To the Editor:
It’s been called many things over the last 20 or so years — Christmas in July, Town-wide Volunteer Day, and most recently Community Cares Days. No matter its name, the annual springtime volunteer day to assist our senior citizen community members and others in need in the town of New Scotland with yard work and other light projects has been missed the last two years by both recipients and volunteers.

I am happy to report that, through a joint effort of the New Scotland Kiwanis Club, the Clayton A. Bouton High School Key Club, and other helpful community members, we are planning a comeback!

Volunteer Day will be held on Saturday, May 14, from 9 a.m. to noon with a rain date of May 15. Town of New Scotland seniors and others in need due to disability or illness in the community are encouraged to contact me, Janna Shillinglaw, at 518-369-0093, Lance Moore at 518-765-4969, or by April 30 to be considered for yard work or small outdoor projects. You may also contact the Town of New Scotland Senior Outreach Liaison Deborah Engel at 518-439-9038. All proposed service projects will be outdoor only.

We need volunteers! Community members and families can sign up via email at or send us a message through the New Scotland Kiwanis Facebook page. Voorheesville high school students can sign up though the Key Club’s Google sign up.

Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult volunteer and volunteers must be able to provide their own transportation to project sites. We ask that volunteers register by April 30. Depending on how many volunteers register, the deadline may be extended.

We are still working out the details and may include park and road clean-up depending on the number of projects we have and the number of volunteers who sign up. Information will be posted on the New Scotland Kiwanis Facebook page and communicated to registered volunteers.

We look forward to providing this opportunity again to our New Scotland seniors and caring community.

Janna Shillinglaw

New Scotland Kiwanis