For the first time, Livingston County United Way’s Day of Caring — the community’s largest, one-day service event — will be held in June. As school calendars moved start dates earlier in August, the event date has been moved to Wednesday, June 17, 2020, to allow community volunteers the opportunity to participate prior to the start of the busy summer travel season. In addition to the new event date, we have a new online platform in place that will allow volunteers to select the work projects that best meet their skill set and comfort levels.
Registration is now open
The Livingston County United Way collects worksite proposals from local residents, seniors, schools, disabled residents and non-profit agencies. The work is often minor household repair projects, as well as cleaning and yardwork projects that the homeowner is not able to do on their own. Anyone can recommend a worksite and are encouraged to apply for a neighbor or friend who needs extra help. All proposed worksites are reviewed and must be approved by the Livingston County United Way Day of Caring Evaluation team.
Volunteer registrations and project requests may be submitted online starting through May 15. Volunteers may register individually or as groups. Companies, clubs and organizations are invited and encouraged to participate together. New this year, beginning May 1, volunteers will have the ability to select their specific project site online. What better way to showcase an organization’s volunteer spirit while making a difference, improving employee morale and enthusiasm through team building and community connections.
High school students are encouraged to join the fun and enter the Citizens Insurance Day of Caring Youth Challenge. Clubs or teams from area high schools can win up to $1,000 for their group simply by participating.
Last year’s event brought together over 1,201 volunteers, to accomplish a total of 110 projects. These included assisting senior citizens with home related repairs and improvements, building wheelchair ramps, helping support the efforts of 62 non-profit agencies and schools, collecting school supplies and distributing 1,100 school backpacks, as well as participating in local food and personal care drives.
“Every volunteer contributes their time to improve the community, and when we combine forces for one day, the effect is beyond words,” said event co-chairperson Piet Lindhout, of Lindhout Associates Architects. “Once you participate, you just can’t stop. We have many volunteers who come back year after year because it means so much to them. It’s not the project, it’s not the paint, it’s not the day off from work…it’s the people we help, knowing that there are good folks out there that CARE.”
Worksite requests, volunteer registration and additional event information are available online at https://www.lcunitedway.org/get-involved/. Deadline for all registrations is May 15. Specific questions may be directed to Day of Caring Coordinator Diane Duncan who may be reached by phone at (810) 494-3000 or via email at lcdayofcaring@gmail.com. To learn more about Livingston County United Way and how it brings people together to build stronger communities and improve lives, visit www.lcunitedway.org.
