October 24, 2011 

Apex, NC – With an organized volunteer program off the ground, Apex has seen a surge of volunteerism in the past six months.

Councilman Bill Jensen worked behind the scenes to brainstorm volunteer opportunities and energized staff to reach out to the public.  “Apex residents in general are very civic-minded,” stated Mr. Jensen.  “All we had to do was provide opportunities for them to get involved, and it took off from there.”

The town has averaged about 15 interest forms per month over the past six months, with residents volunteering for a variety of efforts.  One of the most popular categories of volunteerism is landscaping. And it only takes a handful of volunteers to produce a tremendous result.  Recently, Mr. Jensen joined with members of the Apex Youth Advisory Committee to plant over 80 pomegranate trees in two town parks. 

Members of the Youth Advisory Committee included: Committee Chair Diana Dayal, Akhila Boyina, Helen Glazunov, Nupur Jain, Allison Beckman, Jason Lockamy, Shravya Kandimalla, Sirisha Karra, Jenn Laskowski, Lesley Chao, and Chris Wang.

Jensen grew the trees from seedlings at his home, and tended them for nearly two years until they were ready for planting.  “Who knows, maybe one day many years from now Apex will be home to a pomegranate festival,” he said.

Three programs based with the Apex Fire Department have also seen a swell of interest: fire hydrant painting, truck washing, and participation in the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). 

Residents wishing to contribute a few hours to bettering their community are encouraged to complete the volunteer interest form at www.apexnc.org/volunteer where they can select one or more volunteer opportunities.

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