For the second year in a row, two major volunteer events in Jefferson City have been canceled due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Serve Jeff City organizers announced this week they wouldn't hold the day-long event, which had been planned for April 17, in consideration for the safety of volunteers and project coordinators.
The plan is to hold Serve Jeff City again April 23, 2022.
Serve Jeff City is a partnership among the United Way of Central Missouri; Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department; Jefferson City YMCA and other community organizations.
Mission JC, normally held the day after Serve Jeff City, has also been canceled for 2021.
In a cancellation message on Facebook, Mission JC organizers said, "May we continue to find small ways to be the hands and feet of Christ for our neighbors and in our communities."
Mission JC, which brings churches and community members together for "a morning of worship through service," according to its website, helps with projects not completed by the Serve Jeff City program.
Last year, the events were canceled because the pandemic was just beginning. This year, there are still plenty of unknowns, especially for indoor volunteer projects, so it was decided to err on the side of caution, Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Assistant Director JJ Gates said.
"There still are plenty of opportunities for people to volunteer as an individual or in a small group," he said. "We'd be happy to talk with them about helping in our parks."
Parks Department often gets requests about smaller projects, Gates said, and they can have people help clean up along Wears Creek or do landscaping projects.
"As folks feel more comfortable, we've got plenty of things they can do," he said.
For more information about volunteering in Jefferson City parks, call Gates at 573-634-6482 or email him at [email protected].