Check out all of our photos of this service project.

Our next project is to write and film a public service announcement for GreenPeabody to encourage recycling.  Join us on December 5th to start the planning process for our film.

We will be taking part in Operation Troop Support’s next  Holiday Gift Wrapping.  Operation Troop Support sends 30,000 holiday presents to service men and women every December and they all need to be wrapped.  This event takes places on November 21st from 9am-12pm at Danvers High School.  As long as 5+ member committ to going, we’ll be there.  Please RSVP to Melissa via our Facebook event page or by e-mail: rauseo@noblenet.org or by phone:  978-531-0100 ext. 14.

Members also expressed an interest in running another dance in support of Operation Troop Support in March.  Lejla is going to write a DoSomething grant to try to get some funding for operational expenses.  We’ll be determining location, time, bands, DJs, food, drinks, etc. at upcoming meetings.  We agreed that more publicity is key this year!

All members agreed to post 1 idea on the GreenPeabody Facebook discussion page about how to encourage recycling in the schools and neighborhoods.  So start thinking!  We’ll do some group brainstorming at Saturday’s meeting and discuss creating an action plan to creat Green Teams at all the Peabody Schools.

The GreenPeabody Committee started a discussion thread on their Facebook page for the Peabody Youth Service Council to discuss any thoughts they have on greening the City.  Check it out and share your ideas.

The Salem News did a story today on recycling role models.  Read it. Are any of you or  your families role models in this area?

At least 2, possibly 3 members of the GreenPeabody group will be at our Oct. 10th meeting to talk about how we can help improve recycling at the middle and high schools.  Hope you can make it, so we can get PYSC on the Green Team.

• Raise funds for the Northeast Animal Shelter . We’ll have a day of canning at local stores and a day of wrapping holiday presents at the Northshore Mall with all proceeds benefitting the shelter.  If we can get permission, we’ll also collect cat/dog food donations outside the stores when we are canning.
• Serve dinner at My Brother’s Table in Lynn.
• Collect the tabs from aluminum cans for the Shriners Hospital at the library.
• Wrap Christmas presents that Operation Troop Support sends to U.S. troops serving overseas.
• Help Habitat for Humanity with the construction of the 3 Peabody houses.  Teens over 16 can help with the building and we’ll have an alternative service project for anyone under 16 to help too.
• Work with GreenPeabody to promote and strength recycling at Higgins and PVMHS.
• Make sandwiches for an area church to hand out to homeless people in the City of Boston.

Members also expressed an interest in doing a service trip to South Dakota to help at the Cheyenne River Youth Project.  There would be lots of logistics and fundraising necessary to pull a trip like this off, so its definitely a long-term project. If we decide to go forward with this, we are thinking about doing a Teen Band Concert to help raise the funds.

Clearly, there’s lots to do.  Here are the tasks that PYSC members agreed to complete before our next meeting, which will be on Saturday, Oct. 10th at 1pm.

Melissa: Contact GreenPeabody about having a representative speak at a PYSC meeting and start researching the logistics of the S. Dakota trip.

Christina: Talk to the Northeast Animal Shelter about our fundraising plans and call My Brother’s Table to schedule a date for us to prepare dinner.

Raquel: Call the Northshore Mall to find out when we can sign up for a holiday wrapping day.

Asia: Research pet food companies to see if we can request donations of food from them for the shelter.

Sarah: Create a sign explaining the can tabs collection and a box to hold donations.

Lejla: Put together an estimated budget for a trip to S. Dakota so we have a fundraising target.

Jillian: Find out when Operation Troop Support is having their wrapping parties.

Katie: Talk to the volunteer who coordinates the canning for Peabody High track for advice and write something up explaining the logistics of making sandwiches for homeless people in Boston.

Jessica: Talk to the Peabody High teacher who took students to New Orleans on a service trip to get advice for S. Dakota.

If you have any questions or didn’t make Saturday’s meeting but still want to be involved, contact Melissa at 978-531-0100 ext. 14 or rauseo@noblenet.org or join our Facebook group.

Complete contest details can be found here.  I know some of our PYSC members have the talent to submit winning photos… Do it!

In other environmental news, a group of kids in California has decided to volunteer to paint roofs white in an effort to reduce engery consumption.  Check it out.

Next Monday, Sept. 21 @ 6pm- Planning the display during the regular YAK meeting

Tuesday, Sept. 22 after school gets out for the 1/2 day- Start decorating

Saturday, Sept. 26 after the PYSC meeting- Finish decorating

There is also a set up day when we’ll have to go to the Fair grounds to set up (as many of us as possible). I’ll announce that date next Monday (I think it’s Wed. Sept 30th from 6-8).

All PYSC, YAK, and Team CHI members, past, present and future are welcome. I think this is going to be really great, so I hope lots of you will want to be involved.

Start brainstorming ideas for the pumpkins.  We decided on a Go Green theme, so put your environmental hats on!

This fair will let high school students in the area know about volunteer opportunities. PYSC has been invited to attend and let teens know about the work we do and invite them to join. Melissa plans on going, but it would be great if one of the members can go too. Since it’s 2 days before our September meeting, the timing is perfect.

Contact Melissa if you’re interested in representing PYSC at the Fair!