St. Petersburg, Fla. (July 30, 2009) - Volunteers are needed for a myriad of projects, painting, mulching and cleanup throughout the community on Saturday, September 26. The annual week of compassion-related activities, sponsored by Somebody Cares Tampa Bay under the umbrella of CareFest USA, culminates with a day of service that gives back to the community -- benefitting individual homeowners and non-profit organizations.
 
    Neighborhood groups, churches, school clubs or teams, individuals and families can join in by volunteering to tackle one-day projects that range from painting homes, mowing, weeding and cleaning up yards to distributing food or visiting nursing homes. CareFest St. Petersburg 2009 begins at 7:30 a.m., lasting until about 2 p.m., with light morning refreshments, cold drinks, lunch and entertainment provided for all volunteers.
 
    The city's Neighborhood Partnership is spearheading the day of service in St. Petersburg. For a list of projects, visit www.stpete.org/neighborhoods, click on the CareFest logo, click on "Adopt This Project" and complete the requested information. To volunteer, contact Teketa Marshall, Midtown, 727-892-5088, or Philip Harris, Neighborhood Partnership, 727-893-4110.
 
    Due to a tremendous turnout last year, St. Petersburg received the "2008 City of Compassion Award," the Care Cup trophy presented to the city organizing the most volunteers. Last September, 1,037 volunteers representing the religious, business, collegiate communities, and service agencies participated in the St. Petersburg CareFest 2008, completing more than 220 projects. Volunteer roles included right-of-way clean-ups, installing community signs, building a handicap ramp, painting, handling minor home repair projects, yard and garden work.