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Community Corner

Give Five: How do you give back?

Patch staff give back to the community five times a year through the company's Give Five program and we want you to get in on the giving.

Today marks the first Give Five day of 2012. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Give Five is Patch’s company-wide initiative to give back to the communities we serve through volunteer efforts. Today Patch staff across the country will be found picking up trash, tutoring kids or reading to the elderly.

I give back to Smyrna-Vinings by serving as a tutor and mentor with discover a love of learning that they can carry with them for a lifetime. I actually got involved with Path to Shine through my work at Patch. I came to a Path to Shine summer program for an assignment and fell in love with the program's director Lesley-Ann Drake, her mission and especially the kids.  

The hours I spend playing games and helping the kids with homework are the highlight of my week. And I get back from the experience as well. Just last week one of the fourth graders taught me a trick for fractions. Let’s just say I didn’t become a journalist because of my math skills. But even more than that, I know I’m making a difference—even if it’s very small—in the life of a child. 

Find out what's happening in Smyrna-Viningswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

How do you give five to Smyrna-Vinings? Tell us in the comments.

The Smyrna-Vinings area has a rich culture of service and there are countless ways you can give back today:

  • seeks volunteers to man its food pantry and bread room and to assist with employment and education services. Visit MUST Ministries volunteer page for a complete list of volunteer opportunities. 
  • Cobb Mentoring Matters is the first Cobb County Schools district-wide youth mentoring program that aims to empower at-risk youth and influence them to make positive choices. The program needs both individual volunteers and company sponsors to donate supplies, participate in service projects and allow employees to volunteer an hour a week.
  • Consider joining a civic club like or the Smyrna or Vinings Rotary Club chapter. Also Lions Club International is forming a Smyrna chapter. An organizational and informational meeting will be held at the Smyrna Community Center Thursday, Feb. 16 at noon. For more information call Jane Price at 770-596-0303 or email her at jtp13@bellsouth.net.
  • Gillian Greer, executive director of the , is looking for volunteers to help with the Pairings Party at SOHO Vinings on Sunday, May 6 and at the Vinings Golf Classic at Bradshaw Farm Golf Course on Monday, May 7. Responsibilities include assisting with the auction display, check-in and check-out tables, signage setup, and player registration at the golf course. Interested volunteers can call Greer at 770-432-3343 or email her at vhps1874@bellsouth.net.
  • Also be sure to check out Smyrna-Vinings Patch’s volunteer page. There you can find a list of opportunities in the area as well as post a call for volunteers. 

Find out what's happening in Smyrna-Viningswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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