22nd Annual Make a Difference Day volunteers prepare homes for winter

Milwaukee, WI – On Saturday, November 3, more than 1,000 volunteers will team up to help Milwaukee’s older adults prepare their homes for the winter months on Make a Difference Day, in collaboration between the Volunteer Center of Greater Milwaukee, a service of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee, and Interfaith Older Adult Programs.

A volunteer breakfast kick-off will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at the Washington Park Senior Center, located at 4420 W. Vliet St. in Milwaukee.

Immediately following the breakfast, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., hundreds of community members, including students, local company employees, congregation members, families and student groups from UW-Milwaukee and Marquette University will go to the homes of 350 older adults to rake leaves, wash windows and clean up yards.

One third of all older adults live alone, and many cannot complete the outdoor tasks required during the transition into the winter months.
The focus of Make a Difference Day is to help older adults remain independent and in their own homes. Volunteers feel a great sense of reward and accomplishment; some have even developed ongoing relationships with the older adults and continue their service throughout the year. For others, this event is a great introduction into volunteerism, especially so close to the holiday season when helping others is on our minds.

ABOUT THE NONPROFIT CENTER
The Volunteer Center is a service of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee, promoting the interests and effectiveness of the nonprofit sector by strengthening organizational capacity, expanding volunteerism and encouraging collaboration. For more information, contact (414) 344-3933 or visit www.nonprofitcentermilwaukee.org. The Volunteer Center of Greater Milwaukee is Milwaukee's primary resource for volunteerism, connecting people with opportunities to serve and listing more than 1,000 opportunities at www.volunteermilwaukee.org.