ServiceCorps participants will welcome unwanted goods at green-minded festival
R.J. Hammond really used his head to promote recycling at last year’s festival.
Start collecting: Teen participants in the Coatesville Youth Initiative’s summer ServiceCorps are seeking your unwanted clothes, shoes, electronics, plastic and more.
The second Annual Coatesville Recycling & Living Green Festival will be held at Gateway Park on First Avenue Saturday, Aug. 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Brandywine Health Foundation announced yesterday.
The teens will be offering Coatesville residents the opportunity to learn about recycling, sign up for a free recycling bin, or drop off items to recycle, ranging from paper to scrap metal. For a nominal fee, they will even take tires – bike tires are $1; car tires, $3; and truck tires, $5.
Free children’s activities will include a moon bounce, snow cones, spin art, and recycling games. Children can also sign up for the Recycling Poster Contest. Poster board and glue sticks will be provided. Applications and guidelines will be available at the festival.
The 37 teens planning the festival took part in the third year of the Brandywine Health Foundation’s Coatesville Youth Initiative’s ServiceCorps program. Using the AmeriCorps model, the ServiceCorps combines an eight-week job placement and a challenging leadership development curriculum – the only youth employment program in Chester County. Throughout the eight-week program, the teens – selected from over 147 applicants – have been developing the job, leadership, and the team-building skills that will encourage them to graduate from high school and pursue college.
“Each year ServiceCorps participants are required to plan a community service project. In doing so, they learn the importance of giving back to their community and working with others. This recycling drive is a good time for our youth to develop their program planning, volunteer recruitment, marketing, and fund-raising skills, said Imani Gilliam, the ServiceCorps program coordinator. “On Saturday, Aug.18, the greater Coatesville community will see just how committed and caring our students are.”
Gilliam said generous donations from Giant, Wegmans, Dominos Pizza (Valley and Thorndale stores), Brandywine Hospital, and the Coatesville Flower Shop will help make the event a success. For more information about Saturday’s event, contact Gilliam at 610-380-9080 or igilliam@brandywinefoundation.org.
The Brandywine Health Foundation works to improve health and encourage youth development in the greater Coatesville area. It has extended an invitation to residents to provide feedback at its upcoming Vision Café on Aug. 14. For more details visit. www.brandywinefoundation.org.
