Patch is all about serving communities and volunteering is one of the most important things we do. Aside from investing in a platform for local news and information, the company gives employees five paid days per year to do important charitable work in our Patches.
In February, Kirkland Patch editor Greg Johnston joined a group from the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance to help a State Parks crew repair an eroded trail at .
On Friday, he returned to in downtown Kirkland, where previously he had discovered a group of employees spending a day volunteering to do landscape work.
The hotel has adopted Heritage Park, the grassy, landscaped expanse that once hosted Kirkland Junior High, and once a month its employees volunteer their time to do landscaping and other maintenance work.
The volunteers spread some 20 cubic yards of mulch and bark Friday on the gardens around the park's Heritage Hall, which in a few weeks will begin greening up and blossoming. It was hard work -- but healthy, honest labor, spiced with the satisfaction of giving something back.
This is also important work that the budget-challenged city of Kirkland sorely needs.
So Patch encourages all citizens to be civic-minded and volunteer whenever and however they can. We even offer a tab at the top of every Patch home page where you can find volunteer opportunities, and charitable groups can seek volunteer help. Simply click on "Volunteer."
You can also find out about opportunities with the city on its Web pages here.
