National Conventions Show Appreciation to Host Cities

By Julie Hyman

As part of their national convention activities, the Democratic and Republican parties are creating and participating in community-service projects in their convention host cities.

The Republican National Convention (RNC) launched its American Neighbor Volunteer Program to give back to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) is sponsoring monthly DNCC Service Days, a community-service initiative for Denver and its suburbs.

The American Neighbor Volunteer Program not only works to thank the host of the convention but also is meant to inspire Republicans across the nation to take action in their own communities.

"The thought behind the American Neighbor program is to make people realize that, 'Yes, I can help my neighbor. I can make a difference in my community,'" said Maria Cino, convention president.

Since the launch of the program on September 18, 2007, convention staff members have volunteered for several local organizations:

. Volunteers from the RNC have been serving lunch to the area's homeless and helped pack and sort food at the Second Harvest Heartland Food Bank. Heidi Stennes, the food bank's director of communications and media relations, said her organization "could literally not do their jobs" without the help of volunteers.

. Convention staff participated in the 14th annual Minneapolis Earth Day Watershed Cleanup to commemorate Earth Day 2008. During the cleanup, which focused attention on improving water quality in Minneapolis' lakes, volunteers picked up trash in and around the water.

. In December 2007, volunteers helped organize and distribute gifts at The Salvation Army Toy Shop, which provided holiday toys for 36,000 children. In October 2007, volunteers sorted, tagged and modeled truckloads of Halloween costumes at the Greater Twin Cities United Way and Arc Greater Twin Cities Value Village Halloween "Boo-tique." The proceeds helped fund programs and services for people with disabilities.

"Minneapolis-St. Paul is a vibrant, welcoming, and caring community. The spirit here is contagious - and we want to give something back," Cino said.

DEMOCRATS IN DENVER

The Democratic National Convention also wants to give something back, specifically through nine DNCC Service Days, which will focus on key areas identified by Denver city leaders: youth, homelessness and hunger, and making environmental improvements to the city.

"This is truly a win-win-win. Through these activities, our staff will have the opportunity to engage with the community and learn more about Denver, answer questions and do a little bit of good along the way," said the DNCC's Leah D. Daughtry.

Convention staff members have helped with several activities aimed at the city's youngest citizens, including a soccer (called football outside the United States) camp with middle school students and the local major-league soccer team, the Colorado Rapids. They also helped to organize, sort and shelve items in preparation for their distribution to children across the city, cleaned up playgrounds and led a classroom activity at a local early learning center.

While helping paint Denver's Manual High School, DNCC Chair Howard Dean said, "We don't want to just be people who have a good time and blow into town for a week. We want to know this community and we want to contribute to this community."

To address homelessness and hunger, DNCC staff helped a local community health center prepare an application for financial assistance, sorted canned goods at a facility to assist the needy and served breakfast and presented warm clothes at a homeless shelter.

Other projects will focus on environmental stewardship. According to the convention Web site, the convention aims "to produce the most environmentally sustainable political convention in modern American history."

Environment-related activities have included mulching trees at a local park and planting more than 400 trees around Denver in honor of Earth Day. Convention officials also have pledged to incorporate sustainability into all aspects of convention planning, and have instituted a "greening plan" that includes measuring the convention's "carbon footprint" and minimizing the convention's waste with resource recovery systems.

In addition, the DNCC is coordinating a Delegate Service Day at the end of the convention. The project will allow delegates and others attending the convention to thank, celebrate and contribute to the city of Denver. Projects will include sorting canned food contributions, cleaning up neighborhoods and parks and caring for trees.

"On Delegate Service Day, we hope all those who participate recognize the value of volunteering, and ideally go back to their home communities and states all across the country and get involved or recommit to similar projects in the weeks and months ahead," said the DNCC's Jenni Engebretsen.

Additional information on the August 25-28 Democratic National Convention ( http://www.demconvention.com/ ) and the September 1-4 Republican National Convention ( http://www.gopconvention2008.com/features/american.aspx ) is available on the convention's Web sites.

Source: U.S. Department of State

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com

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