The Daily Hustle: 9/17/10

Can it be the Hustle's finally free of the city budget? Believe it or not, it's our second nonfiduciary post of the week! This morning: An announcement for a new service initiative for the increasingly volunteerism-minded mayor.

This morning, Lee Leffingwell, Mike Martinez, and Sonia Kotecha, president of the Network of Indian Professionals of Austin, announced Oct. 2 as the Be the Change National Day of Service. From the press release:

Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s famous quotation, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world,” Be the Change takes place every year in October. Started at the University of Michigan 11 years ago, Be the Change has grown into a volunteer and leadership development program that attracts thousands of volunteers nationwide.

Be the Change is coordinated by SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together) a national nonprofit organization. In Austin, the Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP) Austin chapter with broad support from individuals and community groups throughout Central Texas is spearheading Austin’s Be the Change event. Over a dozen service opportunities for over three hundred volunteers have been confirmed, including the Capital Area Food Bank, Keep Austin Beautiful, Town Lake Animal Shelter, and the Workers Defense Project. This year, Austin has also been selected as one of nine featured Core Cities that will be highlighted nationally.

Projects will take place from approximately 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM on October 2nd, followed by a volunteer appreciation and celebration event at the south steps of the Texas State Capitol with free food, musical performance by Kat Edmonson, and featured speakers including Mayor Lee Leffingwell, State Representative Mark Strama, and Parag Mehta.

Service and volunteerism has taken a prominent role at the city as of late, with the recent appointment of Andy Mormon as the city's Chief Service Officer, a grant-funded position to encourage and coordinate volunteerism.

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