2023 NWS Autumn of Service

NWS Week of Service Main Web Page

NWS Week of Service Facebook Page

Other Weeks & Seasons

2011 (September 25 - October 1)
2012 (September 30 - October 6)
2013 (September 29 - October 5)
2014 (September 28 - October 4)
2015 (September 27 - October 3)
2016 (September 25 - October 1)
2017 (September 24 - September 30)
2018 (September 30 - October 6)
2019 (September 29 - October 5)
2020 (September 1 - November 30)
2021 (September 1 - November 30)
2022 (September 1 - November 30)

NWS Aberdeen, SD collected 139 pounds of food for the Salvation Army Food Bank, and 117 pounds of other items for the Aberdeen Area Humane Society.

From October through November, NWS Abilene/San Angelo WFO collected 150 lbs of food for the Concho Valley Food Bank.

WFO Albany, NY staff donated $225 directly to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York Backpack program. This money-supported BackPack Program helps alleviate child hunger by discreetly providing hungry children with bags of nutritious and easy-to-prepare food every Friday afternoon, so they have food to eat throughout the weekend.

While in college, one of their employees volunteered to chase lemurs for Patricia Wright in Madagascar and she got hooked. She now does animal, environmental, and human service-based volunteering. She started to scuba dive when she was 19. A few years ago, another scuba diver told her about doing turtle releases in Baja Mexico which is a collaboration of locals, scientists from the University of La Paz, scuba divers, and tourists. It’s magical and evocative. She headed back to Baja Mexico for her 3rd season of release this November. While there, she participated in 2 turtle releases. She has now participated in 4 releases. During the first turtle release she did, she thinks there were 5 or 6 volunteers (with zero turtle experience) and we released about 500 turtles in one evening. 

In addition to turtle releases and beach clean-ups, she participates in Honor Flights. She has done Honor Flights from the DC to Anchorage. She was in the USMC, but she was never in a combat zone. These Honor Flights bring combat vets to their memorials in DC. She loves doing Honor Flights too. She believes 100% in the cause. Also, she has gotten to see one Governor and multiple Members of Congress participate in these events. It’s very touching on different levels. Veterans deserve respect and she is very happy that my managers over the years have supported her volunteer activities

From October 15 through November 3, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX held an office food drive. They collected 92 pounds of food and a $5 cash donation. The office was super close to their office goal of 100 pounds.

On November 17, 7 people from the office collected 9 bags of trash for Adopt-A-Highway. 

For the 30 days (October 24 through November 22) leading up to Thanksgiving, their office collected 127 pounds of food goods for Loudoun Hunger Relief. Donations ranged from staples like canned vegetables, soups, and rice, to easy box dinners and desserts for the holiday.

NWS Binghamton, NY collected 94 lbs of food for the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse. They also directly donated $111 in monetary donations to them.

NWS Birmingham, AL collected 60 lbs of food for Manna Ministries and Serving You Ministries. In addition to food, their staff donated $45 in monetary donations directly to them.
 

NWS Bismarck, ND collected & donated 97 lbs of food and 45 other items to the Salvation Army in Bismarck.
 

During October, NWS Blacksburg, VA collected 60 lbs of food and other needed items for the Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry and 59 lbs of pet food and supplies for the Humane Society of the New River Valley in Dublin, VA.

On October 31, they held their 1st Annual Chili Cook-off. The competition was for the best chili. There was a $5 entry fee for contestants. They collected and donated ($25) to the Montgomery County Humane Society. Halloween costumes were optional for the tasting and event. Several staff members participated as tasters and judges of the 5 chilis (4 staff members and 1 family member) that were entered.

During October, WFO Boston and the Northeast River Forecast Center collected 100 lbs of food for the Our Daily Bread Food Pantry in Mansfield, MA.

From November 2 to December 8, NWS Buffalo held a food drive for FeedMore WNY and a toy drive for the Springville Kiwanis Toy Drive. They collected 27 lbs of toys and 200 lbs of food this year.

During November, NWS Burlington collected and donated 189 lbs to the Chittenden County Emergency Food Shelf.

From November 1 through November 22, NWS Caribou, ME put together 5 boxes for the Caribou Community Cupboard. These boxes included items for a Thanksgiving meal. Each food box contained shelf-stable items to make a Thanksgiving meal: canned ham, veggies, potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and sparkling grape juice or cider (non-alcoholic).

From October 15 through November 15, NWS Central Illinois held a food drive for the Central Illinois Foodbank/Lincoln Logan Food Pantry. They collected 316 lbs of food.

On November 10,  7 NWS Central Illinois staff members and 4 family members put together 600 meal boxes. They packed the meal boxes with food, stacked the meal boxes on pallets, and then broke down empty cans/food boxes for recycling.
 

Central Region Headquarters, Aviation Weather Center, and NWS Training Center collected and donated 450 lbs of food to Harvesters Kansas City Food Bank.

From October 7 through November 3, NWS Charleston, SC collected books for Reading Partners which is a nonprofit that "mobilizes communities to provide students with the proven, individualized reading support they need to read at grade level by fourth grade." They partner with under-resourced schools and engage volunteers to work one-on-one with students who struggle with reading. They collected around 55 books!

 

Chicago, IL WFO & CWSU collected 575 lbs of food for the Romeoville Community Pantry.

NWS Columbia, SC collected 52.2 lbs of food for the Harvest Hope Food Bank.

NWS Corpus Christi collected and donated 87 lbs of food to the Coastal Bend Food Bank and 10 lbs of other items went to the Corpus Christi Animal Shelter. 
 

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO collected 142 lbs of food for the Community Food Share of Louisville, CO. 

From October 1 to October 18, NWS Detroit/Pontiac conducted a food drive in which we were able to collect 127.5 lbs of food and 1 bag of non-food items for Gleaners Food Bank.
 

NWS Elko, NV collected 258 lbs of food for the Friends in Service Helping - FISH Elko.

On October 4, 2 NWS employees donated blood with Vitalant. The donations were whole blood. Daily personal emergencies and ongoing medical needs of thousands of patients require a constant and ready blood supply. It’s the blood already on hospital shelves that saves lives. In the face of the ongoing national blood shortage, our donations become the ultimate pay-it-forward moment.

One NWS employee worked with the Potters’ Guild of Las Cruces to conduct the annual Empty Bowls community service project. Funds raised help feed the hungry in the Las Cruces area. The Potters' Guild set a lofty monetary goal for El Caldito and smashed records! Early totals show more than an estimated $40,000 was raised at the recent 31st Empty Bowls event held Friday, October 13, 2023. Potters and artists made about 1,550 bowls, about 40 restaurants donated soup, and approximately 1,800 people (both patrons and workers) attended. 100% of the proceeds go to help El Caldito Soup Kitchen.

On October 24, 3 NWS employees volunteered time to work the food bank lines with Kelly Memorial Food Pantry. Volunteers worked to sort food, open boxes, and distribute to people in line. The demand for assistance and the number of food-insecure people in El Paso was shocking; the line stretched down the block for several hours. Our volunteer time with local food banks works to make El Paso a community where no one goes to bed hungry.

The office donated $285 directly to El Pasoans Fighting Hunger.

WFO Fort Worth/Dallas, West Gulf RFC, & Fort Worth, TX CWSU collected and donated 114 lbs of food for the Tarrant Area Food Bank.

NWS Glasgow, MT WFO collected and donated 181 lbs of food and $355 directly to the Valley Community Emergency Food Bank.

NWS Grand Forks, ND WFO collected and donated 331 lbs of food to the Red River Valley Community Action.

From October 4 through November 30, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg held another food drive this year as more than 44 million people in the US went hungry. The food drive gives all of us at NWS GSP the chance to give back to our community, especially during the holiday season. We collected donations (50 lbs) for a non-profit called Greer Relief that serves both Greenville County and Spartanburg County. Greer Relief exists to transform neighbors in need into neighbors who thrive by providing services to eliminate poverty and help neighbors overcome barriers to success.

Kansas City/Pleasant Hill WFO, MO, Missouri Basin RFC, & Kansas City, MO CWSU donated 308 lbs of food to the Pleasant Hill Food Bank.

From November 5 through December 7, the staff held a food drive for the WAFER food pantry. The staff brought in 241 lbs of food. During their 11 food drives since 2013, a total of 1,354 lbs and $3,853 have been donated to WAFER. In addition to this, one of their staff members and his wife volunteer regularly at WAFER.

They collected pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House in Rochester, MN. Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is a non-profit organization supporting families around the world helping them access medical care and resources when their child is very sick, including a place to stay, meals, and so much more. Watch this video to learn more about how RMHC Rochester serves their families. While collecting pop tabs seems like such a small way to make a difference, each year $10,000 to $15,000 is raised for the 70-room Ronald McDonald House in Rochester exclusively through pop tab donations.

One of their staff members knitted 140 preemie and 120 baby hats for their 2 local hospitals and another 100 hats for New Horizons Shelter & Outreach Center. Since 2009, he has knitted and donated 5,332 hats for neonatal units, domestic abuse shelters, cancer hospitals, and the Minnesota Masonic Children Masonic Hospital. These hats were distributed in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

During December, the office made the holiday brighter for a local family by buying Christmas gifts for them. This was part of the La Crosse Family & Children's Center's Holiday Giving Program.

From November 2022 to October 2023, NWS Las Vegas collected soda can pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald Charity House. These aluminum tabs have more dense aluminum than the remainder of the can, so the charity can sell them to recycling companies and get between 40 and 50 cents per pound. Ronald McDonald House gives families of sick children housing and meals so that they can focus on the recovery of their child. Every month, we encourage staff members to bring in pop tabs from home and we keep a running count each month. Then, we bring them to the local Ronald McDonald House during Autumn of Service. This is the fourth participating year.

They held food and collection drives for The Shade Tree Foundation & Opportunity Village. They collected and donated 130 lbs of food, 278 other items, and $773.19 in monetary donations (directly donated to them).

NWS Louisville, KY collected & donated 19 lbs of food to the Dare to Care Food Bank. In addition to the food, they also directly donated $178 to them. 

 

During November 2023, the staff at WFO Los Angeles/Oxnard wrote letters to our servicemen and women who were deployed overseas. We wanted to recognize and thank them for their sacrifice and service to all the individuals of this great nation - especially during the holidays. More information about this organization can be found at https://amillionthanks.org/letter

NWS Melbourne, FL collected various food items (142.5 lbs) for the Second Harvest of Central Florida - Brevard Branch.

NWS Miami, FL collected & donated 100 lbs of food for Feeding South Florida & Good Karma Pet Rescue.

 

From October 17 to November 16, 2023, WFO Nashville participated in the NWS-wide food drive competition. They were able to collect a total of 356 pounds of food and toiletries to donate to our local Help Center, which distributes the goods to families in our immediate area who are in need. They also donated 45 pounds of dog food to a local pet rescue organization.

The National Water Center held collection drives for the West Alabama Food Bank and Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter.  They collected 10 lbs of food and directly donated $407 to them.

WFO New Orleans and Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center (LMRFC) held their annual Raise-A-Ton food drive competition. LMRFC collected 630.5 lbs of food while the WFO collected 612 lbs, for a total of 1242.5 lbs. In addition to the food, they directly donated $685 ($275 LMRFC & $410 WFO) to them. They used a $0.50 donation counting as a pound, to curtail an insane amount of rice and flour purchased for our competition.

This year's recipient was Good Samaritan Ministry in Slidell, based out of St. Luke's Church. They have been really hard hit this year, between Covid programs drying up and rising utility and food costs. Here's a link that they shared via their Facebook page: Good Samaritan donation from NWS.

       

During October and November, NWS Newport/Morehead City, NC collected donations for the Carteret County Humane Society and Animal Shelter.

During November, New York/Upton, NY WFO collected 81 lbs of food and donated $45 directly to Long Island Cares (food bank).

NWS Northern Indiana, IN collected & donated 30 lbs of food for the St. John the Evangelist Food Pantry.
 

The National Weather Service in North Platte partnered with the Niobrara National Scenic River (National Park Service) to clean a several-mile stretch of the Niobrara River this past September. The river clean-up project was associated with the celebration of the National Public Lands Day. A signature event of the National Environmental Education Foundation, National Public Lands Day promotes both popular enjoyment and volunteer conservation of public lands.

Staff from the National Weather Service were treated with a guided canoe trip down the Niobrara River, and while enjoying the trip, several dry bags of trash were collected and properly disposed of. In addition to the trash, 2 tires were removed from the river, one of which was a large tractor tire buried in mud. The National Park Service and the National Weather Service share a common trait: a passion for serving others while caring for the nation’s special places. Cleaning trash out of the river was the primary objective of our combined effort, but the true value came from the connection and the sharing of stories amongst those who participated. By the end of the day, many of us were covered in mud or tired, but taking care of our lands and the people we serve is a job that both the NPS and NWS love.  

The office collected items for a homeless care package that ranged from hand sanitizer, lip balm, hand lotion, and ointment. A total of 53 bags were passed out at locations where larger populations of the homeless are located in the city of Pittsburgh.

On November 19, the NWS Pocatello BIDE (Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity & Equity) team volunteered with the food bank to assist in delivering Thanksgiving meals. This is our annual service project on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Their office, family, and friends are all invited to join in. They can't wait to help all the families in need.

From October through mid-November, NWS Raleigh/Durham brought in 422 lbs for the Catholic Parish Outreach Food Pantry.

NWS Rapid City, SD collected & donated 126.4 lbs of food and 100.5 lbs of other items for Feeding South Dakota, Cornerstone Rescue Mission, and Humane Society of the Black Hills.
 

NWS Sacramento, CA collected & donated 86 lbs of food & 237 lbs of other items for the River City Food Bank & SafeGround Sacramento. 

 

NWS St. Louis, MO WFO donated 245 lbs of food and 33 lbs of other items to OASIS - Outreach Assistance Serving Individuals in St Charles County.

On November 3, NWS Salt Lake City participated in a Fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  They raised $1,105 (https://give.bcrf.org/team/536529).

During October, NWS Spokane collected & donated 72 lbs of food for the 2nd Harvest Food Bank.

On November 3, 4 forecasters participated in a food sort at the Second Harvest Food Bank in Spokane.

On November 4, 5 members of the staff participated in the Race to Feed our Veterans 5K. Each race entry provided 5 meals for seniors and veterans through Meals on Wheels Spokane.

The NWS Springfield staff collected 129 lbs of food and donated $100 directly to the Ozarks Food Harvest.

During October, NWS State College, PA, and Middle Atlantic RFC collected 143 lbs of food and other essential items (including laundry detergent, soap, and toothpaste) for the State College Food Bank.
 

NWS Tampa Bay held a food drive for the Food Bank of Manatee County. They collected 72 pounds of food (picture attached), and $25 in online donations.

In addition, two of our forecasters, Austen Flannery and Jennifer Hubbard, ran a virtual 5K called the Hurricane Hustle, benefitting the Salvation Army to resupply after hurricane season. 

NWS Topeka, KS collected 67 lbs of food and donated $75 directly to the Harvesters Topeka Food Bank.

NWS Tuscon, AZ hosted a food drive for the University of Arizona Campus Food Pantry. 
 

In August, WFO Chanhassen, MN, and the North-Central RFC kicked off NWS Autumn of Service in the Twin Cities with several luncheon fundraisers. Nhan Dang donated the food and taught the office how to make noodle salad on August 16 and poke bowl on August 23. 

On September 21, they held another luncheon event where Nhan Dang made Chicken Pho on September 21. They had other ones in October. Additionally, Nhan made several jars of jelly. She donated them in exchange for virtual donations to a charity (in October). They also held a packing shift at Feed My Starving Children. 5 members from WFO MPX, NCRFC, and the CWSU ZMP MIC gathered to pack meals for hungry children across the world. In addition, 2 family members helped out with the packing.
During October, they gathered 128 lbs of non-perishables for Bountiful Basket in Chaska (local food bank). In addition, they donated $1,097.44 directly to other local charities. On October 19, 3 WFO employees and 1 family member volunteered at Second Harvest Heartland to sort apples to help feed the community. A total of 11,486 apples were sorted by them and a large group from the public. The average number of meals sorted per person was 266!
Finally, in one of the highest attended office cleanups thus far, 9 employees (from a combination of the WFO/RFC) helped clean up trash from the side of the road. They picked up 12 bags of trash.

WFO Wakefield collected just under 200 pounds of dog and cat food, treats, litter, toys, blankets, and comfy beds for the animals at the Sussex County Animal Shelter. This shelter is dedicated to serving the local community by housing as many rescued dogs and cats (and other animals) as possible. With so many animals in their care, the shelter relies on donations from the public to help maintain their supplies.

Each year, WFO Wakefield feels compelled to collect donations to help the local shelter make a great holiday season for both the animals and the staff. These animals deserve all of the love and goodies during this time of uncertainty in their lives, and the WFO Wakefield staff are happy to help provide them with a little bit of joy this season.

On December 13, Western Region Headquarters participated again in the NWS Season of Service by donating and preparing another delicious dinner for families with patients at the Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital Ronald McDonald House Charities Intermountain Area Family Room. 

Western Region HQ staff (16 members) and 1 family member donated everything needed for an epic baked potato bar, and volunteers gathered at the Ronald McDonald House to prepare, serve, and clean up after the meal was provided for 60 people.

NWS Wilmington, NC collected and donated 97 lbs of food for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. 

 

In November, 1 staff member and 3 family members donated stuffed animals to SAFE (Stuffed Animals For Emergencies).

On December 6, 6 staff members and 3 of their family members made and signed cards to give to a local nursing home for the holidays.