Hogan offers half day off for public service projects

Executive branch workers can use time on certain days

Gov. Larry Hogan is offering many state workers a half-day off this summer to volunteer for community service projects, his office announced Monday.

The governor’s office said employees at state executive branch agencies will have the option of taking four hours of paid leave to help Maryland charities as part of Hogan’s “Maryland Unites: Day of Service” initiative.

According to the administration, the plan was inspired by the “outpouring of kindness and goodwill from Maryland citizens” after the recent Baltimore rioting.

“In the past few weeks, I have witnessed incredible acts of kindness and volunteerism from members of a community who truly care for one another,” Hogan said in a statement released by his office while he traveled in Asia. “Maryland Unites: Day of Service is about continuing that spirit of giving back and sharing it with Baltimore City and our local communities.”

The administration has set aside six service days between June 17 and Aug. 26 — each on a Wednesday — when eligible employees can sign up for agency-sponsored events or volunteer to work with charities they choose.

The activity must be nonpartisan and nonprofit and “related to the cleanup, rebuilding, restoration and/or enhancement” of Baltimore and other communities, according to the governor’s office.

Erin Montgomery, a Hogan spokeswoman, said Cabinet secretaries are required to sign up for one of the days, while other employees will have the option of participating.

Certain positions, many in the areas of health and public safety, are excluded.

Hogan established Maryland Unites after the April 27 rioting that prompted him to declare a state oaf emergency in Baltimore. The initiative’s web site — governor.maryland.gov/mdunites — can be used to report incidents to police, volunteer for community projects and donate to local charities.