If you love your town and like to keep it beautiful and don’t mind getting your hands dirty a bit here is a volunteer effort for you coming in May…..

Jersey Cares Day 2013

Saturday, May 4, 2013

About the 15th Annual Jersey Cares Day

The 15th Annual Jersey Cares Day is a day of true partnership and community building, as 2,500 volunteers from all over New Jersey unite for the common goal of revitalizing and beautifying communities in 13 New Jersey counties (Bergen, Camden, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, and Union). In honor of the 15th anniversary of Jersey Cares Day, we have increased our geographic reach to include opportunities in 7 additional counties and added a variety of new projects including Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts, trailblazing in public parks, and baking cupcakes with children. Jersey Cares Day is also a fundraiser to support all of the important work Jersey Cares does throughout the year. Much like a walk-a-thon, Jersey Cares Day is a serve-a-thon. Our participating volunteers raise pledges for the time they are contributing, making the event an inspiring way to give back to the community!

Event Details

• Jersey Cares Day will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2013
• All volunteers will report directly to their sites for registration
• Project times and site size vary and are posted online
• Volunteers should wear clothes they feel comfortable getting dirty
• All volunteer projects will be held rain or shine, please check the Jersey Cares Day website in the event of inclement weather
• Volunteers ages 4+ are welcome to participate at select sites. Some sites have different age limits – please check before registering. Volunteers under the age of 18 must have a youth waiver signed by their parent or guardian in order to participate.

Volunteer Projects

Volunteers are needed for the following activities:

• Painting Inspirational Murals (murals sketched in advance)
• Restoring the Jersey Shore in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy
• Transforming Urban School Playgrounds with Line Games and Interactive Maps of the United States
• Serving Hot Meals
• Socializing with Seniors
• Organizing Donations

Note: This is a sampling of projects throughout the state. All projects will not occur at all sites. For a complete list of projects available, please visit www.jerseycaresday.org

Registration

• To register for Jersey Cares Day, visit our website www.jerseycaresday.org
• Registration opens on Monday, February 4, 2013
• Volunteers can register as either a team or individual– Teams consist of 5 or more family, friends, or coworkers
• Each team assigns a Team Leader who will coordinate all the details for the team on and before the event

Fundraising

There is no cost to participate, however, volunteers are asked to make a $5 donation to help cover the costs of the event (including t-shirts.) Also, this is a serve-a-thon, and we encourage all participants to fundraise. When you register for Jersey Cares Day, you will get your very own customizable web page and a number of easy to use tools, which allow you to e-mail family, friends and co-workers. The e-mails will provide a direct link to your personalized Jersey Cares Day web page where visitors can learn more about the event, your participation and make a donation. Those who raise funds above the suggested minimum will be eligible for great prizes!

About Jersey Cares

Jersey Cares is a non-profit, community-based organization established in 1993 that works to meet compelling community needs by encouraging civic engagement. With local service agencies, corporations and civic-minded individuals as our partners, we link volunteers with meaningful service projects to improve and enhance our communities. We provide individuals, families, and corporate and community groups with a wide variety of volunteer opportunities. Jersey Cares partners with hundreds of non-profit agencies to provide service projects that range from serving meals to building greenhouses in urban schools. Jersey Cares is an affiliate of the Hands on Network, an innovative alliance of volunteer catalysts throughout the world.