Why Volunteer?

These boards are an incredibly valuable resource for the Town. And, as a council member, I have personally found great value in the recommendations provided by our citizen volunteers.  From feedback received from the Planning and Zoning Board, to the incredible report put out by the Environmental Advisory Board’s Shale Gas Task Force, and also input from folks on the Public Arts Board and Parks and Rec. They are all key to what makes Cary such a great place to live.

But, it’s not just about your feedback – it’s about getting involved and truly making a difference. If you have a passion around any of these areas, please apply. Not only will you get an opportunity to help the town by providing your insights and thoughts, but also you will meet like-minded folks, interested in these topics and maybe even have FUN!  

And, volunteering is good for you.  More and more research shows that volunteering improves your health, happiness and well-being among those folks who do it.

Details, I Need details

Each of the board and commissions are unique in size, meeting schedule, and their specific functions. Some of the boards also have subcommittees, such as the “Greenway Committee” as part of the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Advisory Board, that you may also want to investigate.

• Environmental Advisory Board

• Information Services Advisory Board

• Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Advisory Board

• Public Art Advisory Board

• Planning and Zoning Board

• Zoning Board of Adjustment

• Economic Development Committee

Frequently Asked Questions

How much time does it take?
It depends on the board and commission. Some of them have monthly meetings of just an hour or two, with some pre-work required (reading or research), others can require more time and effort, perhaps a visit to a potential development location, etc.

Do I need any special skills?
Nope. What we need is your passion, experience, knowledge and love of Cary.

What opportunities are available for teens?
Ahhh, that’s a great question. We have an organization that is specifically geared for teens – the Cary Teen Council. It is a volunteer organization made up of teens from a variety of schools in Cary and surrounding areas! The mission of the Cary Teen Council is to empower teens with the core values of leadership, accountability, and a heart for service. They provide volunteer and leadership opportunities, establish high standards for behavior, and promote teens to effectively communicate while managing their time and volunteer profiles.  We even have some teens from the Teen Council serving on our regular boards and commissions!

Teens participating in this organization have the opportunity to get involved in programs and events that focus on social/recreational, community awareness/service, educational, leadership/teamwork and 
fundraising/recruitment.  This last year we had more than 730+ teens participating!

Teen Council Presidential Award Winners

Membership applications for rising 6th-11th graders are being accepted NOW through the end of June. For more information call Korey Sullivan at (919) 460-4965 or e-mail him at korey.sullivan@townofcary.org

How to Apply

Just go online and apply. Applications will be accepted through close of business on June 30, 2014. You can apply from your desktop/laptop or your Mobile device.

I look forward to seeing your application, and thanks for helping to keep Cary great!

What I’ve come to learn in my short time on council, is that our citizens aren’t just passionate contributors to our daily Town conversation; they put their heart, soul and free time to work to continue to make Cary the vibrant, amazing community that it is today.

John Kennedy famously said –

Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

Cary citizens have taken that to heart, right here in our own community.

Volunteers by the Numbers

Spruce, our volunteer-based program designed to connect citizens to beautification, litter reduction, and environmental service projects in our community has a number of activities going on all year. In fact, since today is Earth Day – you might want to check out some of those upcoming events and come out to Spring Daze in Bond Park, this Saturday, April 27th.  You can also join the Spruce Facebook group to keep up on what’s next.

On Saturday, April 13th I joined almost 450 other volunteers for the Spring Litter Sweep across our town for several hours. Kids, seniors, boomers and families joined in to help make Cary “clean and forever green.”  It was amazing to see people all across this community, getting together to pick up trash – and keep our community looking great.  We owe a debt of gratitude to all those folks that gave their Saturday morning to this endeavor.

Find your Volunteer Passion

This weekend I joined Mayor Weinbrecht at the Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church for the dedication of their Community Garden. Funding for the community garden was provided in part by the Town’s Neighborhood Improvement Grant Program. The church was also assisted by the hard work of local Eagle Scouts and local home improvement and garden centers that have also been generous donors to help the Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church grow even more food for the hungry.

This summer, the garden will also benefit from the efforts of two Appalachian Service Youth projects and a class project by NC State Agriculture students to assist with irrigation. And the benefits from this garden – vegetables and more, will be given to the Interfaith Food Shuttle, the local organization that helps provide healthy meals for families in our area. This is truly a project that reaps benefits to all!

While there, I also saw Teens from Green Hope High School, on behalf of Spruce, getting in their service hours for their AP Environmental Science course. A great way to learn and give back, at the same time.

Perfect Gardening Shoes seen onsite

Teen Council

Speaking of teens – if you have some in your house, there are ways to get them out of the house… and involved in the community. Have them sign up for our Cary Teen Council. The Teen Council is 739 kids strong now… yes, 739!

See – everyone gets in on the volunteer action.

The Teen Council is a program that has been around more than 20 years, and is another volunteer organization – just for 6th-12th graders. These Teens participate in all kinds of programs across the town, from social and recreational events, volunteering and community awareness/service, educational, leadership/teamwork and fund raising/ recruitment. Many of the Cary Teen Council members receive a chance to serve in advisory capacities for various Town boards and commissions.  In fact, we have one of those folks on the Information Services Advisory Board. I’m sure it looks good on their college application, too.

Membership Applications are accepted in June of each year, so stay tuned.

Thanks for all that you do to keep Cary the amazing community that it is.