When people talk about giving back, they often use the word volunteering. I used that word in episodes 84 and 88 when I talked about volunteer opportunities in Perrysburg. Not everything that helps our community fits neatly under the “volunteering.” Rather than have a third episode with volunteering in the title, I titled this episode, “Ways to Give Back in and Around Perrysburg.”

People give back in lots of ways here in Perrysburg: by volunteering their time, by donating resources, and by serving in leadership roles. Today, I’ll walk through some practical ways to give back in and around Perrysburg, which may help you figure out what might be a good fit for you. Topics covered:

Safety Church City, Community, and Events Local Attractions Environmental Inclusion and the Ability Community People experiencing medical challenges Veterans Older Adults Hospice Clothing Help Children Food Animals Running General Service

Safety

Be a designated driver

Church

Committee or Council Volunteer at your church’s nursery Decorate for seasons or do yard work Help with a funeral luncheon or other event

City, Community, and Events

General: Pick up trash at local parks, participate in Buy Nothing Perrysburg FB Groups Volunteer with the City of Perrysburg’s Commissions and Boards. https://www.perrysburgoh.gov/165/Commissions-Boards Click on “Application for Public Volunteer,” and create an account to apply. Perrysburg Great American Clean-Up – Seasonal volunteer clean-up of parks and neighborhoods. https://www.perrysburgpodcast.com/38 Downtown Perrysburg, Inc. - DPI - Winterfest, Rock the Docks, Boots in the Burg, Zip the Burg, and more https://www.downtownperrysburg.org Way Public Library Volunteer Programs https://waylibrary.info/index.php/24x7-service/volunteer-application-form Help Tim Ansted (Perrysburg Chamber of Commerce) with the Homecoming Parade

Local Attractions

577 Foundation https://www.577foundation.org Fort Meigs Historic Site https://fortmeigs.org/volunteer

Environmental

General: weeding gardens (at an older adult’s house, 577 Foundation, or a Garden Club) Partners For Clean Streams https://partnersforcleanstreams.org Grass Roots Recycling to Reuse Network, LLC https://grassrootsrecyclingtoreuse.com/ The Wood County Park District https://wcparks.org/volunteer/ Metroparks Toledo https://metroparkstoledo.com/get-involved/volunteer/

Inclusion and the Ability Community

The Ability Center of Greater Toledo (Assistance Dogs) https://abilitycenter.org/ County Board of Developmental Disabilities (Special Olympics) https://www.woodcountydd.org/volunteer

People experiencing medical challenges

Ronald McDonald House of Northwest Ohio https://rmhctoledo.org/ American Cancer Society: Fundraisers, like Relay For Life https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR?pg=entry&fr_id=111511 American Red Cross - donate blood, deliver blood products to hospitals https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html

Veterans

Volunteer with the City or Township’s Cemetery Board and partner with American Legion Post 28 to place flags at Veteran’s graves (~Memorial Day and Veterans Day) If you’re a Veteran, join the American Legion, and help with various projects https://www.facebook.com/pbpost28

Older Adults

General: Mow grass, rake leaves, shovel snow, wash windows or dishes, take out trash, etc Set up a Knox box for neighbors, in case the Fire Department or Rescue Squad needs access. (Township and City both have this.) Deliver meals with the Perrysburg Senior Nutrition Program (Meals on Wheels). Contact the Wood County Committee on Aging wccoa.net Visit shut-ins. Have a conversation or read to them (PMJ Newspaper, buzz book, Perrysburg Living Magazine, their church’s newsletter, Way Public Library’s newsletter, a novel of their choosing, etc).

Hospice

Hospice of Northwest Ohio – Provide companionship, support and help with events or administrative tasks. https://www.hospicenwo.org/landing-pages/main/volunteers/ Care360 Hospice (Toledo, OH) - provide companionship https://www.care360hospice.com/

Clothing

Timothy’s Perrysburg Foundation (at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church on East Boundary St): accepts clothing donations and provides clothing to those in need https://www.timothysperrysburg.org/ Operation Clean Duds provides free laundry services to individuals and families facing challenges. https://operationcleanduds.org/

Help Children

Elementary School Parent-Teacher groups (or PTOs), HPI, Jr. High, and High School Parents Organizations (ex: Cookie Jar around Christmastime) Contact schools for details. Perrysburg Schools Foundation – Assist with school-related events, fundraisers, and support for students & teachers. https://perrysburgschoolsfoundation.org/volunteer/ Help with sports teams or band - transport...