By Daniela Velazquez, TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
Tallahassee, Sunday, February 18, 2007 — "Vroom! Vroom!" said Gualter Pacheco as he pushed an empty dolly down a hallway at Big Bend Cares and loaded it with grocery bags filled with food.
"I have the power to help others," said Pacheco, 24. "I'm not here for school (or) grades. I wanted to be here."
Pacheco and about 325 other volunteers worked on 20 different projects during Saturday's "Make A Difference Day," sponsored by VolunteerLEON and other partners, including the city of Tallahassee, Florida A&M University, Florida State University, Keiser University, Tallahassee Community College and United Partners for Human Services.
The annual event helps Big Bend Cares and more than 30 other organizations. Big Bend Cares depends on about 5,000 volunteer hours a year, said Melissa Walton, director of volunteers and events.
"Today, the volunteers are assisting with a food-bag program," she said. "About 68 percent of our clients live below the poverty line."
The volunteers started the day with morning registration at the Lincoln Neighborhood Service Center. They came back about 5 p.m. for a reflection and celebration of their efforts.
"We're thinking past what we just did and looking at the bigger picture," said Amanda Phillips of VolunteerLEON. "By experiencing service and reflection, that becomes a part of who (the volunteers) are."
Marvin Claude, 25, has been participating in the event since 2004 through FAMU's Epicurean Fashion Experience modeling troupe.
"Reflection is the next best thing to community service," he said.
It inspires participants to volunteer next year, he said. The event is the largest campus/community-service event in Tallahassee.
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