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Governor calls for all hands on deck for Hands On Georgia
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ATLANTA — Gov. Sonny Perdue has challenged the citizens and businesses of Georgia to serve and enhance their communities during Hands On Georgia Week, which will take place from Sept. 27-Oct. 4.

“We have much to be proud of and thankful for as Georgians, and volunteering in our communities is an essential part of our outstanding quality of life,” Perdue said. “I challenge each Georgian to join me and volunteer for a local community service project with your family, friends or co-workers during Hands On Georgia Week.

“I encourage everyone to find something that they are passionate about, whether it’s working with children or senior citizens, cleaning up and preserving our state’s natural resources, or supporting fine arts and sports programs.”

According to the Volunteering in America Report by the Corporation for National and Community Service, Georgians volunteered for nearly 229,575,000 hours of community service in 2007, worth an estimated $4.4 billion ($4,479,007,314) of time. Still, Georgia’s overall rate of volunteers was 24.2 percent, compared to the national average of 27.2 percent.

Hands On Georgia is the first statewide network in the nation that is dedicated to volunteer service and civic engagement, acting as a central organizing body for all of Georgia’s 159 counties to mobilize citizens to address community needs and enhance their respective communities.

Hands On Georgia Week is the organization’s signature event, which attracted 68,000 volunteers who contributed 191,000 hours of community service in 2007.

“It is truly amazing to see thousands of Georgians volunteer their time to support their local communities,” said Laurie Grant Nichols, chief executive officer of Hands On Georgia.