Volunteer in the neighborhood: Park cleanups, Van Ness Main Street events, NW Community Food, Peirce Mill

Certified Master Gardener Kathy Sykes (far left) often leads volunteers in planting pollinator friendly native flowers along Connecticut Avenue. (April 2022 photo)

Want to give back to the community? Opportunities abound for service-minded people, including students in need of community service hours.

Pitch in for spring cleaning at local parks. Van Ness Main Street’s Good Clean Fun initiative is hosting an April 25 cleanup at Forest Hills Park. All ages can pitch in. Just make sure you let a grownup tag along if you’re not in high school yet. Can’t make it Saturday? You’ll also find June, July and October cleanups dates at the link.

Support Van Ness Main Street’s May events. The May 2 “Taste of Van Ness Main Street” at Park Van Ness is in need of setup and breakdown assistance, plus people to staff the door and refreshments tables. The VNMS May 9 spring pop-up market needs volunteers to assist with setup, cleanup, and staffing an info table in between.

Students ages 16 and up are welcome at the May 2 event, and volunteers as young as 14 can sign up to help out at the May 9 market. Sign up here or get in touch with gloria@vannessmainstreet.org to request a shorter shift.

Bring more beauty to Connecticut Avenue. Join Master Gardener Kathy Sykes in planting pollinator-friendly flowers along this Main Street. Choose your date and location, and email sykeskathy@yahoo.com to RSVP.

Sunday, May 3, 10 a.m. to noon: Politics & Prose
Friday, May 8, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Rosemary Bistro
Sunday, May 10, 10 a.m. to noon: Forest Hills Senior Living
Friday, May 15, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Montessori School of Chevy Chase
Sunday, May 17, 10 a.m. to noon: Veazey Avenue & Connecticut Avenue
Sunday, May 24, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.: UDC School of Law

Help out at the neighborhood food pantry. NW Community Food volunteers collect and distribute food and supplies at 4340 Connecticut Avenue every weekend. There are off-site opportunities too. Learn more here.

Learn about volunteering at Peirce Mill. Friends of Peirce Mill is looking for people who are interested in learning about the mill’s history and machinery so they can pass the knowledge along to visitors. Volunteers might also be asked to help out with mill operations and some maintenance. Contact angela@friendsofpeircemill.org to learn more.

Where do you like to volunteer? Fill us in using the comment box below.