Giving back to the communities we cover is a huge part of Patch. We do it as part of our coverage — in a dedicated space that lets local charities and volunteers find each other — and with a program called “Give 5,” through which we donate free advertising space to charitable organizations and contribute our own time as volunteers.

We also have Give 5 Days, which are five working days of each year that are dedicated to community service.

Our first Give 5 Day of the year was Thursday.

Your South Cobb Patch editor Kiri Walton volunteered as a fifth grade science fair judge on Wednesday morning (a day early for Give 5, but still counts) at Mableton Elementary. Those kids have talent, smarts and innovative ideas! There was not a single volcano there. No, these bright minds went for very interesting experiments that provided some real-life answers. I was so proud to hear them articulately describe everything they learned while completing their experiments.

South Cobb is an area filled with people who are working to improve it. Want to give back to your community? Check out the many ways to do so below:

• The Austell Civitan Club is looking for volunteers who want to help their communities and special needs children. For more information, contact President Eugene Mims at eugene.sr@gmail.com or 404-317-0476.
• C.A.M.P. is the state’s largest food pantry and is headquartered in Austell. Volunteers can help in a variety of ways, such as stocking pantry shelves or by sorting incoming food or clothes donations or even assisting with special events like the organization’s upcoming Chicken Run. The Spring Chicken run is an annual event to raise money for the organization and is also a Peachtree Road Race qualifier this year. The next volunteer orientation is Feb. 27. For more details about volunteering or about C.A.M.P., click here.
• With this fantastic warm February weather, you can host your own Alex Lemonade stand to raise money to fight childhood cancer. Read more here.
• Family Life Resource Center is a great place in Mableton for families and individuals to receive help, such as food, clothing, Christian counseling and even a place for young people to find safe and positive recreational activities. To volunteer, call (770) 944-1066.
• Cobb Mentoring Matters is the first Cobb County Schools district-wide youth mentoring program that aims to empower at-risk youth and influence them to make positive choices. The program needs both individual volunteers and company sponsors to donate supplies, participate in service projects and allow employees to volunteer an hour a week.
• Pebblebrook Pantry still needs donations. Have some canned goods at home that you can spare? Bring ‘em in. Get full details here.
• Both the Mableton Improvement Coalition and Austell Community Taskforce offer ways for residents to get involved in cleaning up their communities with roadside clean-up events and other volunteer opportunities, which can be found by clicking the links of this sentence.