NEWS RELEASE
HENDERSON, KY, April 21, 2016– A variety of projects from landscaping, touch-up painting, site preparation for butterfly “waystations” and striping of basketball courts are on the work list for this Saturday’s “City Serve” event.
According to a release from City of Henderson Public Information Officer Donna Stinnett, the projects will primarily take place in the East End and are being organized by One Life Church. Interested volunteer groups and individuals can meet at 8 a.m. on the corner of Powell and Letcher streets, said Ryan Nunn of One Life.
“We’re going to kick it off from there, then spread out to do our projects,” Nunn said, adding that the volunteers will strive to be finished by noon or shortly after.
A butterfly “waystation” is useful for migrating butterflies – notably Monarch butterflies – who have been threatened in recent years by loss of habitat that has traditionally supported the milkweeds and nectar sources that provide food for butterflies.
Butterfly conservation programs encourage the creation of “waystations” in home gardens, at schools, businesses, parks, zoos, nature centers, along roadsides and on other unused plots of land.
“City Serve” workers will start work on such a “waystation” at the City of Henderson’s Newman Park in partnership with local industry International Paper. Another is planned for South Heights Elementary.
Nunn said that last year about 400 volunteers representing 12 churches and six other organizations worked on City Serve projects. He said that since this year’s event falls right after the volunteer-driven Tri-Fest, “City Serve” participation might be smaller.
“It’s hard to get large groups of volunteers mobilized two weekends in a row,” he explained.
Nunn said that in addition to landscaping projects at South Heights Elementary and Central Academy, the butterfly projects and basketball court work at Central, he expects a couple of teams to work in the East End picking up trash and reporting graffiti that needs to be cleaned up. Another group has some chores to do at Marsha’s Place’s new location in downtown Henderson.
“The best way to get involved is to shoot me an email,” Nunn said. He can be contacted at RyanNunn@onelifenetwork.in.