Projects planned for the Acts of Kindness Weekend, September 11-12, 2010, Syracuse, New York. Two action-packed days of community engagement with opportunities for everyone to be involved. For a map of project sites, see http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=110688735302192861561.000488fd510271bef4813&z=11

1. Join us for A-OK! Acts of Kindness WeekendSEPTEMBER 11-12, 2010 Opportunities for community engagementin the greater Syracuse, New York area A project ofWomen Transcending Boundaries / www.wtb.org Updated September 9

2. Enthusiasm is growing! Nearly 100 organizations will be participating in our A-OK! Acts of Kindness Weekend on September 11-12, 2010. It’s going to be a spectacular weekend of volunteering and connecting across Central New York. The diverse groups include civic, health, faith, education, environmental, youth, entertainment, law enforcement, and advocacy organizations.

5. To discuss project planning, email aok@wtb.org.

6. To donate, visit www.wtb.org.Join us on facebook: A-OK! Weekend Syracuse For a google map of project sites, click here.

7. Activity Hubs Saturday and SundayNorth Side: Assisi Center, 800 North Salina StreetEastwood: Sunnycrest Park, Caleb & Hickok AvenuesDowntown: University United Methodist Church, 1085 E. Genesee St.West Side: St. Lucy’s Church, 432 Gifford Street South Side: Mary Nelson’s Youth Center, 2849 South Salina Street Saturday only South Side: Hopps Memorial C.M.E. Church, 1110 South State Street Opening of Rahma Health Clinic, 3100 South Salina Street Note: Projects, times, and locations are subject to change; check www.wtb.org for updates. Click through the slide show for an alphabetical list of project organizers,followed by a list of groups committing to acts of kindness.

8. HUB: Assisi Center NORTH SIDE HUB: SATURDAY & SUNDAY, 9 am-4 pm SATURDAY 9 am: brief 9/11 memorial ceremony; volunteers sent to nearby projects 9:30 am – 4:00 pm: giveaway of baby clothing and plants; bulb planting 10:00 am – 11:00 am: reading to kids 10:00 am – 2:00 pm: crafts for kids, blood pressure screening; HIV/AIDS screening, information tables 11:00 am – 1:00 pm: fingerprinting 11:30 am – 12:30 pm: kids making pet food 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: storytelling and drawing 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm: line dancing 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: poetry for adults and children Needed: Volunteers, snacks, food Collecting donations: Warm clothing and blankets, non-perishable food, children’s books To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com NORTH SIDE: 800 North Salina Street

9. HUB: Assisi Center NORTH SIDE HUB: SATURDAY & SUNDAY, 9 am-4 pm SUNDAY 9:30 am – 10:30 am: giveaway of baby clothing 9:30 am – 2:00 pm: information tables 10:00 am – 2:00 pm: blood pressure screening 11:00 am – 12:00 pm: relaxation activity for adults; Bambi movie for kids 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: van tour of community gardens (maximum of 15 people; please sign up) 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Nia aerobic dancing 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: conversations with American veterans Needed: Volunteers, snacks, food Collecting donations: Warm clothing and blankets, non-perishable food, children’s books To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com NORTH SIDE: 800 North Salina Street

10. HUB: Sunnycrest Park EASTWOOD HUB: SATURDAY & SUNDAY, 9 am-4 pm SATURDAY: 9 am: brief 9/11 memorial ceremony 9:30 am – 12:00 pm: puppet making for children, followed by a parade to the ice rink; balloons, and face painting 10:00 am – 2:00 pm: information tables; blood pressure screening 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Nia aerobic dancing 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: 9/11 memorial service at nearby Sheridan Park, Nichols & Burnett Avenue Needed: Volunteers, snacks, food Collecting donations: Warm clothing and blankets, non-perishable food, children’s books, prom gowns, bicycles, diapers, musical instruments Dispatching volunteers to do clean-ups at other city parks To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com EASTWOOD: Caleb & Hickok Avenue entrance

11. HUB: Sunnycrest Park EASTWOOD HUB: SATURDAY & SUNDAY, 10 am-4 pm SUNDAY 10:00 am – 2:00 pm: information tables; blood pressure screening 10:00 am – 12:00 pm: music with kids and origami 11:00 am – 12:00 pm: van tour of community gardens (maximum of 15 people; please sign up) 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm: crafts for kids; makings cards for victims of Gulf oil spill 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: story telling 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: relaxation activity 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Zumba (Latin music/exercise/dance) Needed: Volunteers, snacks, food Collecting donations: Warm clothing and blankets, non-perishable food, children’s books, prom gowns, bicycles, diapers, musical instruments Dispatching volunteers to do clean-ups at other city parks To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com EASTWOOD: Caleb & Hickok Avenue entrance

12. HUB: University U. Methodist Church DOWNTOWN HUB: Saturday, 9 am-4 pm; Sunday, 9 am-12 pm SATURDAY 9 am: Brief 9/11 memorial service 10:00 am – 11:00 am: try out musical instruments 10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Food Bank demonstration 10:00 am – 2:00 pm: Information tables; blood pressure screening, HIV testing, free legal advice and credit reviews 11:00 am – 12:00 pm: children’s craft activities; jazz on the front steps SUNDAY, 9 -10 am: community breakfast 10:00 am – 12:00 pm: blood pressure screening; crafts for kids; bake cookies to take to nearby first responders Needed: Volunteers, food, snacks Collecting donations: Warm clothing and blankets, non-perishable food, children’s books, prom gowns, bicycles, diapers, musical instruments To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com DOWNTOWN: 1085 East Genesee Street

13. HUB: St. Lucy’s Food Pantry/Gym WEST SIDE HUB: Saturday, 9 am-4 pm; Sunday 10 am-3 pm SATURDAY 9 am: Brief 9/11 memorial ceremony 9:00 am – 4:00 pm painting a mural in the food pantry 10:00 am – 11:00 am dynamic exercises for mind and body (teens and adults) 10:00 am – 11:30 am drumming 10:00 am – 12:00 pm making friendship bracelets 10:00 am – 2:00 pm crafts for kids, information tables; blood pressure screenings 10:30 am – 11:00 am opera singing 10:30 am – 12:30 pm story telling; writing cards to the military 11:00 am – 12:00 pm van tour of community gardens (15 people maximum; please sign up in advance) 11:00 am – 1:00 pm bike clinic 11:00 am – 4:00 pm La Casita Cultural Center Project: ”The Big Draw: What is your story?” Creating a collective community story with visual and oral histories 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm hip-hop dancers, Zumba (Latin music/dance/exercise) 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Raging Grannies singing group 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Nia aerobic dancing, youth theater performance 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm relaxation program SUNDAY: 10 am – 3 pm Food pantry open; check-in for volunteers at nearby projects Needed: Volunteers, food, snacks Collecting donations: Warm clothing and blankets, non-perishable food, children’s books, prom gowns, bicycles, diapers, musical instruments To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.comWEST SIDE: 432 Gifford Street

14. HUB: Mary Nelson’s Youth Center SOUTH SIDE HUB: SATURDAY & SUNDAY, 9 am-4 pm SATURDAY: 9 am: Brief 9/11 memorial ceremony 10:00 am – 2:00 pm: crafts for kids; make cards for victims of Gulf oil spill 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: poetry for adults and children 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm: practicing fundamentals of gold 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm: music and origami for children SUNDAY 10:00 am – 4:00 pm: open for people to check in while working at nearby sites 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm: practicing fundamentals of golf 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: relaxation activity 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: NIA aerobic dancing 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: storytelling and drawing Needed: volunteers, food, snacks Collecting donations: Warm clothing and blankets, non-perishable food, children’s books, prom gowns, bicycles, diapers, musical instruments To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com SOUTH SIDE: 2849 South Salina Street

15. HUB: Hopps Memorial C.M.E. Church SOUTH SIDE HUB: SATURDAY, 9 am-4 pm 9 am: brief 9/11 memorial ceremony 9:00 am – 4:00 PM free yard sale, information tables 10:00 am – 2:00 pm blood pressure screening; HIV AIDS screening; crafts for children 11:00 am – 12:00 pm relaxation exercises 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm stories for children and drawing 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Nia aerobic dancing Collecting donations: Warm clothing and blankets, non-perishable food, children’s books, prom gowns, bicycles, diapers, musical instruments To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com SOUTH SIDE: 1110 South State Street

16. ALS Upstate NY Chapter Walk to raise money for medical research Location: Syracuse Inner Harbor, near the Amphitheater Date and time: Saturday, 7:00 am - 2:00 pm Response: Students from LeMoyne college will fill the volunteer needs for set up and clean up.

18. Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pmResponse: 10 volunteers from LeMoyne College Needed: 20 more volunteers and possibly transportation for volunteers To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com BALDWINSVILLE: East Mud Lake Road

19. Brady Faith Center Landscaping around the center Needed: 4 volunteers Will provide: Supervision Date & time: Saturday, 9:30 am – 3:00 pm To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com SOUTH SIDE: 404 South Avenue

20. Butternut Community Policing Center Build a game room downstairs, installing supports, walls, doors, heating, electrical work, and carpet. Response: The necessary volunteers and materials to carry out the project will be provided by the Central New York Community Foundation and another organization. Note: This will double the center’s space and increase its capacity to reach local teens. The walls will be covered with murals, and the space dedicated to computers, craft activities, and birthday parties. NORTH SIDE: 907 Butternut Street

21. Butternut Style Spruce up Butternut Street around the Butternut Policing Center: clean around trees and plant flowers, repair and repaint signs, paint porches, clean windows, build containers for garbage. Advance work: Volunteers will go door to door blocks to describe project, compile a list of needs, and ask businesses and neighbors to donate supplies and volunteer their time.Response: Central New York Community Foundationand Labors of Love will provide volunteers. Needed: Additional volunteers and supplies To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com NORTH SIDE: Along Butternut Street

22. Center for New Americans Help organize the new warehouse: polish silverware and clean other items for our silent auction; wash and sort dishes and other household items; do light construction tasks (spackling, plumbing, etc.); appraise antique items Date & times: Saturday, 10 am–2 pm Response: members of King of Kings Lutheran Church in Liverpool will volunteer; more volunteers needed. To volunteer email aokweekend@syracusenewtimes.com NORTH SIDE: 1914 Teal Avenue

23. Eastern Farm Workers Help transport bags of clothing from a home on Euclid Avenue to St. John the Baptist Church; sort and arrange clothing. Date and Time: Saturday, 10:00 am - 3:00 pmResponse: LeMoyne College students will fill the volunteer needs. NORTH SIDE: 406 Court Street

24. Hendricks Chapel at SU A celebratory event for the closure of A-OK! Weekend Date and time: Open Invitation Sunday, 5:00 to 7:00 pm Needed: Groups of various faiths and cultures to perform; food; volunteers to set up 4-5 pm and clean up from 7-8 pm To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

25. Honey Tree Day Care Paint5classroom walls and hallway at the Greater East Syracuse Day Care at Eastwood Baptist Church. Response: LeMoyne College students will fill the volunteer needs. EASTWOOD: 3212 James Street

26. Housing Visions Block party for the 600 block of Catherine Street, between East Laurel and Hickory Streets Date and time: Saturday, 8 am-5 pm Needed: volunteers to help set up, tables, chairs, musicians Will provide: volunteers from Catherine Street residents, food, games To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com NORTH SIDE: 600 Block of Catherine Street

27. Huntington Family Centers Clean out a recently-bought building near the office. Needed: Adult volunteers, donations of snacks and food Will provide: Supervision and a dumpster Date & time: Saturday, 9 am – 4 pm To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com WEST SIDE: 405 Gifford Street

28. Imagining America Set up and clean up for Art-in-Motion Open Hand Theater large-scale street show to be held in Armory Square Needed: Volunteers Date and time: Saturday, 10-12 pm for set-up and 3-4:30 pm for clean-up (rain location: Plymouth Church, 232 E. Onondaga St.) Note: This project is based on the belief that art can connect and strengthen communities. In preparation, people in various parts of the city have been creating giant puppets and theatrical scenes reflecting their neighborhood identities. To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com WEST SIDE: Armory Square, 500 South Franklin Street

29. Islamic Society of CNY Collect non-perishable food for food pantries; clean up the neighborhood; offer free ethnic meals for volunteers and needy people Date and time: Sunday, 11 am-3 pm Will provide: All supplies, food, and volunteers; can provide youth volunteers for other projects DOWNTOWN: 925 Comstock Avenue

30. Jowonio School Construct a children’s labyrinth, tidy up the school’s outdoor spaces, including Trike Town, recruit volunteers for respite programsNeeded: Volunteer labor, food (lunches, snacks, drinks), work gloves, shovels, 10 cubic yards of topsoil, 5 cubic yards of mulch, 120 square feet of so, bulbs, truck to haul materials beforehand, one-day rental of Dingo-type equipment, 2 sturdy benches Dates and times: Saturday and Sunday, 12 noon – 5:00 pm To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com DOWNTOWN: 3049 East Genesee Street

31. KJ’s Angels Memorial Fund Remove leaves and debris from the common area in Oakwood Cemetery where cremated bodies of infants are collectively buried, as well as around the donated baby bench which is located off the Colvin Street entrance, plant daffodil bulbs at both locations. Meet at the Islamic Society across the street to sign in and share a meal. Needed: 15 volunteers, 100 daffodil bulbs, trash bags, trash disposal. Bring tools for raking, planting bulbs, and cleaning out flower beds. Can provide: Volunteers from KJ’s Angels Date and time: Sunday, 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm Note: The annual fundraising walk for K.J.'s Angels is the following week. To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com DOWNTOWN: Oakwood Cemetery, Comstock Avenue

32. Liverpool First United Methodist Church Serve a free lunch to first responders Date & time: Saturday, 10 am to 2 pm Make cards to honor first responders: Date & time: Sunday 8 am to 12 pm LIVERPOOL: 604 Oswego Street

33. Newell Street Garden Build a fence along the front of the community garden. Needed: 5 skilled volunteers to dig holes, mix and pour concrete; 6 bags of quick-drying cement, exterior acrylic paint in rainbow colors for kids to paint the fence, level, saw, tape measure, sand paper, brushes and rollers Dates and times: Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 am-2:00 pm. To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com SOUTH SIDE: 612 West Newell

34. Northside Learning Center Paint a mural on an outside concrete wall and repair a fence. Needed: Volunteers To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com NORTH SIDE: 808 North McBride Street

35. The Oaks at Menorah Park Residents will write letters to military personnel. Desired: a choral group to sing for residents on Sunday To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com 18 Arbor Lane, Dewitt

36. Person to Person Citizen Advocacy Join in a Game Day with residents at Loretto. Play games and visit with residents of Fahey and Cunningham Rehabilitation Centers and Residences. Needed: 40 volunteers bringing their own board games or using the games provided. Meet in the lobby of the Cunningham (the taller building). Date and time: Sunday, 1:30 - 4:30 pm Note: Due to the variety of nutritional needs, do not bring food; snacks will be provided at 3:30 pm. To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com SOUTH SIDE: 700 East Brighton Avenue

37. Rahma Clinic SATURDAY, 11 am-3 pm Grand opening of the Rahma Free Health Clinic 11 am: Brief 9/11 memorial ceremony 11:30 am-3 pm: blood pressure checks; health screening; children’s activities; henna painting for children 12:30-1:30 pm: relaxation activity To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com SOUTH SIDE: 3100 South Salina Street

38. Rapha Community A "Heart-Beat" drumming session at Forman Park. An open session of Drumming for old and young, practiced drummers or anyone who wants to join in the beat. Open invitation: let our drums and hearts beat as one on this day of service, sending away fear and despair, calling in kindness and joy. Date and time: Saturday, 1:00 to 3:00 pm DOWNTOWN: Forman Park, E. Genesee St. & Almond St.

39. Sheridan Park Association A “We Remember” memorial service at Sheridan Park with a color guard, fire and police department participation, speaker, and opening and closing prayer.Open invitation: Attend, pray, and remember those we have lost. Date and time: Saturday, 5:30 pm EASTWOOD: Sheridan Park on Nichols Avenue off Burnett Avenue

40. Stone Soup Children’s Garden Dig 14 post holes and erect a fence for the garden. Note: This is a collaboration of the West Side Initiative, St. Lucy’s Brady Faith Center, and Huntington Family Centers. Response: LeMoyne College students will fill the volunteer needs. WEST SIDE: 410-412 Gifford Street

41. Syracuse Grows Project: Offer tours of community gardens to those who sign up To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com NORTH SIDE: 207 Isabella Street SOUTH SIDE: 612 W. Newell Ave., 341 Midland Avenue EAST: 127 Harvard Place (off Westcott Street) WEST SIDE: Lipe Art Park, West Fayette & Geddes St.

42. Triangle Park Plant daffodils and mums in a flower garden at a park. Needed: Volunteers Will provide: Daffodil bulbs To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com NORTH SIDE: Intersection of Lodi & North Townsend St.

43. Vet Farms of Baldwinsville Develop the vegetable garden which involves veterans in growing food that enhances the health and nutrition for people in need. Needed: Volunteers, materials, food, donations of farm equipment (especially a farm tractor) Can provide: Veterans willing to work, food, some materials To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com BALDWINSVILLE

44. West Side Learning Center Paint 8 classrooms and hall Response: Alpha Phi Omega will provide 36 volunteers, paint and equipment. Note: This will improve the learning environment and renew the enthusiasm of both teachers and students. WEST SIDE: 422 Gifford Street

45. The Zen Center Help with preparations for the 200th Anniversary of the Forman House, built in 1810 by Joshua Forman, first mayor of the Village of Syracuse; clear the woods and brush around a large sculpture that is meant to be viewed from Onondaga Creek. Note: This sculpture is a public art piece created by Cayuga-Seneca artist Tom Huff, a resident of the Onondaga Nation, commissioned by the Zen Center. It is envisioned as the first in a series called "Art Along the Creek." Funding for the Huff sculpture has been received from the Gifford Foundation, the Allyn Foundation, and the Alex Nason Foundation. Needed: 10 volunteers, use of trimmers, scythes, several gas-powered weed-eaters, gloves, other tools for clearing and beautifying the land. Will provide: finger food and drinks; donations of paper cups will be appreciated. Date and time: Saturday, 9:00-11:30 am and 1:30-4:00 pm (people may volunteer for either or both time periods). Response: SUNY ESF volunteers will remove invasive species. To volunteer: email aokvolunteer@syracusenewtimes.com SOUTH SIDE: 266 West Seneca Turnpike

46. Acts of Kindness Pledge 100 Black Men of Syracuse (working with the Syracuse Parks Conservancy on beautification of city parks) Al Huda Mosque (youth sorting food donations at activity hubs on Sunday)Alliance of Communities for Transforming Syracuse (promoting a full-service grocery store on Syracuse’s South Side) Alpha Phi Omega (painting at the WestSide Learning Center) Alzheimer’s Association (recruiting volunteers for respite programs) The Art of Massage (offering chair massages for volunteers coming off a project) Baltimore Woods (encouraging city youth to be involved in caring for parks) Bikes for Peace, Syracuse Peace Council (offering a bike clinic at St. Lucy’s) Books Are Food for Thought (delivering new and genthly used books to children receiving free meals at the Southside Church of Christ) Catholic Charities of Onondaga County (recruiting volunteers for respite programs) Central New York Community Foundation (assisting in projects at the Butternut Community Police Center and Butternut Style) City of Syracuse

47. Acts of Kindness Pledge City of Syracuse Fire Department Community General Hospital health professionals (offering blood pressure screenings at Hopps Memorial C.M.E. Church) Crouse Hospital health professionals (offering blood pressure screenings at Sunnycrest Park) Dunbar Association Center (collecting professional attire for Jobs Plus participants for interviewing for jobs; drop off weekdays at 1453 So. State Street) Dynamic Health and Fitness (offering dynamic, positive exercises for the mind and body at St. Lucy’s) Eastwood Neighborhood Association (providing lunch for volunteers working at Sunnycrest Park on Saturday) Eastwood Parents’ Association (providing children’s activities at Sunnycrest Park) Elmcrest Children’s Center (preparing and serving a dinner for police and fire department personnel in appreciation for their help) Exceptional Family Resources (recruiting volunteers for respite programs) Exploring Spirituality (telling stories to the young and young at heart at hub sites) Fair World Marketplace (offering a discount on purchase to donors of non-perishable foods for food pantries)

48. Acts of Kindness Pledge First Tee of Syracuse (teaching the fundamentals of golf at hub sites, building character) Grace Episcopal Church [tentative location] (hosting a “Visions for Change” poverty simulation program) Home HeadQuarters (collecting care packages for incoming refugee families and delivering them to Interfaith Works) Imagine Syracuse (raising awareness of the need for organ donations through offering “hugs at the hubs”) Imagine Syracuse – Young Musicians (collecting donations of musical instruments at hub sites) Inner Beauty Parlor (inviting children to make friendship bracelets at Huntington Family Centers) Interfaith Works (setting up craft stations at hub sites for children to make cards for families along the Gulf Coast affected by the oil spill) Interreligious Food Consortium (providing bins to collect donations of non-perishable food for food pantries) Kings of Kings Lutheran Church, Liverpool (doing projects at the Center for New Americans)

49. Acts of Kindness Pledge Labors of Love (volunteering for Butternut Style) La Casita Cultural Center (hosting “The Big Draw” at St. Lucy’s) La Vallees East Coast Karate and Kickboxing in Cicero (collecting items for the SPCA at their location on Business Avenue off Brewerton Road) Labors of Love (volunteering for Butternut Style) LeMoyne College students (volunteering at Beaver Lake Nature Center, The ALS Walk, Southside cleanups with 100 Black Men, Eastern Farm Workers, Honey Tree Daycare, Stone Soup Children's Garden, and bulb and tree planting at various sites) Mothers Against Gun Violence (cleaning up a creek on the south side) Nia (offering aerobic dance sessions at hub sites) Northside Collaboratory (supporting activities at the Assisi Center) Nottingham Senior Retirement Center (writing cards, reading to children at St. Lucy’s) OnCenter (collecting musical instruments for Imagine Syracuse young musicians project at the Convention Center, War Memorial and Civic Center) Onondaga County employees

50. Acts of Kindness Pledge Onondaga County Executive’s Office (making sandwiches at the Samaritan Center) Operation Southern Comfort (volunteering for a project) Ophelia’s Place (offering a discount on coffee purchase to donors of non-perishable food) Raging Grannies (singing at St. Lucy’s) Red Hot Mamas (writing cards at St. Lucy’s) Say Yes to Education (providing pro bono lawyers at activity hubs) Slow Foods (volunteering for a project) South Side Interfaith Community Development Center (organizing a cotillion and fashion show for teens) Southern Sudan Initiatives (raising awareness of the need for schools in Sudan and a community center for the “Lost Boys” in Syracuse; singing) The Spa at 500 (offering chair massages for volunteers coming off a project) Spay-Neuter Assistance Program (offering an information table at the Assisi Center)

51. Acts of Kindness Pledge St. Joseph’s Hospital health professionals (offering blood pressure screenings at the Assisi Center) Starfish International (providing Progressive Muscle Relaxation at activity hubs) SUNY ESF students (removing invasive species from the Zen Center grounds) Sunnycrest Park Association (offering volunteers to assist at the park; providing trees to be planted) Syracuse City Schools Syracuse International Film Festival (documenting activities) Syracuse Jewish Federation and Jewish Community Center (collecting food for food pantries) Syracuse Parks Conservancy (supporting beautification projects at various city parks) Syracuse University (connecting students from a variety of programs to volunteer activities) Temple Adath Yeshurun (Sunday school students, collecting baby items for the Mary Nelson Center; men’s club, painting the mikvah at Menorah Park; the senior group, visiting residents at Menorah Park; the youth group, collecting food for the Interreligious Food Consortium)

52. Acts of Kindness Pledge Temple Concord (cleaning up at Thornden Park) Upstate University Hospital health professionals (offering blood pressure screenings at St. Lucy’s) Visions for Change (organizing a poverty simulation at Grace Episcopal Church) Wacheva Cultural Arts (offering Zumba exercises at St. Lucy’s and Sunnycrest Park; drumming at the celebration at Hendricks Chapel) Watson Greenhouse (giving away house plants at the Assisi Center) Wayne and Meltzer’s Bicycle (receiving donations of bicycles at their store on 2714 Erie Blvd. East for distributing at the bicycle clinic at St. Lucy’s) Xi Chapter, Lambda Kappa Mu Sorority, Inc. (volunteering at Hopps Memorial C.M.E. Church)