What is a Great Day of Service?
Held each year on the Monday Columbus Day holiday, a Great Day of Service brings together individuals, families, corporations, scout troops, youth groups, gardening clubs, associations and much, much more to work at pre-determined volunteer sites throughout Rhode Island. Imagine hundreds of volunteers of all ages uniting to do works of service around our state. Everyone can participate: students, families with young children, seniors, groups….spread the word – there’s an activity for all ages and abilities to participate at a Great Day of Service. That's what a Great Day of Service is all about.

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Who is responsible for organizing a Great Day of Service each year?
Beyond Our Walls (BOW), a non-profit established in 2005, was created as an interfaith group to act as a catalyst for change in the local community and beyond. BOW members include people from various faith traditions as well as individuals with no religious affiliation. Anyone with a willingness to share their knowledge, energy and creative talents and a desire to better humanity as a whole is welcome to join us. BOW members come from all walks of life - working people, retired people, stay-at-home-parents, students, single people and more. They all have one common goal - community betterment. To learn even more about Beyond Our Walls, click here.

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When will it take place?
The 7th Annual Great Day of Service will take place on Monday, October 10, 2011 from approximately 9am – 1pm.  Please note - some projects may run slightly shorter or longer depending on the scope of the work.  We anticipate the majority of sites to end by 1pm.

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Where does the Great Day of Service take place?

The 2011 Great Day of Service will take place at worksites throughout the state.  Please click here for 2011 worksite information. Volunteers will report DIRECTLY to their worksites at 9am and will work on a project until approximately 12pm.  Addresses for each worksite have been provided on the worksite information sheets; we recommend using Google maps or Mapquest to get directions.  ******Please note:  this is different than in past years; there will NO LONGER be a registration/kickoff location.  You MUST be pre-registered to participate. Volunteers will report directly to their pre-assigned worksites.   .

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How do I participate and register? 
Registration for the 2011 Great Day of Service is now CLOSED. If you have questions or can no longer volunteer at your worksite, please email us at greatday@greatdayofservice.com.

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Where can I find information about the worksites available for a Great Day of Service?
Please click here for worksites scheduled for the 2011 Great Day of Service. Please note that this is a several PDF document, so be sure to scroll through to see all the sites!  It is listed in alphabetical order by site name.

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Can I participate in more than one worksite?
No. Participants may only select one site to work at during a Great Day of Service. We encourage you to come back every year to try out a new volunteer opportunity!

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How will I get to my worksite?
Participants are expected to provide their own transportation to their worksite. Carpooling is recommended for groups and individuals that will be working at the same site. Addresses for each worksite have been provided on the worksite information sheets; we recommend using Google maps or Mapquest to get directions.  Please email us at greatday@greatdayofservice.com if you still have questions about directions. Note: if an address is not listed for your selected worksite it will be emailed to you prior to the event.

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What if my group wants to participate?
Groups are encouraged to participate in a Great Day of Service!  If your group would like to participate but they aren’t interested in working at the same site, that’s totally fine. 

If your group would like to participate and IS interested in working at the same site, your group must register together to ensure being placed at the same site.  Group leaders may register their entire group; please note that a registration form must be filled out for every individual in your group that you are registering.  You MUST fill out a registration form for each individual member of your group.  Group leaders MUST bring a signed waiver form for each participant in your group.  Group leaders may sign the waiver for their members if a parent or legal guardian is unavailable. For additional questions regarding group registration, please email greatday@greatdayofservice.com. 

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When I registered, the site I was interested in wasn’t listed on the registration form.  Why?
Please note that each site can only accept a limited number of volunteers.  Once a site has filled, it will no longer be available.  

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What if I register and can no longer attend a Great Day of Service?
Please email greatday@greatdayofservice.com as soon as you learn that you can no longer attend.

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How do I know which worksite to arrive at on October 10th?
Please make a note of which worksite you are choosing when you fill out your online registration form as you will not be able to access this form once clicking submit.  Note: You will receive a confirmation email 24-48 hours after registering for a Great Day of Service; YOU MUST provide a valid email address so that we may contact you with updates and last minute information.

Additionally, all registered participants will receive an additional event email either Saturday or Sunday prior to the Great Day of Service.  Please be sure to check your inbox over the weekend.

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What should I bring to a Great Day of Service?
Please bring a valid form of identification (photo id/school id) and a signed waiver.  (Download it HERE.)  If working at an outdoor site, please dress accordingly.  We suggest that all participants wear “work” clothes – jeans, sweats, etc.  Participants may bring work gloves and tools – please label with your name.  Please check your site description to determine if your site encourages you to bring something specific. Participants may also choose to bring a snack/water to your worksite.  We also encourage you to take photos to document your volunteer experience! All participants are asked to bring a canned good which will be donated to food pantries statewide.  If you have a t-shirt from previous participation in a Great Day of Service, please wear it!

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What forms need to be filled out in order to participate in a Great Day of Service?
All participants MUST have a signed waiver to participate in a Great Day of Service.  Please click here to download the waiver.

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Will you accept walk-ups the day of a Great Day of Service?
No walkups will be accepted the day of a Great Day of Service.

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What if it rains?
A Great Day of Service will take place rain or shine! In case of inclement weather, some outdoor sites may be cancelled. Alternate indoor projects may be planned. Announcements and more information will be emailed and posted on this website prior to October 10, but we know it will be sunny and beautiful! Please note that Beyond Our Walls may cancel any site at any time as deemed fit and will make every effort to alert and/or re-place volunteers.

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Are students eligible to receive community service hours by participating in a Great Day of Service?
Yes!  Upon request, all students will receive a community service form after completion of a Great Day of Service.  Requests can be made online at www.greatdayofservice.com approximately 24-48 hours after the event has ended.   

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I can’t come on October 10th for a Great Day of Service but I still want to help out. What can I do?
The most important thing you can do is HELP SPREAD THE WORD! Tell your friends and family about a Great Day of Service and send them to www.greatdayofservice.com. You can also help publicize by joining the BOW group on Facebook by clicking here.   Your tax-deductible donation can help support a Great Day of Service and other programs of Beyond Our Walls.  To make a secure donation online using PayPal, please click the yellow donate button below. (Please note: you will be navigated off the Great Day of Service website.); to donate via cash or check (please make it payable to Beyond Our Walls): mail to PO Box 567, Barrington, RI,02806 and specify it's for a Great Day of Service.  Beyond Our Walls is a 501c3 non-profit organization.