Cary, NC — One of the best things about our Cary community is you. Really. I’m not blowing smoke here. Learn how you can start volunteering in Cary right now.

It’s Sign Up Time!

It’s because of our Cary Volunteers that we are such a great community.

I know this to be true. And, during the month of June, we have several opportunities for you and your family to sign up to be an integral part of Cary.

Teen Council

Looking for a way to get your teen involved and off the couch?

Have them sign up for the Cary Teen Council. This award-winning program that has been around for more than 20 years, and it’s just for 6th-12th graders. Over 700 kids have participated the last few years – and all of them have made a big difference for this community.

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 fundraising/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 on the Information Services Advisory Board. Hey, I’m sure it looks good on their college application, too.

Membership Applications are accepted in June of each year only, so have them sign up now.

See – everyone gets in on the volunteer action.

Boards & Commissions

June is also the month for signup for our Town of Cary Boards and Commissions. If you want to learn more about how the Town works, and have more of a say in what happens, this is a great place to start. Our volunteer boards and commissions serve an important role in our democratic local government process. These boards are a great way for us on council to gather constructive citizen input and recommendations from our citizens.

It allows us to tap into your amazing collective intellectual capital and talents as individual citizens, and it can also help you understand our day-to-day local government processes. This is a double-edged sword. Maybe you don’t want to know that much?

By serving on a board, you will not only learn more about the Town of Cary, but you will become a community leader, and, more importantly, you will get the chance to weigh in on your beliefs about our community needs and how they can be addressed and met.

Your input will help influence the important decisions we make regarding government policies. It’s also an amazing way to meet new neighbors, and, of course, to serve. Oh, it’s fun, too!

Each of our boards and commissions are unique in size, meeting schedule, and specific function; however, the overall mission is the same: to make Cary a place in which we can be proud to live, work and play.Citizens who serve on these boards and commissions perform a community service using their skills, interests and initiatives to make the difference.

These volunteers believe that Cary should indeed become “My Cary” for each of us.

Six of our seven boards below and the Economic Development Committee have openings for terms that are completed or vacant, so please review the list, and apply.

Vacancies for Boards and Commissions:

• Environmental Advisory Board: 3
• Historic Preservation Commission: 0
• Information Services Advisory Board: 3
• Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources: 3
• Planning & Zoning: 3
• Public Art: 2
• Zoning Board of Adjustment: 1
• Economic Development Committee: 1

Applications are being accepted through the end of June. All volunteers must live within Cary’s Corporate limits or, where applicable, in Cary’s ETJ.

Review the list of boards and commissions, find one that speaks to you and apply here.

Cary Volunteers Do So Much

There are so many great ways to volunteer – check them out online.

Take a look at our Spruce Program – our volunteer-based program designed to connect citizens to beautification, litter reduction, and environmental service projects, save us significant money and add beauty to our community. In 2014 alone, they collected 27,085 pounds of litter, spread 782 yards of mulch and planted over 1,600 trees, flowers and shrubs.

We also have Cary’s CAP team, the Citizens Assisting Police program. Before volunteering for the CAP Team, volunteers must successfully complete Cary’s Citizens Police Academy.

These volunteers help provide security at public events and assist the Police Department with fingerprinting, child safety seat installation, clerical duties, service center staffing, Community Watch programs and other duties. Last year, the 178 member CAP Team volunteered 5,585 hours, saving our town more than $135,847.00.

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. ~Gandhi

There are so many opportunities for all citizens to participate and engage with our community.  I hope you will find one that is your calling.

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From the blog of Lori Bush, At-Large Member of Cary Town Council. Pictures are from the Cary Teen Council, Town of Cary Spruce Program and Cary It Green Facebook Page.

Full disclosure: my son is in one of these pictures

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.

Why don’t they put a park by my house?

Wonder what they’re building over there…

I wish we would have bigger recycling bins…

I want a walkable Town…

Why don’t we have a YouTube channel?

I wish Cary would….

If so, then your town needs YOU!

It’s that time of year, when we at the Town of Cary ask citizens to step up and help continue to make Cary the best Town in North Carolina.  Or, what we call, applying for a Town of Cary board or commission.

Board? Commission?

The Town of Cary boards and commissions are just one way that the Town Council and staff get direct citizen input and guidance on issues and opportunities facing the Town.  Our volunteers (across the Town) are advocates for this great community, and their participation makes Cary a better place to live. By volunteering your precious time to participate in one of our boards and commissions, you give us the information that we need to make decisions.

We have seven boards and commissions right now at the Town and each of them provides a vital and important role to staff and Town Council.  By participating on one of the boards, you are giving us your “citizen recommendations” for all types of activities, events, and policies throughout the town, on issues that impact our entire community.  Whether you provide input relying on a unique skill or set of experiences, or based on your personal interests – your active involvement makes Cary a better community.

What will you do if appointed?

Each of the boards and commissions has a set of guidelines and focus areas.  Although some of the boards are looking for specific skills for some roles, the basic requirement is your active participation.

•    Each board has a set meeting schedule and you are asked to attend these meetings in person.
•    Different boards/commissions have various work plans, time committments  and schedules.
•    Some “homework” may be involved.
• Your input and feedback is key to continuing our great quality of life.  You’ll develop new relationships, share your concerns, opinions, and help us solve problems,  and you might even have fun!

Apply

The following boards and commissions will have openings this year:

1. Environmental Advisory Board – 3 positions
2. Information Services Advisory Board  – 2 positions
3. Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Advisory Board – 3 positions
4. Public Art Advisory Board – 3 positions
5. Planning and Zoning Board – 3 positions
6. Town Center Review Commission – 1 position  (This board is being sun-setted)
7. Zoning Board of Adjustment – No positions open for 2012

Please review the Board and Commissions guidelines before applying, to ensure you don’t have any conflicts of interests associated with the board for which you would apply.

Applications must be received by June 30, 2012.

Play a part

Pick a board or commission that has a mission that is near and dear to your heart or perhaps one of your passions.  From the Environmental Advisory Board, to the the Information Service Advisory Board, to Parks and Recreation – there are many to choose from. YOU are what’s best about this town that we live in, and we need your help.

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

Featured picture by DonkeyHotey