Volunteer Into The New Year | 2019 Make A Difference Festival

With the New Year just starting, make one of your resolutions to give back and check out the Make A Difference for Pleasanton Festival held at the Pleasanton Public Library community room from 10 AM until 2 PM.

There will be over 40 tables set up with different non-profit organizations showing how to get involved with volunteer work for many age groups around the community. Mayor Jerry Thorne is also expected to be there at the beginning of the event.

Some of the non-profits that will be there include:

·        ACCUSPLIT Make A Difference Programs

·        Alameda County CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates)

·        Alviso Adobe Community Park

·        Amador Valley Quilters – Quilts of Valor Project

·        American Association of University Women (AAUW)

·        American Cancer Society

·        Asian Pacific Islanders American Public Affairs

·        Axis Community Health

·        Child Care Links

·        City of Pleasanton (Department of Library and Recreation)

·        CityServe of the Tri-Valley

·        Community of Character Coalition

·        Go Green Initiative Association

·        HERS Breast Cancer Foundation

·        Hooks and Needles

·        JustServe.org

·        Livermore-Amador Valley Garden Club

·        Lynnewood United Methodist Church

·        Meals On Wheels (Spectrum Community Services)

·        Museum On Main

·        Open Heart Kitchen

·        Pleasanton  Cultural Arts Council

·        Sandra J. Wing Healing Therapies Foundation

·        Senior Support Programs of the Tri-Valley

·        Special Olympics

·        Stanford Health Care/ValleyCare Auxiliary

·        Sunflower Hill/Sunflower Gardens

·        Tri-Valley Guide Dog Puppy Raisers

·        Tri-Valley One-Stop Career Center

·        Valley Children’s Museum ??

·        Valley Humane Society

People coming will also be expected to sign the “50/50 Pledge,” which states, “I pledge to spend at least 50 hours in community service, and to spend 50 more hours with my family in the next year.”  They can also sign the historic banner from the first of the Make A Difference Festivals.

“Also, we felt that people should make a commitment to community service on more than one day per year.  That is why we came up with the ‘50/50 Pledge’ and the slogan, ‘Get Connected, Stay Connected,’” said Sutton.

“This is a great way to learn of volunteer opportunities,” said Ken Mano, vice-president of Pleasanton’s Community of Character Coalition. “There will be many non-profits and other groups that serve our community from newborns to young children to our senior population and even animals. We all need to do our part in helping those who don’t have all the advantages and benefits which many of us enjoy.”

The festival helps fund the Juanita Haugen Memorial Scholarships, which, through the Community of Character Collaborative, are used to help high school graduated from the three high schools.

“We are pleased to host this event,” says Yu Tao, librarian.  “Because a growing number of organizations want to participate, the city’s Department of Library and Recreation will move our information tables into the children’s section of the library, just beyond the community room.  We hope participants will come by to see the volunteer opportunities we offer.”

Everything is free, including the library parking! We encourage you all to come!