News release from the United Way of Allen County:
United Way Kicks Off 21st Annual Day of Caring
More than 1,000 Volunteers Working on about 70 Service Projects(July 29, 2013) – More than 1,000 volunteers representing 55 local organizations will fan out over our community Thursday, August 1 for the 21st annual United Way Day of Caring. Approximately 70 community service projects in the Fort Wayne area are anticipated to be completed by the volunteers. NIPSCO is the signature sponsor for this year’s Day of Caring.
The day kicks off with a breakfast at Headwaters Park WEST at 7:30 a.m. About half of the volunteers are expected to attend the breakfast where they will learn about the impact of Day of Caring and their service in the community. The kickoff breakfast is emceed by Barb Richards; Mayor Tom Henry will say a few words as well as United Way board chair, Judge Wendy W. Davis.
“The measure of United Way is not simply in our fundraising campaign, but how we impact the community,” says Todd Stephenson, president and CEO of United Way of Allen County. “Day of Caring is one of the ways we bring groups together to make a difference for each other and for the community as a whole.”
United Way’s Day of Caring recruits volunteers and projects that can be completed in one day to improve the community. The phrase LIVE UNITED helps represent the meaning of Day of Caring where everyone works together to build a better community we can all enjoy. Projects will include cleaning, painting and landscaping at non-profit agencies; private residences coordinated through NeighborLink; and child care centers, after-school youth program sites and schools.
Caring for Child Care Centers:
Many businesses will be working at non-profit education centers that provide high quality early childhood education:
- BF Goodrich /USW Local 715 employees are painting a pole barn at Peace Montessori at 2315 Long Road
- Parkview Hospital employees are cleaning toys, repairing cots, readying classrooms for the fall, and installing a basketball court at the Early Childhood Alliance site at 2125 Beacon Street
- Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) are washing windows, landscaping and painting at the Early Childhood Alliance site at 3320 Fairfield Avenue
Sorting Homebound Meals
- More than 60 employees from several companies will sort food for 1,000 homebound meals for seniors at Community Harvest Food Bank at 999 E. Tillman Road: Do it Best, IPFW, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Kroger, Lincoln Printing, YWCA.
- Associated Churches will host ResCare to complete sorting of more than 700,000 pounds of food donated through the Stamp Out Hunger food drive – 602 E. Wayne Street
Landscaping, Landscaping, Landscaping:
- Several companies will perform general clean up and landscaping throughout the community.
- PNC Bank will be at CANI Head Start at the Salvation Army location, 2901 North Clinton Street.
- Fort Wayne Metals will be at the Allen County SPCA at 4914 S. Hanna Street.
- City of Fort Wayne employees will be at Safety Village, 4602 Phoenix Drive.
It’s a Party:
- Tower Bank employees are organizing this year’s carnival for Turnstone clients. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Turnstone, 3320 N. Clinton Street. There will be games, music, food and much more.
Giving a Hand to the Homeless:
Headwaters Counseling, Fifth Third Bank and LH Industries are painting and sprucing up all of the Hope House locations: 1115 and 1129 Garden Street and 3409 Hanna Street.
Cleaning up Camp:
Teams from GE and Regal Beloit will spend the day working at the Girl Scout’s Camp McMillen, located in Huntertown at 17107 Griffin Road.
Helping a Homeowner:
- Erie Insurance employees will be scraping off old paint, repainting, washing windows, and repairing the garage door for a local resident at 2531 Darlene Court.
- Teams from Partners 1st, PHD and Summit Brands will be repainting a fence and doing general clean up for a local resident at 1645 Steup Avenue.
Several Fort Wayne Community Schools will benefit from landscaping, painting, cleaning and book donations:
- Ingram Content Group – Nebraska Elementary – 1525 Boone Street
- NIPSCO – Study Elementary – 2414 Brooklyn Avenue
- Raytheon – Miami Middle – 8100 Amherst Drive
- Swiss Re – Indian Village Elementary, 3835 Wenonah Lane
- Wells Fargo Bank – Harris Elementary, 4501 Thorngate Drive
- Vera Bradley – Shawnee Middle, 1000 E. Cook Road
Restocking for Residents:
- Kroger will work on unpacking clothing donations and organizing them at The Rescue Mission, 2203 S. Lafayette Street.
- Lutheran Health Network will volunteer at Mustard Seed Furniture Bank, 3636 Illinois Road, to restock and clean up inside and outside for the agency.
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