Governor and Mrs. Markell Kick-Off Annual Week of Service

Delaware Governor: Jack Markell

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Written on: January 10th, 2013 in Helping Our Neighbors

Four years ago, Carla and I invited you to join us in a statewide Weekend of Service. You embraced that call to service and, with your enthusiasm and commitment, we were able to dramatically increase the reach of volunteerism in Delaware. We cannot thank you enough for the hundreds of thousands of hours you have spent helping those in need, proving Delaware is not just a state, but a state of neighbors.

That sense of community served as the catalyst behind Carla’s launch of “Project Renewal,” a campaign aimed to mobilize volunteers, community leaders and resources across the state in a coordinated effort to renew and upgrade the Boys and Girls Clubs of Delaware. Work has already been completed at the H. Fletcher Brown and Clarence Fraim Boys and Girls Club and, to kick off this year’s Week of Service, we have invited my staff and members of my Cabinet to join us in completing projects at the Laurel Boys and Girls Club in Sussex County.

Carla and I invite every Delaware to join in our Week of Service, which runs from Friday, January 11, through Monday, January 21. We hope each of you will take a little time out of your busy schedules to help others. Whether you’re cleaning up a community center like the Boys and Girls Clubs of Delaware, delivering lunches for Meals on Wheels or helping to construct a new home with Habitat for Humanity, I am sure it will be as rewarding for you as it is for the people you serve. To find a comprehensive list of service projects – big or small – in Delaware, please visit https://volunteer.delaware.gov.

Every person can make a difference in the lives of others and in their communities. We believe that because we have seen it – in Delaware’s cities and small towns. In its schools, churches and nonprofit organizations. And, most importantly, we have seen the difference that reaching out and our shared connectedness has with countless families and individuals.

As we visit various organizations and lend our support to make a difference, we will celebrate the thousands of Delawareans who already volunteer, while encouraging others to donate their time and talent. It is our hope that every citizen who volunteers this week will continue volunteering not just for a week, but for a lifetime.