Over 500 CNY Kids Volunteer Yards of Seniors’ Homes

Kids these days, ya know?

A gang of more than 500 kids were seen parading through the backyards of dozens of seniors in Oneida County this past weekend. It was the county's season cleanup effort, putting local youth to work - sweeping, raking and cleaning the backyards of older residents who can't get out and do it themselves anymore.

The young men and women, totaling 535, participated in the 13th annual Intergenerational Cleanup - held as the season change in the fall and spring.

“The success of our annual Intergenerational Fall and Spring Clean-Ups is a direct result of our dedicated, committed and hardworking youth volunteers and their mentors,” Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente said. “They continue to remind us of how much good is out there in our community and I salute them for their efforts. Our senior citizens, who can no longer can physically do this work or afford to have the work done for them, have benefitted tremendously from this initiative.”

They visited 85 area homes, ridding yards of leaves and other green waste, swept porches and sidewalks removed light garbage/debris.

Officials say volunteer participants came from:

• Utica University baseball, wrestling, track & field, field hockey, softball, women’s soccer and women’s lacrosse,
• Health Science Student Society and Organization of Justice Studies and Alpha Phi Delta, Alpha Chi Rho fraternities and Chi Beta Sigma, Kappa Delta Phi and Theta Phi Alpha sororities;
• Mohawk Valley Community College softball and Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society; Boy Scout Troop 21;
• New Hartford Perry Junior High, E.R. Hughes Elementary and 13U baseball;
• T.R. Proctor High School Key Club and Young Scholars Program;
• Utica Academy of Science;
• Clinton Middle School Student Council and National Junior Honor Society;
• Notre Dame High School; Whitesboro Marcy Elementary and PTO;
• New York Mills Student Council;
• Camden girl’s modified soccer;
• Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Interact Club;
• Sauquoit National Honor Society;
• Utica Post 229 and the Pisani family.

The 2024 spring clean-up date has already been scheduled for April 27 and April 28.

Local organizations, school districts and volunteer groups interested in volunteering for the spring cleanup should contact the Oneida County Youth Bureau at 315-798-5027. Also, seniors in need of having their yard cleaned is asked to contact the Oneida County Office for the Aging and Continuing Care at 798-5456.