Kaine launches volunteer initiative

Revisiting a project from when he was lieutenant governor, Sen. Timothy M. Kaine, D-Va., will launch his new “Citizen Day” initiative in the Richmond area this weekend, hoping to highlight causes and organizations that are helping Virginians in need.

“It’s good to be able to connect with this public service motive and do it in a way that can draw attention to the cause,” Kaine said in an interview Tuesday. “By doing this, I can both have fun and, hopefully, shine light on good work Virginians are doing.”

During his tenure as lieutenant governor from 2002 to 2006, Kaine was involved with a number of nonprofit organizations, doing volunteer work at shelters for women and children who were domestic violence victims, at feeding programs and initiatives supporting low-income workers or homeless people.

One project he particularly remembers standing out was in rural mountainside communities in Southwest Virginia where he helped people who were working hard to provide water access to households.

“It was difficult to get water systems, and they used a lot of self-help labor to build these,” Kaine said.

For the junior senator, volunteering is a good way to spend time on the weekends, when Congress isn’t in session.

“For many years, I was the shift leader during the evening meal at the Freedom House (in Richmond), which is now closed. I would do that every second Saturday for a number of years. At minimum, you are learning about something,” he said.

Kicking off his revived initiative, Kaine on Saturday will join volunteers with Operation Paintbrush to repaint the home of elderly Henrico County residents in need.

“I fully expect that other organizations will probably hear about it and reach out to me, and tell me about things that I may not know about already and encourage me to be part of it,” Kaine said, adding that he also hopes to “shine a spotlight on an unmet need or an organization that is doing good work to meet an unmet need.”

Kaine plans to volunteer for his initiative at least four times a year. “Some of the best public service any of us ever do is doing volunteer work,” he said.

For those interested in joining Kaine as a volunteer on Saturday, please email his office, RSVP_Events@kaine.senate.gov

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