OTTAWA — Ottawa has won another award for volunteer work. The National Fraternal Congress of America has given Ottawa its Join Hands Day Excellence Award for the Rain-Barrel Day this spring.The Ottawa Volunteer Center, the Youth in Government and Youth Action Council, Ottawa University’s Phi Kappa Chi, the Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce and Modern Woodmen of America Camp No. 499 will receive the award. Volunteers donated materials and built rain barrels for Ottawa homes. A local cable channel taped the workshop and the video brought more support for the rain-barrel project. Other volunteers painted over graffiti in the downtown Haley Park in preparation for the kick-off of farmer’s market season, and planted flowers at the Ottawa Retirement Village. In the afternoon, volunteers brought CFL light bulbs and reusable shopping bags to 120 households.
