In the largest day of volunteerism in southwest Missouri, the annual United Way Day of Caring will bring together more than 1,600 volunteers and 23 charitable organizations. The United Way Day of Caring, which is scheduled for Thursday, will encompass all 23 participating United Way agencies in the Springfield area — including the Boys & Girls Clubs, the American Red Cross, Family Violence Center and Habitat for Humanity.
“It’s been really big compared to other years. We normally hover around 1,500 volunteers, and this year, we’re at 1,658 volunteers. It’s just amazing,” said Nicki Bascom, spokeswoman for United Way of the Ozarks.
“Organizations are letting their employees take off from work, with pay, in order to participate.”
Events are scheduled across Springfield and the Ozarks, including back-to-school drives at several Boys & Girls Clubs locations that will feature carnivals and sports. Other projects will assist groups in restoring old facilities and home construction projects for families in need.
Eighty-five volunteers — from Kraft, J.C. Penney, Greene County Resource Management, Consumer Credit Counseling and the office of Davis, Lynn & Moots — will assist in building and landscaping at Habitat Springfield’s Legacy Trails Subdivision located at 3800 N. Farm Road 143. Volunteers working at Habitat Springfield’s construction site will be involved in many aspects of building new homes alongside Greene County families in need. Those who volunteer at Legacy Trails will assist in landscaping by watering, weeding, mowing and mulching rain gardens and walking trails.
Some volunteers will also pitch in at the Habitat ReStore at 2410 S. Scenic Ave. At the ReStore — a retail outlet that sells building and home improvement supplies to raise funds for Habitat home building in Greene County — volunteers will stock merchandise, organize display shelves and assist customers.
“Even though it’s hard work, the Day of Caring volunteers always find ways to make it fun for everyone involved,” said program director Nancy Williams, who is in charge of volunteer coordination at Habitat for Humanity of Springfield. “We look forward to Day of Caring each year.”
People interested in participating in the Day of Caring are invited to contact Nicki Bascom at 863-7700 or to visit www.uwozarks. com. With so many organizations involved, Day of Caring volunteers are sure to find a cause that they feel passionately about. The wide variety of projects also ensures that every volunteer is useful in improving the quality of life for someone who needs it.
“This is about trying to get as many people in the community as we can to get out and get their hands dirty,” Bascom said. “When they do that, they really see how much of a difference they can make.”
