Saturday, Oct. 25

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'Make A Difference Day' proclaimed
by city and state    
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[OCT. 25, 2003]  Today is the day you are officially invited to join millions of other Americans throughout the nation in committing your time, effort and expertise to make a difference in our communities. Lincoln Mayor Beth Davis and Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich have joined other national, state and community leaders in proclaiming Oct. 25 as “Make a Difference Day” in Lincoln and in Illinois.

Your willingness to contribute to your community will have lasting and profound effects. There are numerous ways to get involved and a wide range of possible projects. Locally, you can contact CIEDC, Habitat for Humanity, the YMCA, Oasis, Lincoln Park District, ALMH or nursing homes. There are any number of places you might seek to serve youth, elderly or the less fortunate.

If you check with the mayor’s office, Main Street Lincoln, local city halls, the Lincoln/Logan Chamber of Commerce, Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau, other city or county agencies or offices, they are often in need of seasonal or special event volunteers.

Most of the museums as well as other points of interest in the county offer a warm welcome, fellowship and gratitude for assistance. We have a number of important museums. Three that regularly seek volunteers to welcome tourists are the historic courthouses, one in Lincoln and one in Mount Pulaski, and Heritage in Flight, which houses historical military and aviation displays, located at the airport. In some places the greatest need is just someone to open the doors and greet visitors.

Your skills can be put to use somewhere, whether they are communication, coordinating, comforting, clerical, mechanical or carpentry talents. Someone can use you. People who volunteer will tell you that the effort is light and the payoff is indeed worthwhile.

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Gov. Blagojevich said: “We know all too well the problems that plague our society. We know the perils that children face today. Drugs, gangs, broken homes, illiteracy and other ills threaten the futures of our youth. On this day, each of us can take a look around and find something we can do to make life better for someone else.

The state hosts a site to help you match your skills and time to a need. “Volunteerism and Community Service in Illinois” is located at http://www.illinois.gov/volunteer/

You will also find a listing and links to state agencies on the state of Illinois site at http://www.illinois.gov/. Many of these agencies know of a need for volunteers.

This is the 13th year of the day dedicated to neighbors helping neighbors that was begun as a sponsorship between USA Weekend magazine and Points of Light Foundation. 

Robert E. Dwyer, Jr., chair for the Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, said, “We can rebuild, reinvent and revitalize homes, communities, schools, places of worship, businesses, organizations and attitudes and help make things change for the better.”  

So, take time today and evaluate your place in our community. Look for something you can do and “make a difference.” 

You can visit the Make A Difference Day website for many more ideas: www.makeadifferenceday.com.

[Jan Youngquist]

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