Oct. 13, 1998
Contacts: Michelle Samuels
(804) 924-7133
Frank Griffiths
(804) 984-4047

U.VA. INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS CREATE MULTIPLE WAYS 
PEOPLE CAN HELP DURING NATIONAL MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY

	University of Virginia student Frank Griffiths has an ambitious
goal: he hopes 1,000 area residents, including U.Va. faculty, staff and
students, will work together in October to make a difference in the
community.
	More than 40 U.Va. organizations and units have been working
with Griffiths and co-chair Michelle Samuels, assistant dean in the Dean
of Students Office, to plan 30 public service activities that residents,
University employees and students can join during the national Make a
Difference Day on Oct. 24 and the preceding week.  More than one million
Americans are expected to engage in community service during the Make a
Difference Day, sponsored by USA Weekend magazine. 
	Activities planned for Oct. 18-24 will help the young and the
old. Among events planned are collecting new books for area children,
constructing park benches in the Westhaven Community Center and
renovating homes for the elderly.
	"Projects have been organized so that everyone can participate,"
said Griffiths, a third-year psychology major who began to plan the
outreach efforts after seeing the success his twin brother has had in
staging Make a Difference events at Miami University of Ohio. "There are
activities that individuals can complete during an hour break between
classes, and events families can join throughout the week."
	One large effort is the "Make a Difference, Buy a Book" drive,
which has a goal of collecting 6,000 books for kindergarten and
first-grade students in the city and surrounding counties.  To
participate donors can purchase one or more early-reader books and drop
them off by Oct. 24 at sites around the city and the U.Va. Grounds.  The
project is a joint effort of the Black Student Alliance, the recycling
division and the Make A Difference Day Committee at U.Va. and the United
Way-Thomas Jefferson Area Volunteer Center.
	
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A sampling of other large projects includes:

	Oct. 18 5-7 p.m., charity concert in front of Newcomb Hall,
where
			book donations can be dropped off
	Oct. 19		4-6 p.m., tutoring at five middle schools
	Oct. 20 3:30-7 p.m., carnival at the Boys and Girls Club
	Oct. 21 4-6 p.m., Sports Day, Upper, Lower Nameless Field
	Oct. 22 3:30-7 p.m., carnival at the Boys and Girls Club
			4-8:30 p.m., building, painting bookshelves for
the 			Salvation Army
	Oct. 23 2-5 p.m., painting, building projects at Westhaven
Community Center
			4:30-9 p.m., carnival at Agnor Hurt Elementary
School
	Oct. 24		7:30 a.m.-1 p.m., gleaning at area orchard
			9 a.m., street clean-up in Fifeville and Page
St. areas
			12 noon, distribution of books collected in
drive

	To volunteer, interested persons can phone Griffiths at (804)
984-4047 or e-mail him at fbg5s@virginia.edu with the message "sign-up"
and indicate interest in types of projects and dates available.  
	"Many events, such as the book drive, carnivals, street clean-up
and gleaning, can use many people, including area residents," said
Griffiths, who has received funding for the project from VA COOL,
Wal-Mart, and U.Va.'s Alumni Association.  
	Samuels praises Griffiths' efforts in organizing the volunteer
activities.  "Frank is truly a visionary.  He has worked tirelessly on
this project for over a year," she said.  "Frank embodies the theme of
the event, proving that one person truly can 'make a difference.'"
	The effort is supported at U.Va. by the President's Office, the
Dean of Students Office, the Vice President for Student Affairs Office,
Facilities Management, the Combined Virginia Campaign, and Madison
House, among others.  In addition, Charlottesville City Council is
expected to endorse the project by proclamation at its Oct. 19 meeting.  
	Make a Difference Day was created in 1992 by USA Weekend
magazine, in partnership with the Points of Light Foundation.
Outstanding volunteer projects will be recognized with awards totaling
$318,000 from numerous sources including actor Paul Newman, Wal-Mart and
the Gannett Foundation.

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Television reporters should contact the TV News Office at (804)
924-7550.