Cheers for Volunteers: Kudos Kirkland Spruces Up Market Street Median

Busy next Thursday morning from 8-10? If not, Kudos Kirkland wants you!

The group of Kirkland residents, co-founded by Michelle Sailor, president of the Market Neighborhood Association, and Rob Butcher of Kirkland Views web site fame, spends at last two hours most every Thursday morning volunteering to clean up around town.

We found them Thursday along Market Street with a crew from the city Public Works Department, busily weeding the landscaped median despite steady sprinkles.

"This work is coordinated with public works," says Sailor. "They're working along side of us and do things we can't do, like trim the trees."

The group spends more than just two hours on Thursday mornings. In the last week or so it has also helped pressure-wash downtown sidewalks and helped in the volunteeer effort to create at .

More volunteers are always needed. If you can help, check out the Kudos Kirkland web site here.

Kudos Kirkland is just one part of an enormous and active volunteer program that helps the city of Kirkland accomplish a variety of work it needs to do but can't readily afford in these tight budgetary times.

There is charitable work to be done as well. Volunteers are still needed Saturday to gather donations for Kirkland's part in the annual Eastside Food Drive. Volunteers are needed Saturday at the Red Apple on 132nd Ave NE, The Finn Hill QFC, The Metropolitan Market in Houghton and the Juanita Albertsons. If you can help that effort, please click here.

Such work is part and parcel of Patch's mission. Serving our communities is one of the most important things we do, and we spend at least one day per month working along side volunteers in each of our 800-plus cities across the country.

So our hats are off to Kudos Kirkland -- cheers for volunteers!