Volunteers make community nicer

The projects included sorting food donations, painting and landscaping.
& lt;a href=mailto:skolnick@vindy.com & gt;By DAVID SKOLNICK & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A small contingent of teenage girls who attend St. Patrick's Church sang the children's song "Bingo" as they cleared shrubs and debris from outside the Catholic Charities Regional Agency building on Belmont Avenue.
Though they were working hard, they were also enjoying themselves.
The girls were among 80 teens and 20 adults who spent Saturday making places in Mahoning County, mostly in Youngstown, nicer and cleaner.
Organized by the Youngstown/Mahoning Valley United Way, the volunteers cleaned up outside nonprofit agencies and the homes of clients of the Volunteer Service to Seniors program as part of Youth Day of Caring.
"It gives something back to the community," said Jerriene London, 13, of Youngstown, one of the St. Patrick parishioners. "We're trying to make the area look as good as it can."
Carla Hlavac of Poland, the church's religion education director, said it's important to play an active role in the community.
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Stacie Rodriguez of Youngstown, 14, a St. Patrick parishioner, said she enjoyed being outside with her family and friends doing what they can to help make Youngstown look more attractive.
Nancy Voitus, the local Catholic Charities' executive director, said she was grateful to the St. Patrick's girls for helping her agency, which moved into the building a few days ago, next door to the Cafaro Co. office.
"We're unpacking boxes inside and we needed help outside cleaning up, and this is wonderful for us," she said.
The children and adult volunteers spent about three hours Saturday morning doing a variety of tasks including sorting food donations, painting, landscaping, assembling craft projects and doing outside cleanup projects at 15 sites, said JoAnn Stock, a United Way spokeswoman.
"When you think about everything that was accomplished in three hours, they made such a difference in our community," she said. "This teaches them about the needs of our community and how important volunteering is."
Pleasing parents
Mary Sihulich, a Hubbard High School senior, spent the day planting flowers and cleaning up at the Drop In Center on Fifth Avenue, near the Stambaugh Auditorium.
The facility, run by the Help Hot Line, is a meeting place for about 50 people who are mentally disabled, allowing them to play bingo, darts and cards and hold parties, said Shirley Sikora, the Help Hot Line's residential coordinator.
Sikora said, "I think our parents will be surprised" that she and four other Hubbard High School National Honor Society girls spent the morning doing outdoor work, including planting flowers, raking leaves and painting the porch. That's because most of them don't do yard work at their own homes, she said.
"It's a good program, and very helpful for the community," said Danielle Nock, a Hubbard High School junior. "It's a rewarding experience. It's good to help people. It makes you feel better about yourself, too."
& lt;a href=mailto:skolnick@vindy.com & gt;skolnick@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;