The Virginia Home partnered with Butler’s Landscaping and the City of Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities for Make-A-Difference Day 2008 on Saturday, Nov. 8.  The turning leaves of Byrd Park provided the perfect backdrop for a beautiful autumn day full of music, fun, and teamwork.

Over 125 volunteers, including staff and residents of The Virginia Home, gathered in the area of Byrd Park between Hampton Street and Swan Lake to construct a raised garden and an accessible sheltered picnic table.  Butler’s Landscaping designed the garden and the Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities designed the picnic table. 

National Make-A-Difference Day is celebrated each year on the fourth Saturday of October and has become the nation’s largest day of volunteering.  Residents of The Home conceived the idea for this project after discovering that hands-on service opportunities for physically disabled citizens are very limited.  Thus, instead of trying to find a Make-A-Difference Day project out in the community in which they could participate, they decided to create their own—right across the street.  

The Virginia Home will host its second annual Make-A-Difference Day project this year on Saturday, October 24, 2009. This year’s project is themed “Branching Out,” and our goal is to plant 15 trees in Byrd Park in addition to providing water to them for their first year.

You can help by volunteering the day of the event or by providing financial support for the project. $250 buys and supports one tree. Donations can be mailed to The Virginia Home, Attn: Sherry Williams, 1101 Hampton Street, Richmond, Virginia 23220. Contact Sherry Williams at 804.359.4093 or volunteer@thevirginiahome.org for more information.