LELAND — Registration is now open to volunteer for the town of Leland’s annual “Lend a Hand” day of community service, which first launched in 2023.
The 2026 community-wide day of service is Oct. 8, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., with signups for volunteers available here.
The program brought together a total of 444 volunteers helping eight local organizations, such as the Cape Fear River Watch, We Live Here, Alliance for Cape Fear Trees and First Baptist Church of Leland. It resulted in the completion of 19 projects, including homebuilding with Brunswick Habitat for Humanity, landscaping the Brunswick Center, North Brunswick High School campus cleanup and improvements at Cypress Cove Park such as bird houses, bat boxes, painting and mulching.
During this year’s “Lend a Hand” event, volunteers will be working to beautify the Westgate district by collecting roadside litter and planting trees at the community’s entrance. Other opportunities include collecting water samples and removing litter from the Cypress Cove Park Watershed, collecting food donations with the First Baptist Church of Leland, as well as manning the drive-thru food bank and participating in an AARP audit walk to evaluate walkability of Village Road.
“Volunteers will have the opportunity to choose from six service projects supporting local organizations and community initiatives, including environmental stewardship, beautification, food assistance, and future transportation planning,” town spokesperson Jessica Jewell said in a statement.
For tree planting, trash pickup, stream cleanup and the AARP walk audit, community members of any age are welcome to participate. For the First Baptist Church of Leland food drive and distribution participants must be at least 12-years-old. For all events, those under 16-years-old must be accompanied by a guardian.
Jewell said “Lend a Hand” is important in that it “fosters civic pride and connections” to address local needs.
Participants will meet at Founders Park, 113 Town Hall Drive, to check in. During this time volunteers are encouraged to enjoy refreshments, connect with peers and learn about the projects and organizations they will be supporting. At 9 a.m. participants will go to their assigned locations to begin their efforts of serving the community.
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