JOIN HANDS DAY
Builds Partnerships  

In May each year, youth and adults connect across generations to learn something about each other while they plan and carry out a volunteer project together. 

On May 20th State, County, and City Representatives worked side by side with children and adults from local communities on the city’s Eastside.  San Antonio Fighting Back, Inc. (SAFB) connected over 40 youth and adults with Community Leaders for JOIN HANDS DAY, a national day of service.  They came together for this annual event to plant a message of love and hope.  This all volunteer landscaping event took place at the Barbara Jordan Community Center on East Commerce and was dedicated to those who have suffered or died due to violent crime. The day started with an official presentation by Linda Tippins, Executive Vice President of SAFB, followed by the first tree planting dedicated to the men and women who have suffered or lost their lives in the Iraq War.

 
Fort Sam Houston soldier’s Sgt. Mossaab Behammou and PSC Casandra Buzian plant a tree in front of the Barbara Jordan Community Center to honor all soldiers who have suffered or died in the Iraq War.  In the background from R to L are Councilwoman Patti Radle, Bexar County Sheriff Ralph Lopez, and County Commissioner Tom Adkisson who joined hands with others to commemorate the event.  
 

The benefit of the day comes by bringing youth, families and community leaders together to work side by side on a project to foster healing, build relationships, and improve our community.  This event can be an important first step in bringing more young people into leadership roles in many organizations. 

Children from the Youth Crime Watch Group from Bowden Elementary joined Bexar County Sheriff Ralph Lopez to plant flowers and each group wrote a personal message on yellow slips and attached them with blue ribbons to garden stakes or around trees planted.  One message read, “Cristina – Memory of a good friend who’s life was taken too soon”, another read, “In memory of Tasha Reid, Tasha was a 10 year old girl killed by her parent in a domestic violence situation.”  The messages will be framed and displayed at the San Antonio Fighting Back Offices on East Commerce.

For more information on SAFB contact Cleo Garcia at 210-271-7232.  If you would like more information about JOIN HANDS DAY, visit their web site at www.joinhandsday.org. 

San Antonio Fighting Back, Inc. would like to thank the following for helping make this event possible:

Booker’s Tree Service
Tom Harris – Master Gardener
 Bexar County Community Supervision & Corrections Dept.
Community Shed – City of San Antonio
The Home Depot on Fair Avenue
RK Catering Group
 San Antonio City Nursery
Shades of Green Nursery

Join Hands Day was created and is sponsored by America’s Fraternal Benefit Societies, in connection with the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network.

  
 

 

  
 

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