One Heart - Many Hands, local officials announce final preparations for area-wide service project

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Orlando, Florida

One Heart - Many Hands founder and President Gary Morsch met with Orange County Mayor Richard T. Crotty and District 6 Commissioner Tiffany Moore Russell Monday, April 27, to announce final preparations concerning the large scale community service project scheduled for June 21-26.

One Heart - Many Hands Orlando 2009 is being organized in conjunction with the International Church of the Nazarene's Quadrennial Assembly, which will convene 25,000 delegates and members at the Orange County Convention Center June 24-July 3. As many as  2,000 volunteers from 30 states will arrive prior to the convention to provide free labor for over 100 service projects, including repairing roofs, floors, windows, and wheel chair ramps in homes of low-income, elderly, disabled, and single parent families, and others with special needs. The primary service area includes the Holden Heights and Pine Hills communities, which are in Russell's district. The services are provided at no cost to recipients.

"This isn't the largest convention we've ever had, but they will have a very strong economic impact, and do something even more important and that is to do good while they're in our community" said Crotty.

One of the unique things about this project, Crotty said, is that volunteers are not only paying their personal expenses, but are also contributing to the project's expenses through registration fees and donations that cover the cost of building materials, meals, and insurance. Volunteers will contribute more than $1 million in labor during the week.

Although most of the project's volunteers will be visiting conventioneers, several hundred Central Florida residents are participating and area businesses have pitched in by donating building supplies, food, and office and warehouse space.

"Of all times, this is the time we need to be working together," said Morsch. "Private citizens, churches, the business community, government - we can all work together to serve the needs of members of our community."

In Summer 2008, One Heart - Many Hands Project Director George Sisler set up a post in Orlando to forge relationships with local government, community, and business leaders in anticipation of the massive week-long 2009 service project. County and city officials and the Orange Blossom Trail Development Board have assisted One Heart - Many Hands with identifying target communities and referring homeowners. Thus far, business partners committed to donating supplies, office/warehouse space, and cash include: Marmac Concord, Inc., The Morsch Law Group, Florida Hospitals, The Home Depot, The JayMor Group, Purdy Corp., Winn-Dixie, Contractor Equipment Rental, 84 Lumber, Mid Florida Tech, and Valencia Community College.

In pre-project events during the last 11 months, more than 300 One Heart - Many Hands volunteers have visited Orange County, donating over 8,000 hours of free labor on 26 service projects similar to those planned for late June.

One Heart - Many Hands has previously organized large scale service projects in Indianapolis (1993, 2001, and 2005) and San Antonio (1997) - all coinciding with the Nazarene General Assemblies. Since its inception, One Heart - Many Hands (a not-for-profit corporation created to meet the needs of people through volunteer service) has organized more than 8,000 volunteers to complete over 400 projects in the U.S. and Mexico.

Anyone interested in volunteering should visit www.oneheartmanyhands.com.

To view a video of the press conference, click here.
--OHMH (All funds expressed in U.S. dollars)

 

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