NORWICH – With its annual Day of Caring right around the corner, the Chenango United Way is soliciting volunteers who want to lend a helping hand and leave behind a meaningful impact on their local community.
The United Way Day of Caring - a yearly tradition in which United Way volunteers lend their talent, skills and abilities to charitable agencies, municipalities and different non-profit agencies in all four corners of the county - is the official kick-off of the United Way campaign season. With more ambitious campaign goals in mind this year, United Way organizers say they are hoping for a large turnout to set the weels in motion.
This year’s United Way Day of Caring gets underway from 9 a.m. to noon on Sept. 28. The event - sponsored by NBT Bank, Preferred Mutual Insurance Company, Golden Artist Colors and Frontier Communications - presents local residents the chance to improve their community in a number of different ways while also upholding the United Way’s mission to give, advocate and volunteer.
Day of Caring participants are encouraged attend an early 8 a.m. breakfast, courtesy of Gilligan’s restaurant of Sherburne and hosted at the Norwich High School cafeteria, before taking on various hands-on projects all across the county.
“The Day of Caring is an excellent chance for people to give back,” said Chenango United Way Director Elizabeth Monaco. “We are so excited to be able to do this every year and to provide area residents with a chance to contribute to their local community.”
A total of 17 projects are lined up for Day of Caring volunteers this year that range in types of work, from community beautification tasks to assisting in the field of health and human services. The project list includes work at The Place in Norwich, the CSPCA, Catholic Charities of Chenango County, Friends of Rogers in Sherburne, Save the Sherburne Inn, Cook Park in Greene, the Town of Smithville, Hospice of Chenango County, and the Chenango Arts Council, among several others.
“Some of these projects have a larger time-frame than three or four hours,” explained Victoria Mitchell, assistant to the director at the Chenango United Way. “If volunteers wish to stay longer for larger projects, they can do that.”
In addition, the United Way is working collaboratively with Manpower to conduct a hygiene product collection for needy area residents. Donated products may include shampoo and conditioner, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, toilet paper, feminine products, and diapers and baby wipes. Collection boxes will be made available from 9 a.m. to noon at the Norwich High School cafeteria and at the Norwich Fire Department.
Thus far, the United Way has enough Day of Caring volunteers for four teams comprised of five to six individuals. But that’s not enough to fulfill all project requests, Mitchell said. “We are looking for another 158 volunteers to help out.”
Volunteers are assigned projects on a first come, first serve basis, she added.
The Chenango United Way has set this year’s campaign goal at an ambitious $456,000 - roughly $11,500 more than what was collected during last year’s campaign. Because the Day of Caring is the official start of the campaign, organizers hope for a good turnout to get things off to a positive start.
For more information or to register for the annual Day of Caring event, individuals and corporate, community or family teams must return registration forms to the United Way by Sept. 13. Forms are available at the United Way, located at 83 N. Broad St. in Norwich, or online at chenangouw.org. Additional information is available by calling 334-8815.