Here Are Some Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities In Decatur

If you want to give back to the community, here are some upcoming volunteer projects provided by the City of Decatur and the City Schools of Decatur.

April 18, 19, 25 and 26: Decatur Farm to School Projects

It's spring time and the lettuce growing in our school gardens is begging to be picked and eaten! We are in need of volunteers to help with washing the lettuce and taste tests. We appreciate your help in making our district-wide taste tests a success!

WASHING: Wednesday April 18 and 25 at the Westchester/Central Office kitchen. Need 8-10 volunteers/day between 9am-3pm in two-hour shifts. We'll also need salad spinners, cutting boards and knives.

TASTE TEST: Thursday, April 19, for College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center, Oakhurst Elementary, Winnona Park Elementary and Decatur High. Thursday, April 26, for Glennwood Elementary, Clairemont Elementary, FAVE, Renfroe Middle. Will be held during lunch hours in the school cafeteria. Hours typically range somewhere in between 10am-2pm. Need two volunteers/school.

Memorial Day Weekend: Decatur Arts Festival

Summer starts in Decatur with the annual Decatur Arts Festival over Memorial weekend! It takes hundreds of volunteers to make this festival a success. Join in one or more of these fun volunteering opportunities - set up and close down of the Artists Market, Artists Helpers, Volunteer/Artist Check In, Kids & Teens Arts Festival, Fine Arts Exhibition, Silent Auction, Theater & Literary Arts, and Souvenir/Information Tent.  There are also opportunities leading up to the festival to assist with distribution of posters and programs and to help in the office.

Volunteers receive a Decatur Arts Festival T-shirt. The deadline to choose your t-shirt size for volunteering at the festival is May 4. (After that date, you will receive a t-shirt but size choice is not guaranteed.)  Close Down volunteers will receive a special thank you gift in addition to the volunteer T-shirt.

To obtain a volunteer signup form or details about volunteer opportunities, contact LeeAnn Harvey, volunteer coordinator at the City of Decatur, at leeann.harvey@decaturga.com or call 678-553-6548.

April 21, 9 a.m.-noon: Decatur High School Community Garden at the corner  of West Howard and Commerce Drives. Parking at West Howard and McDonough.

Volunteers who enjoy getting their hands dirty in the open air are needed for work days for the Decatur High School Community Garden. Tools and refreshments are provided, but please bring work gloves if you have them.  Work to be done includes turning compost piles, preparing raised beds, weeding plots, watering common plots, planting crops, clearing brush and kudzu and cleaning and sharpening tools. Plots are also available in the garden for 2012 for $20 annually for Decatur students and staff, or $65 for others. Future 2012 work days are scheduled on May 5, May 19, June 2, June 16, July 7, July 21, Aug. 4, Aug. 18, Sept. 22, Oct. 6, Oct. 20, Nov. 10 and Dec. 1. Contact Diane Loupe at 404-374-3990 or dloupe@mindspring.com to find out more.

April 21 and 28: Global Growers Network Gardens, Decatur Kitchen Garden and Burundi Women’s Farm

Global Growers Network recently opened the Decatur Kitchen Garden on the grounds of the United Methodist Children’s Home in Decatur. This garden joins its Decatur sister garden, Burundi Women’s Farm, on Sams Street next to the Avondale MARTA station on College Avenue. There are upcoming volunteer opportunities on April 21 and 28 to help with a tool drive, planting, and other garden work. If you have any extra garden tools you don’t need, please consider donating them to the Global Grower’s Network Tool Drive. The tools can be dropped off April 18 and 25 at the Decatur Farmers Market and April 21 and 28 at Decatur's Kitchen Garden.  For more information about the gardens, tool drive, internships, and volunteer opportunities contact Angela at angela@globalgrowers.net or visit http://www.globalgrowers.net/.

April 28: Take Back the Night 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk

The 21st Take Back the Night 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk will be held Saturday, April 28, to benefit DeKalb Rape Crisis Center (DRCC). The race begins and ends at historic Agnes Scott College and winds through the beautiful Oakhurst and East Lake communities. The one mile begins at 5 p.m. and the 5K begins at 5:30 p.m. Stay after the race for a Decatur's largest pizza party, live music from "JoyScout," children's activities and awards.

Enthusiastic volunteers are also invited to assist with the race. For more information on Take Back the Night, email beth@dekalbrapecrisiscenter.org or visit www.dekalbrapecrisiscenter.org.

To run in the race, register online at www.active.com or in-person at any Phidippides location. Adult registration is $25 through April 20 and $30 after April 20. Youth registration, ages 12 & under, is $15 through April 20 and $20 after April 20. Everyone is encouraged to participate in this family-friendly event! The race will be held rain or shine.

May 5-6: Decatur Garden Tour

Help staff the gardens for the Decatur Garden Tour, May 5-6, and receive a free ticket -- good for both days of the tour plus the Saturday evening event. Your duties will include greeting the visitors at your assigned garden and spending time in the garden - a little over two hours' service.

We have a wonderful mix of gardens on the tour this year throughout the Decatur area. Saturday is 10am.-5pm and then one garden open for 7-9 pm. On Sunday the gardens are open 12pm-5pm. Shifts are 2.5 hrs and volunteers get a free ticket for the entire tour.

To volunteer, go to www.decaturgardentour.com and click on the volunteer tab or email Sharan Martin at gardentourvolunteers@gmail.com.

CATCH Healthy Habits

CATCH Healthy Habits is a program that will help you help children learn the benefits of healthy eating and physical activity, and maybe pick up a healthy habit yourself.  The CATCH Healthy Habits Summer Program begins the week of June 4.  For one hour each week this Summer, adults age 50+ will team up with children grades K-5 to encourage healthier eating and fitness.  The program provide all the materials and all the training – free of charge!  Each class includes education about good nutrition, a healthy snack that is fun and delicious, and a half-hour of fitness activities. Training provided. To learn more or to volunteer, contact Mary Newton, CATCH coordinator at 404-463-4554 or mnewton@atlantaregional.com.