For the second year, the Call to Serve, a nonprofit, service-based organization, is being recognized as one of the Pittsburgh Marathon’s charity teams, along with several larger charities, such as the Mario Lemieux Foundation and the American Cancer Society, as part of the “Run for a Reason” program.

“We’re being represented with some really reputable nonprofits, nationwide, and it’s a great honor,” Adam Kunes, Call to Serve co-founder and president, said. “To go from two guys with an idea to being partnered up and recognized on this level is a big deal for us, and we’re really excited for the opportunity.

“We’ve come a long way.”
Kunes, along Andrew Blythe, who are both North Huntingdon residents, founded The Call to Serve in 2009. The organization takes college-aged students on trips in a recreational vehicle around the country to help those in need.

During last year’s marathon, The Call to Serve raised $5,000 in donations and sponsorships with a team of 30 runners.

So far, about 25 runners have taken up The Call to Serve’s cause, helping the organization raise about $2,000, Kunes said. The organization’s goal is to raise $15,000 through the marathon.

The Pittsburgh Marathon, which is also a non-profit organization, offers charities the “Run for a Reason” program, said spokeswoman Karen Fredette. About 40 charities participate in the program.

Last year, “Run for a Reason” generated $750,000 for its charities, which was a 300 percent increase from the $250,000 raised during the 2009 race.

During the 2011 marathon, organizers hope to raise $1 million for its charities, Fredette said.

“This is our way of giving back to the community,” she said. “We want to encourage people to run to help these organizations out.”

The 26.2-mile marathon starts on Liberty Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh and ends on the North Shore. It also offers a 13.1-mile half-marathon course.

Marathon organizers expect about 18,000 runners this year.

Last year’s marathon also marked the first time Kunes ran a long-distance race.

“I’d never run more than four or five miles in my life before last year’s marathon,” he said. “I finished it, and I’m going to try to run it again this year, but this time I actually trained for it.”

Kunes said he hopes The Call to Serve’s team will gain a lot of runners from the Norwin region, turning it into a community fundraiser for the organization.

Before the marathon, The Call to Serve is sending out a fleet of a dozen volunteers in a recreational vehicle to Myrtle Beach, S.C., from March 20 to 26, for a week of service projects.

The volunteers have projects planned with Habitat for Humanity and Kennel Comforters, which provides animal shelters with homemade animal beds.

The Call to Serve made presentations at three schools — West Virginia University, Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pa., and Allegheny College in Meadville.

After screening a documentary about their organization, Kunes said several students approached him about joining The Call to Serve.

“It’s been an overwhelming response, because students just want to do something to help people for a week, and have a good time while doing it,” Kunes said. “That’s what we wanted to do and are doing, helping people while having fun.”

how to help

Pittsburgh Marathon runners can run to help The Call to Serve, a nonprofit, service-based organization founded by Adam Kunes and Andrew Blythe of North Huntingdon.

To join the Call to Serve’s charity team, register for the Pittsburgh Marathon online at www.pittsburghmarathon.com.

After registering for the event, visit www.active.com/donate/thecalltoserve, and click on “Individuals: Click Here to build your personal fundraising page,” located on the right side of the website.

Donations can be made to the Call to Serve’s marathon team by visiting www.active.com/donate/thecalltoserve.

Courtesy of Rewind Memories

Alex Brecht always has volunteered locally, but this summer he decided to take his volunteerism up a few notches.

Brecht spent his summer traveling with the Call to Serve, a nonprofit organization created by a high school classmate to aid volunteer projects across the country.

The experience inspired Brecht to join AmeriCorps and make volunteerism part of his career.

“I thought about continuing my education after college, but the Call to Serve made me want to continue volunteering,” Brecht said.

Brecht left on Aug. 29 for a year of AmeriCorps service at a community center in east Baltimore. He will tutor middle school students and work with them on study skills.

“Baltimore does get a bad reputation, and I’ll be in a rougher area, but I’m not worried about that,” Brecht said. “Maybe I should be, but that’s not my focus.”

Brecht said AmeriCorps volunteers are serving at several community centers in the area. He’ll meet with other volunteers every other Friday to plan activities for their students.

“I’m hoping I can help these kids in Baltimore see there’s more to education than just studying,” Brecht said. “I want them to break that inner-city cycle of not graduating.”

Adam Kunes, co-founder of the Call to Serve, said he and Andrew Blythe created the nonprofit, North Huntingdon-based organization to give local young adults volunteer opportunities

in other parts of the country.

“We want to serve communities all over the United States because it forces people to step outside their comfort zones and see the country,” Kunes said.

Kunes said he hopes all the volunteers will be inspired to continue their work in other venues.

“This just gives us tangible proof now that this worked,” Kunes said. “These trips do inspire and they do bolster volunteerism.”

Brecht graduated from Clarion University in May and knew about the Call to Serve because he and Blythe had gone to Greensburg Central Catholic together.

He joined the group’s summer trip

, and from June 12 to July 3, he and eight other volunteers traveled around the country in a recreational vehicle.

It was a road trip with a purpose. The volunteers worked in retirement communities at Virginia Beach, rebuilt an oyster reef in Savannah, Ga., continued clean-up efforts in New Orleans, and mentored teens at Camp Rocky Vine in Missouri.

“Over the summer, it really stretched my realm of volunteerism,” Brecht said. “There’s a whole lot of culture in our culture and you get to see people who had a lot of different experiences from what you’ve had.”

Brecht said he is looking forward to working in Baltimore because he doesn’t know much about the city. He wants to enjoy another new experience that could lead to more opportunities in the volunteer world.

“It’s easy to be involved in yourself and not notice what’s around you,” Brecht said. “I’ve been really lucky to have things go right in my life. I’ve known that for awhile.”

A North Huntingdon Township-based service organization is taking its message across the country, and it’s looking for a few donations to help the cause.

The Call to Serve, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching young adults the power of public service through local and national volunteer experiences, is launching its first fall campus tour to help encourage new participants and showcase their previous trip to a broader audience.

One potential roadblock is the current state of the group’s RV, nicknamed Black Beauty, which serves as the primary means of transportation.

“Our RV is obviously the keystone of our organization,” said Andrew Blythe, co-founder and director of volunteer services. “For us to continue to do what we’re doing, we need this repaired.”

Problems with the 1991 Ford Winnebago are mainly with the interior, which can be attributed to roof problems.

“Everything stems from the roof,” said Adam Kunes, co-founder and executive director. “Getting the roof repaired is essential, but ideally the whole inside of it would be flipped.”

Renovations would include creating more housing for volunteers so that more participants could experience what The Call to Serve does, Kunes said.

The group has organized a service trip in each of the last two summers, growing from two volunteers in 2009 to a team of nine in 2010. This summer’s trip included stops in Virginia Beach, Va.; Charleston, S.C.; Savannah, Ga.; New Orleans; and Dutzow, Missouri. Projects ranged from a beach clean-up to work as camp counselors.

Kunes and Blythe will highlight their most recent adventure through a documentary screening at more than a dozen colleges and universities throughout the country.

Blythe said the 2010 trip “exceeded our expectations 100 percent.”

“The work that we did really made an impact in the communities we visited,” he said. “The young adults who took the trip have been forever changed and will continue to volunteer.”

“It isn’t just about the people we’ve served,” Kunes said. “It’s also about the young people who are forever changed by this experience.”

The future of The Call to Serve includes the addition of spring break trips and a service trip to Honduras in January. The new offerings also help create a variety of experiences and trip commitment lengths.

“There’s a constant need for people who are able to give of themselves,” Blythe said. “There were so many times (during this summer’s trip) that I stepped back and just watched for a minute. We became a family, and we brought love and community to someone who really needed it.”

The group hopes more donations will lead to more trips and more inspiration for college-aged students to get out and help their communities.

“We want people to have these opportunities, whether it’s for a week or three weeks,” Kunes said. “This takes service to the next level and then some.”

Donations to The Call to Serve are accepted at www.thecalltoserve.org or via mail to The Call to Serve, LTD., 400 Overbrook Drive, Suite 2102, Greensburg, PA 15601. For details, send an e-mail to info@thecalltoserve.org

It was an honor and a privilege to meet Luis R. Clemente, the son of Roberto Clemente. Luis is the President and CEO of Roberto Clemente Sports City in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The Roberto Clemente Sports City is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing athletic opportunities and life lessons for inner city youth throughout Puerto Rico and beyond.

“Roberto Clemente’s accomplishments on the baseball field prefaced his work as a humanitarian, and, as with all great humanitarians, the vision lives on, continuing to touch lives and build new futures.”

For more information on the RCSC, please click here.

Our hope is that we can team up with RCSC and play a small role in carrying on the great humanitarian legacy of Roberto Clemente. Thank you to Luis Clemente for taking the time to speak with us.

Our goal with the new RV is to make it sustainable by using used vegetable oil when possible. This would help us cut down on fuel costs as we continue to increase our fleet of RVs and volunteers.

We are putting the word out for anyone and everyone who may know someone selling an RV or looking to donate. We are a registered 501(c)(3) and can offer a tax write-off. If you’re interested in helping, having a fundraiser, donating, etc. please email info@thecalltoserve.org

Thank you for your support.

The Call to Serve Trailer from The Call to Serve on Vimeo.

Thank you to all of our supporters and fans along the way. It’s because of you that we are where we are.

“Aspire to be more, not to have more.” Oscar Romero

Rocky Vine Promo from The Call to Serve on Vimeo.