Category: Volunteer Opportunities

Jackson County Calls for Community Feedback

Debbie Roney Smith on

Jackson County is calling for community feedback on its Comprehensive Plan. 

What is a Comprehensive Plan? It’s a plan that guides the future of land use, development, transportation, housing, conservation, and capital improvements in Jackson County. It functions as a policy document that provides a blueprint for how the community will evolve and develop over time.

By taking part in the Comprehensive Plan Feedback Survey, community members can help influence Jackson County’s growth and development policies. Citizens will have the chance to address key issues in the community, and help set goals, and create effective strategies for the future of the county. First, review the current Comprehensive Plan HERE. Then, CLICK HERE to be taken to the survey or scan the QR code in the image.

Citizens Academy

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Click on image to learn more.

“In an effort to develop positive public relations, as well as increase citizen engagement and civic education, Jackson County citizens are invited to participate in monthly Citizens Academy sessions. Each session will focus on the operations of a different department, as well as demonstrate how the departments work together and with the Board of County Commissioners to ensure that the County government runs smoothly.”

The Artists’ Guild

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The Artists’ Guild of Northwest Florida will meet at the Historic 1st National Bank Multi-Use Facility today from 11 am-3 pm. The Artist Guild is a nonprofit visual and performing arts group focused on education, support, events, and community economic growth throughout Northwest Florida. They will be discussing the 2024 Gallery installations, events, and community workshops. All community members are welcome.

Learn more about the Guild and future meetings (held the second Saturday of every month) by visiting their website HERE. 

Jackson County Calls for Citizen Engagement

Debbie Roney Smith on
Jackson County is proactively addressing the challenges of flooding and its impact on our critical infrastructure with the initiation of a Comprehensive Vulnerability Assessment. The County is calling for citizens to partake in the process. There will be three separate in-person meetings held to hear from the community from individual residents to businesses. The goal is to share collective insights to develop strategies for mitigating current and future flood risks. 
These meetings will include experts ready to discuss flood-related challenges, respond to inquiries, and gather valuable community input to shape a resilient Jackson County. Click on the image to enlarge and view meeting details and more. 

Apalachicola National Forest Trash Cleanup

Debbie Roney Smith on

Southeastern Dog Hunters Association and Seasons of Hope Outdoors are seeking volunteers for the 7th Annual Apalachicola National Forest Trash Cleanup! The event counts towards volunteer hours for various organizations including school hours. Cold drinks and trash bags will be provided.

The cleanup will run from 6am-11pm CST on September 30th. Volunteers will meet at Highway 12 and Forest Road 105. Volunteers are welcome to bring their ATVs and UTVs. Contact Michael Harris (850-630-8187), Joseph Hall (850-272-6507), or Sky Scott (850-272-1983) with any questions. 

Arbor Day 2024

Debbie Roney Smith on

Arbor Day is only a week away! Arbor Day is a holiday that celebrates the planting, upkeep, and preservation of trees. The first Arbor Day was held on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska; they planted approximately 1 million trees! Within 20 years, Arbor Day spread throughout the nation to every state save Deleware. In 1883, it spread internationally to Japan, Europe, Canada, and further. It became a national holiday in 1970 during Nixon’s presidency, and is now a treasured annual event across the globe.

Click the image to learn more about Forests and Carbon!

The need for trees is ever-growing. According to UN Forestry Data, around ten million hectares of forest are destroyed globally every year; for reference, that’s an area the size of Portugal! Around half of the deforestation is offset by regrowing forests, so overall there’s a loss of around five million hectares each year. Imagine if we could bridge the gap; 1 hectare of #forest captures anywhere from 2-5 tonnes of #CO2 a year (this depends on several factors such as the rate of growth, the age of the forest, location, number of trees, and more). According to a 2019 survey, adding nearly 1 billion hectares of forest could remove two-thirds of the roughly 300 gigatons of carbon humans have added to the atmosphere since the 1800s.

Adding forests wouldn’t just sequester carbon; forests provide a host of added benefits including enhanced biodiversity, improved water quality, reduced erosion, improved air quality, and more. Forests can help provide jobs, recreation areas, and can attract tourists for everything from one-of-a-kind views to rare bird species. And it might sound cliche, but a forest starts with you.

So this Arbor Day, get your hands dirty and plant a tree! Visit the Arbor Day Foundation event map to see what’s happening in your area. 

National Day of Giving

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Tomorrow is National Day of Giving! It was officially created in 2012 by New York’s 92nd Street Y partners in collaboration with the United Nations Foundation. Also known as Giving Tuesday, this globally celebrated day is designed to encourage the habit of giving among people and communities to make the world a brighter place. This can be as simple as giving a helping hand to an elderly neighbor carrying in groceries. However, it is also an opportunity to donate to those in need (mutual aid) as well as organizations, charities, and volunteer groups doing good. Giving Tuesday is also a fantastic opportunity to engage in community service. Find events or ideas on how to participate by visiting the official Giving Tuesday website here. 

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week

Debbie Roney Smith on

Today is the last day of National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week. This is a special week that recognizes the hard work animal shelters provide to their communities. Animal shelters provide care to millions of displaced animals across the United States. Yet only 10-20% of owned dogs and cats are adopted from shelters (ASPCA). Additionally, most animal shelters are non-profits which means they depend on donations and grants to stay open while their employees work long hours for minimal pay and benefits.

This is an endemic problem as the services shelters provide are critical to civil orderliness. Shelters not only house stray animals but also find new homes for homeless pets, rescue strays, rehabilitate injured and abused animals, reunite lost pets with their original families, and more! Animal shelters provide necessary animal control and deserve more than to be underfunded and understaffed. Consider adopting from or supporting a local animal shelter today! 

C.M. Kidd Harris Events

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This Sunday will be a packed day for C.M. Kidd Harris Park in Panama City. The day starts with a Raised Bed Event at 10am. Put on by Living Healthy. Simplified and the Quality of Life Department of Panama City, this is a volunteer event to get raised beds built and filled for the benefit of the surrounding community. Learn more by visiting the Raised Bed Event Facebook page here.

During the event, there will be a number of other activities taking place so the whole family can come out. There will be plant starters for kids so they can help get seasonal plants going for your home, a tour of the food forest park, and a tour to learn about backyard beekeeping at 1pm. This will also be the location of the Fall Seed and Plant Swap; learn more here! Bring seeds and plants to swap with other community members. There will be snacks and refreshments available but they are of a limited quantity, so please prepare for a day in the Florida sun by bringing your own water, sun protection, and comfy clothes. 

Peanut Butter Drive

Debbie Roney Smith on

There will be a Peanut Butter drive this month in Blountstown and surrounding areas. Peanut Butter FIGHTS Hunger! With the support of the Florida Peanut Producers Association and Florida Peanut Federation, the UF|IFAS Calhoun County Extension Office is collecting unopened jars of peanut butter. All donations will go to local food pantries to help feed families in need. Drop-offs are accepted Monday through Friday from 8 AM – 4:00 PM. The drop-off is located at 20816 Central Ave. East, Blountstown, FL 32424. The support of the community is appreciated!