More Than 1,000 Burqueños Took the ‘One ABQ Challenge’
September 13, 2018
Mayor Tim Keller and First Lady Elizabeth Kistin Keller’s ‘One ABQ Challenge’ garnered more than a thousand volunteers in projects throughout the City during the month of August. The citywide service challenge was held to celebrate organizations that are working to make a difference in our community and to encourage everyone to get involved. This year’s challenge theme was Connecting Youth and Elders.
“The projects we saw this year reflected the diversity, creativity, and needs of our City. It was incredible to see so many people come together and really consider how they could give back to our community and make it a better place and then take action,” said First Lady Elizabeth Kistin Keller.
Projects ranged from intergenerational chess games and citywide school supply drives to multigenerational storytelling and podcast recording.
During the One ABQ Challenge, 109 organizations, businesses, and individuals worked together to host 74 service projects across the City. The challenge resulted in more than 1,000 volunteers contributing more than 5,000 hours of service. Many organizations saw the need to bring youth and elders together for neighborhood cleanups or yard cleanups for elderly residents leading to nearly 30,000 pounds of trash being picked up according to the City’s Solid Waste Department.
“The City came together as One Albuquerque and celebrated the organizations that are making a difference by donating their time to participate in service. We rise and fall together as a City, and it’s clear our City is ready to rise to the challenge to build a brighter future,” said Mayor Tim Keller.
The One ABQ Celebration was held on Civic Plaza on August 12th to recognize the contributions service organizations make to the city and learn more about how to get involved in the challenge. The Celebration featured food, fun, and games while giving organizations an opportunity to recruit volunteers and promote their causes. The event ended with a feature performance by Al Hurricane Jr. at the new Al Hurricane Pavilion.
As Mayor Keller continues his work to turn government inside out, the City will be launching One ABQ Volunteers, a comprehensive volunteer initiative that will engage over 1,000 volunteers to address critical issues the City faces. A wide range of volunteer opportunities are available including working in community centers; serving as ambassadors at the airport; assisting with beautification projects through the Parks and Recreation Department; providing administrative support to Albuquerque Police Department; and volunteering at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial.
The City is working to ensure that anyone interested in lending a hand to will find a good fit. You can find more information about volunteering here: http://www.cabq.gov/abq-volunteers/.