Today, young and old alike will be painting walls, planting flowers and collecting pet food throughout the Miss-Lou to mark Make a Difference Day.

Make a Difference Day is held each year throughout the nation to draw awareness to the importance of volunteerism.

Three years ago, Irene Young, a teacher at Vidalia Upper Elementary, first read about Make a Difference Day in &uot;USA Weekend&uot; and decided to schedule an annual volunteer day at the school.

This year, at least 50 parents and children are expected to show up at the school to tackle a number of fix-it projects, from constructing a tennis wall and playground to sprucing up flowerbeds.

&uot;Last year, it even rained and we still had a good turnout,&uot; said Principal Darla Johnston. &uot;They cleaned out book rooms, cleaned up and did a lot of the big projects that needed doing.&uot;

Families who cannot attend donate cleaning and building materials and even snacks and soft drinks for volunteers.

Across the Mississippi River, the Natchez Mayor’s Youth Council will work throughout the day to paint the cafeteria of the Boys & Girls Club of the Miss-Lou in bright, cheery colors.

&uot;We knew we wanted to work with the Boys & Girls Club, because they’re really important to our community and they didn’t have the manpower to do this themselves,&uot; said council President Carly Turner.

Nearby, at an adjacent part of the old Sadie V. Thompson School that has been used for tutoring, the Caring and Sharing Ruritan organization will work all day to spruce up that facility, said organizer Arella Bacon.

One project that has brought young and old together has been the collection of pet food for the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society.

Janet McNeely of the Retired Senior Volunteers Program, who recently adopted two cats from the society, said the shelter could close if it does not get needed supplies.

Pet food, both bagged and canned, can be brought to the Natchez Senior Citizen Multipurpose Center on Washington Street from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today.

In addition, Girl Scouts will arrive at the shelter on Liberty Road at 11 a.m. today to deliver cleaning supplies and pet food they collected for the facility.

Last year, Scouts collected personal care items for crisis victims at Natchez Regional Medical Center, said Frances Bailey, a leader of the organization.

But some don’t want volunteerism to stop there. The Mayor’s Youth Council recently issued a proclamation calling for a Make a Difference-type day every month of the year.

&uot;One reason we’re in the council in the first place is to give back,&uot; said Turner, whose group should have about 30 representatives to the club on North Union Street. &uot;We’re (representatives of) different schools united together to help out our community.&uot;