[2] Former Peace Corps volunteer Ann Marie Hoffman didn't know she would spend her morning dragging tarps filled with crushed rocks to create a walkway around the soccer field at Clarkston Community Center



[2] Former Peace Corps volunteer Ann Marie Hoffman didn't know she would spend her morning dragging tarps filled with crushed rocks to create a walkway around the soccer field at Clarkston Community Center

Just doing 'whatever'
16,000 tackle volunteer jobs across Atlanta

By DON PLUMMER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/02/04

For many who volunteered Saturday to work during the 14th annual Hands On Atlanta Day, it was a day of surprises.

Former Peace Corps volunteer Ann Marie Hoffman didn't know she would spend her morning dragging tarps filled with crushed rocks to create a walkway around the soccer field at Clarkston Community Center.

"You don't find out what you're going to do until you get there," Hoffman said, pausing to wipe sweat from her face. "But that's OK, I just want to do whatever is needed."

That sentiment was echoed by several of the 50 people working at the community center.

This year, 16,000 volunteers registered to work as part of the nonprofit Hands On Atlanta's effort at nearly 200 sites around metro Atlanta, creating what organizers billed as "the nation's largest citywide day of service."

In Atlanta's West End, volunteer Michael Anderson also found that he was in for a surprise when he arrived at KIPP WAYS Academy, a 2-year-old charter school.

"I thought I'd never see a cubbie again after I left elementary school," the technology consultant said as he cleaned up after building 17 of the six-part storage cubicles.

Volunteer coordinator Amanda Pauley, who works for the day's prime sponsor — technology consulting firm Accenture — said some of the 400 people who came to the city of Atlanta charter school landscaped, installed donated computers or refinished classrooms. Others set up swing sets or painted 50 motivational murals for the playground fence.

"The idea is to surround our school with ideas that are important to the success of our kids," said KIPP WAYS Principal David Jernigan.

The volunteer blitz benefited Atlanta's centerpiece, Piedmont Park, where Mayor Shirley Franklin helped by planting a tree, and lesser-known open spaces, such as Beecher Park.

Southwest Atlanta's Beecher Park, gateway to a 200-acre tract the city and state purchased with $3 million of public and private funds, is perhaps most notorious as an informal trash dump, said Hands On Atlanta staffer Elizabeth Feichter.

After they hauled away trash and shoveled stubborn kudzu and English ivy vines, Feichter said about 1,000 volunteers from GE Energy installed benches and tables and scattered wood chips around the playground.. Finally, they planted native species of shrubbery and trees.

With little money allocated for maintenance of green space lands, volunteer effort and donated materials are essential, GE Energy's Suzanne West said.

"A considerable amount of money has been earmarked for acquisition, but almost none for maintenance to keep the forest healthy," said West.

After spending the morning sweating for good causes, Hands On Atlanta volunteers were invited to a party in the Meadow at Piedmont Park where they were treated to free food, beverages and entertainment.

Over the next 364 days, Hands On Atlanta will be connecting potential volunteers with needed projects one at a time, special events manager Lisa Rapp said.

"People wanting to volunteer during the rest of the year can go to our Web site, www.handsonatlanta.org, or call us at 404-979-2800," Rapp said.

When this story was posted in January 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Ask Not As our country prepares for the inauguration of a President, we remember one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century and how his words inspired us. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

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January 15, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Bellamy finishing term - Veneman to head Unicef 15 Jan 230 RPCVs volunteer for Crisis Corps 14 Jan Peace Corps Fund needs silent auction items 12 Jan Matt Gould in one-man Peace Corps show in Hollywood 12 Jan Taylor Hackford's "Ray" Nominated for Golden Globe 12 Jan Ambassador Johnson shares memories of Thailand 11 Jan Senator Dodd suggests PC return to Venezuela 11 Jan Ambassador Hull wants PC to return to Sierra Leone 11 Jan Poiriers unhappy with PC investigation of missing son 10 Jan Emile Hons reflects on the Deborah Gardner murder case 10 Jan Judge Paul A. Bastine criticized for stalling Divorce 6 Jan Volunteer Patricia D. Scatoloni dies in Macedonia 4 Jan more top stories...

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Coleman: Peace Corps mission and expansion Senator Norm Coleman, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees the Peace Corps, says in an op-ed, A chance to show the world America at its best: "Even as that worthy agency mobilizes a "Crisis Corps" of former Peace Corps volunteers to assist with tsunami relief, I believe an opportunity exists to rededicate ourselves to the mission of the Peace Corps and its expansion to touch more and more lives."

RPCVs active in new session of Congress In the new session of Congress that begins this week, RPCV Congressman Tom Petri has a proposal to bolster Social Security, Sam Farr supported the objection to the Electoral College count, James Walsh has asked for a waiver to continue heading a powerful Appropriations subcommittee, Chris Shays will no longer be vice chairman of the Budget Committee, and Mike Honda spoke on the floor honoring late Congressman Robert Matsui.

Latest: RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid Peace Corps made an appeal last week to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps and more than 30 RPCVs have responded so far. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to send RPCVs to India, Indonesia and nine other countries that need help?

The World's Broken Promise to our Children Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005.

Changing of the Guard With Lloyd Pierson's departure, Marie Wheat has been named acting Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations responsible for the day-to-day management of the Peace Corps. Although Wheat is not an RPCV and has limited overseas experience, in her two years at the agency she has come to be respected as someone with good political skills who listens and delegates authority and we wish her the best in her new position.

Our debt to Bill Moyers Former Peace Corps Deputy Director Bill Moyers leaves PBS next week to begin writing his memoir of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Read what Moyers says about journalism under fire, the value of a free press, and the yearning for democracy. "We have got to nurture the spirit of independent journalism in this country," he warns, "or we'll not save capitalism from its own excesses, and we'll not save democracy from its own inertia."

RPCV safe after Terrorist Attack RPCV Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the U.S. consul general in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia survived Monday's attack on the consulate without injury. Five consular employees and four others were killed. Abercrombie-Winstanley, the first woman to hold the position, has been an outspoken advocate of rights for Arab women and has met with Saudi reformers despite efforts by Saudi leaders to block the discussions.

Is Gaddi Leaving? Rumors are swirling that Peace Corps Director Vasquez may be leaving the administration. We think Director Vasquez has been doing a good job and if he decides to stay to the end of the administration, he could possibly have the same sort of impact as a Loret Ruppe Miller. If Vasquez has decided to leave, then Bob Taft, Peter McPherson, Chris Shays, or Jody Olsen would be good candidates to run the agency. Latest: For the record, Peace Corps has no comment on the rumors.

The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.

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