April is the month of spring thaw. People come out of winter hibernation and look for things to do.
Fortunately, there are several national campaigns that take place in April that make it the ideal month to do something to help yourself, your community and our planet.
National Volunteer Week will be held from April 10-16. Community Volunteers in Action is the volunteer center for Schuylkill County. Each year, CVIA facilitates thousands of volunteers with their volunteer quests. More than 200 local volunteer opportunities can be found on the CVIA website at www.schuylkill.us/cvia. If you can’t find your perfect assignment there, look around your community to see how you can lend a helping hand.
Pay It Forward is a little known movement that is big on good will. The international day, April 28, is your chance to make someone feel good. The idea is that you do something nice for someone and they pass the kindness on to someone else and the chain of generosity continues — a ripple effect of good will.
Some ideas are to give the cashier a dollar toward the coffee purchase of the person behind you in line; buy an inexpensive bouquet of cut flowers, like friendly daisies, and pass them out to random people throughout the day; tape a lottery ticket to an ATM machine; or take a box of doughnut holes to your library.
Of course, you should also pass on a card explaining the act that encourages the recipient to continue the “chain.” You get the idea. Have fun with it. You can find ideas, school kits and downloadable cards at http://payitforwardday.com.
With little effort, you can help our planet. Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. Perhaps now is a good time to reduce your carbon footprint. If we all make little changes, it can make a big difference. Arbor Day will be on April 29. Plant it Forward is a movement to do something today to benefit future generations.
“The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” — Anonymous.
Forests are the green lungs of the world and play a key role in the health of the planet. Nothing could survive without plants — they’re the foundation for most of Earth’s ecosystems. In addition to providing oxygen, trees absorb carbon dioxide and provide food and shelter for animals while supplying us with wood products from newspaper to furniture. Why not plan a project for the entire family to participate in this month? Plant a tree at home or in the woods. The planet has been kind to us, it’s time to return the favor. You can find ideas at www.earthday.org and at www.arborday.org.
When you think of spring, emergencies and natural disasters aren’t the first things to come to mind. However, catastrophes aren’t just something in movies, they occur every season, including spring. Schuylkill County is not immune. Learn about your local hazards and take action to become more resilient before, during and after a disaster or emergency strikes.
April 30 is FEMA’s America’s PrepareAthon Day. You can find information on how to prepare for virtually any kind of natural threat on the FEMA website at www.community.fema.gov. You can also learn protective measures at www.ready.gov. The more you know, the more confident and better prepared you’ll be to help yourself, your family and your neighbors.
These are just a few of the ways you can make April a great month for all. Have fun with them while helping others.
Community Volunteers in Action is the volunteer center for Schuylkill County. Use the preceding contact information for those specific opportunities and search other listings on our website at www.schuylkill.us/cvia. Find us on Facebook. Call us at 570-628-1426 or email to jjohnston@co.schuylkill.pa.us.