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2016 Was A Great Year For TEAM Punta Gorda Volunteers
2016 was a great year for TEAM Punta Gorda volunteers. Among their accomplishments:
- The History Park Community Garden opened this month displaying the seasonal bounty of 72 local gardeners. It's TEAM's third Community Garden and a real hit.
- Continued efforts to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety in partnership with the PGPD and the City of Punta Gorda
- Coordinated harbor conservation efforts such as the
 Coastal Cleanup and installed the first in a series of interpretive signs along the Harborwalk.
- Launched a Community Housing Collaborative to study the issue of workforce and affordable housing
- Painted eight houses for homeowners needing a helping hand, all on one day with 100 volunteers
In order to accomplish all of this, and much more, 710 volunteers stepped forward to help! Of those, 450 volunteered for special events or one-day projects. Perhaps they helped with registration for Pedal & Play, our great Spring charity bicycling event. They may have helped to improve a neighborhood by painting a house for Paint Your Heart Out, Punta Gorda. They could have been among the 200 volunteers who helped pick up waterway trash during this year's Coastal Cleanup. Even when these volunteers who only work occasionally are removed from the count, there were still 260 volunteers working year-round on 20 committees or other projects to help make our community a better place to live work and play. Active volunteers spend on average ten hours a month doing related tasks, typically for about 6 months of the year. Our core team of committee chairs and leaders invest much, much more. Because of the spirit of service and collaboration that is present in this town, Punta Gorda is a special place where if you dream it, you can do it.
This year's TEAM Punta Gorda Annual Community Meeting will be a time to toast those volunteers and celebrate their accomplishments.
Please join us on January 26th at 6:30 PM at the Punta Gorda Civic Association, 2001 Shreve Street in Punta Gorda. The event is open to the public. All are encouraged to come enjoy this entertaining and informative evening. The theme of the meeting this year is "Orchestrating a Dynamic Community Together". Charlotte Symphony Music Director and Conductor Raffaele Ponti will be the guest speaker. Maestro Ponti will speak of the relevance of the Symphony to the future of the community. Maestro Ponti envisions the Symphony and TEAM as "two driving forces working together."
Coming TEAM Punta Gorda events not to be missed:
- Paint your Heart Out February 18
- Judy Brentano Annual Golf Tournament @ St Andrews South Golf Club, March 18
- Pedal and Play 2017, March 24th and 25th at Laishley Park
My hopes for the new year are that by working together we can make our town safer to cycle and walk; improve the health of our harbor; provide education an awareness about community housing options; continue to improve and beautify our neighborhoods; and support other community organizations in their endeavors through strategic partnerships.
TEAM Punta Gorda is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
N
ancy Johnson is the CEO of TEAM Punta Gorda. Ideas or q
uestions can be addressed to her at
[email protected]
.
Or, call 941-637-TEAM (8326). Find a complete schedule of all upcoming activities, as well as more information about TEAM Punta Gorda, membership, or to volunteer, visit our website,
www.teampuntagorda.org
.
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TEAM celebrated Punta Gorda's Founders Week on December 7th with an old time BBQ & Poker Run.
Over 140 people attended the Ribbon
