September 2020
Greetings!
Welcome to Volunteer Gwinnett News, a quarterly newsletter to help you stay informed about opportunities to volunteer, how to become a volunteer, and the work volunteers are doing in our community. Volunteers are an essential part of Gwinnett County Government; their selfless contributions ensure projects get done, improve the community’s quality of life, build partnership bonds, save tax dollars, and keep us all vibrantly connected.
Summer Meals Program: 2020 Impact
On May 18, Gwinnett Community Services launched its Summer Meals Program to provide children with daily meals for free. The program is a part of the Summer Food Service Program, a federally funded, state-administered program through the USDA.
 
By the end of the program on August 11, Community Services and partners from the Gwinnett County Public Library had served 388,015 meals with the help of volunteers like you. We had 3,017 generous volunteers who contribute 12,068 services hours at 33 meal sites throughout the county. Thank you to all our volunteers; we could not have helped so many without you!
 
In addition to summer meals for kids, Gwinnett Health and Human Services provided more than 700 emergency meals to seniors ages 60 and older at program sites. Do you know a senior facing hunger, health, or mobility issues? Call 678.377.4150 to learn more.   
COVID-19 Response - Weekly Food Distributions
Gwinnett Community Services has been hard at work helping to ease the hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since April, through our partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank, staff, and volunteers have been able to distribute 246,791 pounds of fresh and shelf-stable food to 4,678 households, impacting 19,906 residents! 
Give Back
It's time to give back with The Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services at their annual Gwinnett Great Days of Service event October 23 and 24.

Each year, Gwinnett Great Days of Service mobilizes thousands of individuals, corporations, churches, schools, civic organizations, and government entities in meaningful volunteer service to address some of the county’s most critical needs.

In response to COVID-19, GDOS has launched a new way to serve by organizing collection drives to be held from October 1 to October 22. The drives will be in various venues across the county, and we welcome all neighborhoods, families, schools, businesses, churches, and medical centers to host a drive! If you would like to host a collection drive, click here to fill out an application. Donated items collected by volunteers will be shared with our many front line service agencies throughout the county. Together, our actions will make a difference for our families and community in need at this time.

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented volunteers; we hope that you will join us in this new approach. For information on how you can become involved with Gwinnett Great Days of Service, visit the website or email at gdos@gwinnettcoalition.org.
Get Involved!
Join the first ever Citizens Fire Academy offered in Spanish, Academia de Bomberos para Ciudadanos. Learn about Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services during this eight-week program. The program allows residents to experience fire and emergency medical services first-hand. Sign up to learn about the organization and the services it provides. You’ll also learn valuable fire and life safety information to help you prepare for emergency situations. All participants have the opportunity to complete practical firefighter-specific tasks and join in on other practical experiences. Participation in the academy also gives you the opportunity for a ride-a-long at the fire station.

To participate, you must be at least 18 years old and live or work in Gwinnett County. To get the application, which includes a criminal history release form, call 678.518.4845 or email FirePrograms@gwinnettcounty.com.
¡Participe!
Conozca y adquiera la experiencia con el Departamento de Bomberos y Servicios de Emergencia del Condado de Gwinnett con este programa de ocho semanas. Para más información sobre el programa o para solicitar aplicación llame al 678.518.4845 o envie un correo electrónico a FirePrograms@gwinnettcounty.com. Visite nuestro página web. 
America Recycles Day Needs You
Help Gwinnett County maintain a sustainable environment by dropping off recyclable items at America Recycles Day on Saturday, November 14 from 9:00am to 2:00pm at Coolray Field. You can recycle electronics, latex paint, and paper on that day. Paper shredding is limited to five copier paper boxes. Only latex paint will be accepted and is limited to 10 gallons. Electronics recycling is free except for TVs and monitors, which cost $15, and printers, which cost $5, cash only. Social distancing measures will be in place. All attendees are encouraged to wear masks and must remain in their vehicles at all times. Items to be recycled should be placed in the trunks or back of vehicles where they will be removed by vendors. Materials should be placed in disposable containers or boxes as containers will not be returned.

Registration is encouraged to reduce congestion. Please visit VolunteerGwinnett.net to reserve a time slot. For more information, please call the Solid Waste Call Center at 770.822.7141 or visit GwinnettCB.org. Coolray Field is located at 2500 Buford Drive in Lawrenceville.
Get Counted
Did you know census results affect your daily community needs? Census outcomes help determine federal funding for school lunches, infrastructure and transit planning, health care, and more. It also supports all sorts of community development projects. It is crucial that we count every person living in our community in the 2020 Census. Fill out the questionnaire at My2020Census.gov! The self-response ends September 30. Every one counts.
Volunteer Spotlight
Gwinnett Planning and Development would like to recognize Renee Castellanos, a kind woman with the heart and motivation to help others. Renee greets all visitors at One Justice Square with a warm smile. She has been volunteering since the start of the pandemic and has dedicated herself to helping two days per week. By assisting customers with services and demonstrating how to use the department’s online services, Renee has helped staff at Gwinnett Planning and Development a great deal. Staff can now spend more time reviewing plans and processing applications. Volunteers like Renee are a prime example of the commitment and dedication of our Gwinnett residents.