Chicago Cares Serve-A-Thon

- 8,000 volunteers
- 39 schools
- Nearly $100,000 raised to revitalize the Chicago community

Saturday was the perfect example of the power of a volunteer and proof that positive and immediate change is possible when everyone lends a hand. At our site, we spent the day painting a Chicago elementary school while Michael Jackson's Greatest Hits played over the intercom. We cleaned the beige walls and covered them with bright paint like "Tango Tangerine" and "Seafoam Green" and muralists renewed the hallways with imagery of Chicago history and our nation's cultural leaders. The transformation was absolutely amazing and we were proud that the school's outward appearance could now reflect the positive attitudes and bright futures of the its students and teachers inside.

Check out more volunteer opportunities at www.chicagocares.org or use www.idealist.org if you're not in the Chicago area. An hour, a day, a week of your time devoted to service is more valuable than you can possibly realize.