Day of Caring - We are Family
More than 3,000 Volunteers Step-Up to Help During
2010 United Way/CFC 2010 Day of Caring
David Soper lives in Belton, MO, and is the president of Triumph Structures. Rev. Eric Williams lives in Kansas City, MO, and is the Pastor of Calvary Temple Baptist Church. The two men had never met until Saturday, when they worked together as volunteers during the United Way/CFC Day of Caring. Soper and his co-workers built a ramp to help disabled residents of a United Cerebral Palsy group home get in and out of the house more easily, while Rev. Williams and members of his church planted flowers and did landscaping to make the yard more enjoyable for the residents. All of the volunteers came with a desire to help. They left with new friendships and a sense of accomplishment, knowing their efforts will make a difference in someone’s life. It was a scene that was repeated many times during the 16th annual community-wide volunteer event.
More than 3,000 volunteers took part in this year’s Day of Caring cleaning, painting, landscaping and making repairs as part of 165 different projects submitted by Kansas City area nonprofit agencies. Many of the projects were things that the agencies desperately needed done, but didn’t have the money or the manpower to do without the help of volunteers.
At Rainbow Center in Blue Springs, MO, work was scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m., but volunteers began working just after sunrise. They re-mulched the playground, re-planted flowerbeds, painted new strips in the parking lot and then moved inside painting a number of hallways and rooms. Other volunteers hosted a carnival and picnic for disabled children who attend Rainbow Center, along with their families. The only people smiling more than the kids were the volunteers.
The theme of this year’s Day of Caring was “We are Family” and volunteers were encouraged to bring along their spouses and children to join in a day of helping others. Yolanda Branch, an employee of HNTB brought her seven–year-old daughter to help homeless veterans at the Heart of America Stand Down. Yolanda said, “I want my daughter to appreciate what our veterans do for our country and now is the time to train her about giving back and helping others.” Tony Castro of the EPA brought her two daughters along to plant flowers in sensory gardens at Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired. She saw the Day of Caring as a teachable moment for her kids. She said, “At times, it may seem like your problems are great, but there are always people facing even greater problems than yours. I believe it’s important to give back and it is a lesson I want my daughters to learn”
