Youth Volunteer Corps Celebrates 5 Years, Launching New 'Spring of Service' Program

DANBURY, Conn. (March 24, 2014) – Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) of Western Connecticut is celebrating five years of orchestrating meaningful youth volunteer service-learning projects across the greater Danbury region. The youth service program, hosted by United Way of Western Connecticut, offers volunteer opportunities for more than 100 youth ages 11 - 18 throughout the school year and via a six-week Summer of Service program.

“Our youth volunteers have engaged in hundreds of volunteer projects over the five years YVC has been in the Western Connecticut community,” said Bridget Fox, executive vice president of strategy and volunteerism at United Way of Western Connecticut. “Their service has greatly impacted the community and, we hope, instilled in them a lifelong love of giving back to the community in which they live.” 

Last year 111 youth served a total of 2,156 volunteer hours assisting at after-school and pre-school programs, soup kitchens, parks and more.

“YVC of Western Connecticut has impacted the youth of Western Connecticut and the community itself greatly over its five years of existence,” said David Battey, founder and president of YVC’s headquarters in Kansas City. “The program is a great example of the impact YVC can have in its community, and we are so proud to have them as part of the YVC family.”

YVC of Western Connecticut is celebrating its fifth anniversary throughout 2014 with projects during the school year and a structured summer volunteer program. A new offering is the Spring of Service Serve-A-Thon taking place April 15-17. The Kick-Off Event will be held on Global Youth Service Day, April 12th from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Tarrywile Park.  Youth will work on a variety of projects including painting, trail maintenance and gardening. During Spring of Service, youth will assist The City of Danbury’s Office of Neighborhood Assistance cleaning up the downtown area of graffiti and addressing other blight issues. Additionally, youth will work at Dorothy Day Hospitality House serving breakfast with the Morning Glory Program of Catholic Charities and will visit the senior center and the library to assist with different tasks.

For more information how to get involved, please email Deirdre Wallin at deirdra.wallin@uwwesternct.org.

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ABOUT UNITED WAY OF WESTERN CONNECTICUT

United Way of Western Connecticut advances the common good, creating opportunities for a better life for all by focusing on the three key building blocks of education, income and health. United Way creates long lasting community change by addressing the underlying causes of problems that prevent progress in these areas. LIVE UNITED is a call to action for everyone to be a part of the change. For more information about United Way of Western Connecticut, please visit: www.uwwesternct.org.  

Youth Volunteer Corps of Western Connecticut’s mission is to create and increase volunteer opportunities to enrich youth, address community need, and develop a lifetime commitment to service. The program offers volunteer projects for youth ages 11 to 18 on weekends, after school and during the summer. Hosted by United Way of Western Connecticut, YVC of Western Connecticut is one of more than 30 affiliates of Youth Volunteer Corps, headquartered in Kansas City.