Anyone who wants to learn more about Perry Village’s new community-assistance program can get answers to their questions during an upcoming program.
An event to introduce PITCH In will be held at 2 p.m. Sept. 27 at Lee Lydic Park, located at 3954 Call Road in Perry Village.
“It’s a launch to let people know what it is, and hopefully gather volunteers,” village Councilman Rick Walker said.
The first word in the title of the program’s name stands for Perry Investing Toward Community Help. It was decided to add the word “In” to create a phrase that would attract attention and be easy to remember.
Walker and Councilwoman Jean Schonauer took the initial steps last year to establish the program, which will recruit and assign volunteers to help residents with various tasks and chores that need to be done inside or outside of their homes.
Both council members also serve on a committee that formed to work on the many steps required to get PITCH In up and running. Developing a logo and mission statement, deciding how to conduct background checks, and producing applications for volunteers and clients have been just some of the requirements.
Walker has emphasized during previous council meetings that one of the keys to success for PITCH In will be recruiting an adequate number of dedicated volunteers. Anyone who’s curious about how they can assist others through PITCH In is invited to the Sept. 27 event, which will take place in the pavilion at Lee Lydic Park.
“We wanted to do something to make the community aware of what we’re doing and see who is interested in finding out more information and volunteering,” Schonauer said.
When the idea for PITCH In was unveiled in June 2019, Walker and Schonauer expressed hopes that the program could be ready to serve clients when spring-cleaning season rolled around in 2020. However, health and safety risks posed by the novel coronavirus pandemic forced PITCH In organizers to revise their timetable considerably.
“We’re probably looking at doing minimal volunteer work this year,” Schonauer said. “It’s going to be yardwork, most likely.”
While plans call for increasing awareness about PITCH In by launching a Facebook page and securing a spot on the perryvillageohio.com website, Schonauer urged village legislators and administrators to publicize the program through conversations, as well.
“We all need to be talking to the community about it,” she said.