Registration Open For United Way Days Of Caring

The United Way of Hancock County’s Days of Caring service event will take place May 3rd through the 7th.

Registration is open for nonprofits to submit their projects and for volunteer teams to sign up until April 9th.

The 2020 Days of Caring held in September.

Last year, more than 220 volunteers completed 61 projects for 16 agencies, providing nearly 900 hours of direct service to the community with a value of more than $21,000.

The number of volunteers was down last year because of the pandemic.

In 2019, prior to COVID-19, nearly 1,100 volunteers turned out for the event.

Full details on this year’s Days of Caring is in the following news release from the United Way.

Click here for our story from last year when we spoke with some Marathon employees who were painting at the Family Resource Center.

 

Days of Caring, United Way of Hancock County’s largest service event, will take place May 3 – 7.

Days of Caring is an annual week-long event during which employees of area corporations and small businesses lend a hand to local organizations. Nonprofits in need of help submit projects, volunteer teams register to help, and the United Way matches up the two groups. Volunteers then head out in force to complete projects such as landscaping, organizing, painting, planning an event, cleaning, or construction. This year, a smaller event will also take place the week of September 20.

Nonprofits can register their project and volunteers can sign up for the May event online at liveunitedhancockcounty.org/days-caring through Friday, April 9.
Project and volunteer team coordination will be developed and communicated on or before Monday, April 26.

“I say this cautiously, but as the pandemic begins to lift, we’re excited that Days of Caring can be held this year in May when it is typically held, and that we may see participation closer to what we have had in the past,” said Sarah Mayle, Volunteer Coordinator for UWHC. “Because of COVID, fewer volunteers were able to come out for our postponed Days of Caring in September, but amazingly, we were still able to complete all of the submitted projects. It’s exciting to think what we may be able to accomplish this year.”

Because the safety of volunteers is of the utmost importance, all projects submitted are required to have COVID-19 protocols in place. The protocols will be communicated to United Way and the volunteer team prior to their arrival onsite. United Way works closely with Hancock Public Health to be in alignment with COVID-19 protocols and guidelines.

Last year, more than 220 volunteers were able to complete 61 projects for 16 agencies, providing almost 900 hours of direct service to the community with a value of more than $21,000. In 2019, prior to COVID-19, nearly 1,100 volunteers turned out for the event.

“United Way of Hancock County is always looking for the places we can serve the community’s greatest needs,” said Angela DeBoskey, CEO of UWHC. “When we’re able to connect local nonprofits with our volunteers it not only helps from a budgetary standpoint, but frees them up to provide the essential services so needed by many in our community.”

Contact Sarah Mayle for more information about Days of Caring at 419-423-1432 or sarah.mayle@uwhancock.org.