The Perry Village PITCH In program has received authorization to conduct projects in Perry Township. Permission was granted by township trustees at their Oct. 22 meeting. Trustees unanimously approved a motion encouraging the program to assist residents in the township and utilize any volunteers from the community who wish to participate, said township Administrator Karen Sundy. Perry Village PITCH In is an all-volunteer group that strives to fulfill requests from residents who need assistance with tasks or chores inside or outside of their homes. Residents who contact the service for help typically can’t do yardwork, house cleaning or home-maintenance projects because of medical- or age-related limitations. The first word in the program’s name stands for Perry Investing Toward Community Help. It was decided to add the word “In” to create a phrase that would attract attention and be easy to remember. Perry Township trustees learned more about the program at their Oct. 8 meeting. During that gathering, PITCH In Administrative Committee Chairman Rick Walker told trustees about some of the different projects that it has completed since the program was launched approximately 3 1/2 years ago. Perry Village Council President Jean Schonauer, in an Oct. 24 telephone interview, said she was pleased with the decision made two days earlier by trustees. “I think we as the village are very happy that the township is willing to participate in this program, whether it’s to allow us to be in their community, and/or utilize their volunteers from their community, because it benefits a larger part of the Perry community,” she said. Perry Village is still working to secure approval from the Village Council in North Perry to conduct projects in that town. Schonauer and Walker spearheaded efforts to establish the program. Before going out into the community to perform projects, Walker and Schonauer sharpened the description of what the program is intended to do; developed an application and review and approval process for people who seek help through the program; and decided how to recruit and screen volunteers. In addition, the two council members formed an administrative committee to oversee the launch and operation. Perry Village’s solicitors since the proposal and creation of PITCH In — O’Leary and his predecessor, James Loiacono — always have emphasized the importance of obtaining approval from legislative bodies in neighboring communities before going into these places to do projects. Schonauer said it was difficult over the past 3 1/2 years to turn down requests for projects from Perry Township residents because they didn’t live in the village. “So we’re super excited that we now can help these people,” she said. “Because we want to help them.” Some of the projects that volunteers have carried out in Perry Village include washing windows, lawn mowing and yard maintenance, cleaning gutters, shoveling snow and walking a dog.