Middletown Township is launching a program with the goal of streamlining how residents connect with community projects.
Advertisements
The Middletown Township Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Monday evening to approve VIBE — Volunteer, Inform, Build, and Engage — a township-wide program designed to create a network of civic-minded volunteers.
The program builds on past community efforts, including at local cleanup days, the teen task force, and the skate park project.
Rather than organizing volunteer groups from scratch for every task, VIBE will maintain a ready pool of participants to assist various municipal groups, including the Environmental Advisory Board, Human Relations Committee, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Stormwater Committee, and Birdtown Committee, officials said.
Advertisements
“What if every resident who wanted to volunteer knew exactly where to go, and every township project had a network of residents ready to help?” Interim Parks and Recreation Director Monica Tierney said. “The interest is there. What is missing is the consistent way to connect the two.”
The central objective of VIBE is efficiency and long-term engagement, Tierney said.
Advertisements
“Instead of starting from scratch every time we have an event or a project, we can build a network of residents who are already available with a helping hand,” she said.
The VIBE program is organized around four primary operational frameworks:
General Volunteerism: Offering hands-on assistance for township parks, community gatherings, and Parks and Recreation Department activities.
Advertisements
Neighbors in Action: A neighborhood champion model that places a designated lead resident in neighborhoods to head local programs like cleanup days using township-supplied kits.
Game Changers: Replaces traditional “youth” or “teen” branding to engage younger residents through volunteer projects.
Advertisements
Interest-Based Opportunities: Connects residents with specialized tasks, including athletic event support for races and local sports like the township’s recent pickleball tournament.
“We found that youth don’t necessarily like to participate in programs called like Teen or Youth, so we’re trying to create something that’s fun and edgy for youth to get involved with,” Tierney said.
Advertisements
During the meeting, Supervisor Christian Gallardo raised the possibility of expanding the scope to aid local emergency responders, asking, “What about including the volunteer fire services in this? If there’s a way within all these programs to sprinkle some of that in there, they might find an interest and might be able to do it.”
Tierney said that the program is structured to expand and adapt over time.
Advertisements
As a way to retain and highlight volunteer contributions, VIBE plans to use a recognition system. Participants will receive milestone patches in varying colors roughly every 50 service hours. The township also intends to host an annual volunteer appreciation banquet for those reaching specific service thresholds, with plans to pursue sponsorships to offset costs, Tierney explained.
“We really want to make it so that our volunteers know that they are valued,” Tierney said.
Middletown Township Board of Supervisors Chairperson Bernadette Hannah praised the program and thanked community members who dedicate their time to service.
Advertisements
Public Information Officer Liz Martin and Tierney will coordinate joint efforts to handle public outreach and promote the new program to residents.
