In the News: Over 100 Volunteers Rake Leaves for Seniors- Including 50 Migrant Volunteers!
This past weekend, over 100 volunteers raked leaves for senior citizens around Woburn. The group included some 50 Haitian migrants staying in local hotels who volunteered as part of the effort. This was the second and final SCI Volunteers for Seniors raking day, that saw over 200 volunteers of all ages serve at 21 homes of seniors needing assistance with leaf raking.
SCI VEAP Outreach Coordinator, Vitalie Memeus, organized the participation of the migrant volunteers. They responded eagerly to the opportunity to help out in the new community that has been very welcoming to them. The migrants served along with families and individuals that have made volunteering for this raking for seniors project an annual tradition.
Memeus noted that, “Many of the migrant families are asking about the next volunteer opportunity. They want to keep on helping.”
SCI organizes this annual leaf raking project in partnership with Woburn Council on Aging and Woburn Senior Center. A diverse range of Woburn residents participate. Volunteers are drawn from school clubs, youth sports teams, scouting groups and local businesses. Many families with young children volunteer, providing a chance to teach their kids about the importance of service. The project began in 2015.
“This project is always a highlight of the fall, with volunteers from so many different walks of life coming together to help out,” commented SCI President David Crowley. “This year was particularly special, with migrant families eagerly jumping in to participate.”
