Phillyanthropy

Get Up, Get Out, Get Involved

by Dana Henry

You don't need strength, endurance or even a decent pair of sneakers to participate in the Philadelphia Marathon. A little enthusiasm will land you a volunteer position among the international athletes in town for the 26.2-mile run. Help is needed before, after and during the races with packet stuffing, registration, course monitoring and water distribution. Call Terry Baxter at 215-564-4544 or e-mail terry@gpcares.com for more info.

When you're talkin' trees, 640 is a tall order. Regardless, that's the number the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is aiming for with their large-scale urban tree planting mission. Even with the support of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Fairmount Park Commission, they're going to need some manpower to spread that many saplings across the city. If you've got the green thumb, they've got the tools and the expertise at plantings in East Falls, Oak Lane and Fairmount Ward Park. Visit www.treevitalize.net for more info.

If your own life is a little slow these days, First Person Arts will fill it with drama, poetry slams, photography and even a top-secret ravioli recipe. For only a few hours of your time, this Philly-based, cross-cultural network of documentary and memoir work will feed you slices of life from their sixth annual First Person Festival of Memoir and Documentary Art. Help is needed with ushering, setup, cleanup, answering phones and more at the Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival theater. Call Jill Ivey at 267-402-2057 or e-mail jivey@firstpersonarts.org for more info.

Keeping both eyes on the polls, the Committee of Seventy makes sure that what happened in Florida doesn't happen in Philly. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has more than 100 years of experience helping elections run smoothly. This Election Day, they need help both in the office and in the field helping citizens exercise one of their most basic rights — the vote. Call 215-557-3600, ext. 109, or visit www.seventy.org for more info.

Norris Square Neighborhood Project, a community-run West Kensington cultural center, needs extra personalities for their eclectic children's program. Volunteers help students express their cultural experience through a variety of mediums such as spoken word poetry, performance arts, sewing, cooking and silk-screening. Hours are flexible, and creative suggestions and ideas are always welcome. Call Adam Safer at 215-634-2227 or e-mail asafer@nsnp.com for more info.