerful tool that will encourage more people to join your local movement to improve your community.

We thank everyone in advance for taking on this big challenge and we hope that we can carry the spirit of this event to all corners of Palm Beach County so we can help a Neighbor in Need in your community soon.

Robert Waples and (561-909-8708 - Please leave a message!!!)
Your Sponsoring Teams

www.volunteerpalmbeach.com

http://www.rebuildingtogether-pb.org/

Volunteer to make a difference today!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for July 30th Project

Hey Gang!

We have a new project coming up on Virginia Ave in Lake Worth! We need all the volunteers that we can get. We will be cleaning out the inside, Painting the outside and yard work.....I'm not going to kid you....This is a BIG job but I know the bulk can be done in one day.

One day!!!! YES One Day :-) The neighbors on the street are already excited and the homeowner is just a charm and a delight! So get those work boots, gloves and any cleaning supplies you can muster.....I will be bringing some rakes, shovels and other yard equipment, our partners at PBSO will be bringing the "work wagon", Rebuilding Together will be bringing more tools and volunteers and of course Paint Your Heart Out will be bringing the paint and equipment to do the painting. Guest Appearance by SWA's Joanna Aiken and Linda Moreno!!!! (and the crowd goes wild!!!!) :-)

Another GREAT project in Palm Beach County and Lake Worth! If you have not been to one of these projects, this is the one you want to come to and start a movement where you live! Volunteering plants seeds to help every community grow closer together!

Lake Worth Lagoon Public Outreach

Subject: Next LWL Public Outreach Group Meeting - August 24

Dear Lake Worth Lagoon Public Outreach Group participants,

Our next meeting will be held:
August 24 (Wednesday)
1:30-3:30 pm
PBC Dept. of Environmental Resources Management, 1st Floor Vista Center (Room 1E-60), 2300 N. Jog Road, West Palm Beach
Directions: http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/erm/contactus/

We look forward to…
…a presentation from Mr. Tom McLaulin, President, Florida Paddling Trails
…discussing September’s International Coastal Cleanup
…listening to participant announcements
…and more!

Please share with others who may be interested in attending. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions feel free to call or email.

All the best,

Alyssa

Alyssa Dodd
Environmental Analyst, Public Outreach
PBC Department of Environmental Resources Management
2300 N. Jog Rd., 4th Floor, West Palm Beach, FL 33411-2743
Phone: (561) 233-2448
Email: ADodd@co.palm-beach.fl.us
http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/erm/
Learn more about the Lake Worth Lagoon Initiative at www.LWLI.org

Wish list for NHNP People in need

Dear Volunteers,

We have a couple of folks that do not fall into the normal categories of most programs but that is part of why we have NHNP.

We have two Single Moms that are in the process of moving do to circumstances beyond their control....They both have jobs but the expense of moving will leave them short on items.

Second hand in GOOD condition is perfectly acceptable.

Living room furniture
Bedroom Furniture
Pots & Pans
Stove for a trailer size kitchen
Bathroom items such as towels, wash clothes, etc....

Just about anything that you would need to live an everyday life they will need.

Also we will be working in the ROLOH Neighborhood on July 30th in a house that basically needs to have everything taken out and replaced. Same as above we need it all......

If your going to be remodeling or replacing items and your old items are in good shape we can use them!!!!!

Please contact use at nhnproject@gmail.com, robertwaplesii@yahoo.com, jaiken@swa.org or lmoreno@swa.org for additional information...

THANKS
Robert

Trixie's Clean Up Start, Middle and Finished

Dear Volunteers and Supporters,

As I write this I have to admit that I'm in tears.....We have spent 16 long months on this one project and looking at the three slide shows below and all of you that have helped and witness this project will understand how emotional it is for me personally to reach this point.

The first slide is only a slight view of what it was like from the beginning to the middle of this project and the second slide is the in progress show.....The third slide show is of the finished inside and there is still need for this individual but to reach this point for me and the volunteers I represent is a huge success....My heart is overjoyed and filled with love and happiness for all of YOU and your contributions to reaching this point.

I will post the first slide show, then the second and third then some special shout outs at the end.

I can not personally thank everyone enough for your personal contributions for making this happen and with a over whelming heart I have to say.... We have more to accomplish for others that need the same....God Bless everyone for helping and I hope you see the hard work in these to slide shows as I do.

Slide Show 1 - Beginning and Middle

Slide Show 2 - Progress

Slide Show 3 - Completed with more pics to be added :-)

This might not be HGTV or DIY Finished but for what we all went through! This Hoarders Crash is done!

I want to send out the following special thanks and I hope that Joanna and Many Others will comment and include all the people and groups I might miss.....I know there will be plenty as we have had over 200 volunteers on this one project for the past 16 Months.

First I want to thank Tony - Trixie's Son-in-Law for all that you have contributed through the process and especially at the end as I would never have the end result pic's with out your dedication to this project. I hope in my heart that Trixie understand how much you did to get her back into her home....and still yet to do.

I want to thank Jenny Weed of the ROLOH "CLAN" for being there when no one else was...You have stood by my side every step of the way and I personally thank you for your very hard work and contributions to some of the worst of the worst of this project and especially today for tackling the almighty fridge :-)

I want to Thank Joanna Aiken of the Solid Waste Authority, Rebuilding Together of the Palm Beaches, Paint Your Heart Out, Adopt-A-Spot and so many other organizations including Neighbors Helping Neighbors Project for providing so many volunteers, resources, supplies and frankly without you this would not have happened....I hope everyone at SWA understand how important you and your team are to all of us out here in Palm Beach County....

I special thanks to the Men and Women of PBSO D14 who came out time after time after time to help me get this done.....I know you have better things to do on your days off and I personally along with all my team members thank you for all that you do for our community. Your team ROCKS our world every day and we thank you for being exactly who you are....Law Enforcement that gives back to the community.

I would like to send a special shout out to Joseph Kroll and his City of Lake Worth Team for supporting this very project. You and your team, without question kept picking up our piles and piles and piles and piles.....you get the the drift.... Thank You Mr. Kroll for being one of the strongest members and city team leaders for making Lake Worth a great place to live and provide Charitable Services to our general public.

A special thanks to the Lake Osborne Presbyterian Church Volunteers that kept coming back for more and more....Omar! Your people ROCK in my book and also helped me grow closer to my Christian Roots. Thank You for your services to our neighborhood, this project and to me personally....

And to all our VOLUNTEERS YOU SO ROCK ALL OF YOU....To see your faces come and go and wonder in amazement with "how are they going to get this done" is amazing to me but you kept coming back for more abuse/helping hands.....With out volunteers the World would be a much more needy place and with all of you from High Schools to Honor Societies to Adjoining Neighborhoods, Members of OCR - Office of Community Revitalization and members of the NAPC - Neighborhood Association Presidents Council...

WE ARE VOLUNTEERS AND WE ACCOMPLISH OUR GOALS AND WE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THINGS HAPPEN!

God Bless You All
Robert Waples
Community Volunteer Advocate