FINDLAY, OH (May 4, 2023) – With nearly 900 volunteers ready to lend a hand, United Way of Hancock County celebrates an expanded reach throughout the county for its upcoming Days of Caring event.
“We heartfully appreciate the volunteers coming out for Spring Days of Caring,” said Angela DeBoskey, UWHC CEO. “Because we have seen such great numbers for a few years in a row now, we can look a little further to see where we can help even more people and agencies with a supportive boost.”
Days of Caring will take place May 8-12, with employees of area corporations and small businesses pitching in to help local organizations. Nonprofits and other agencies submit projects, volunteer teams register to help, and the United Way matches up the two groups. In four-hour shifts, the volunteers take on projects such as landscaping, organizing, painting, planning an event, cleaning or construction.
The 900 volunteers will complete 3,600 service hours, a value to the community of about $144,500, based on Independent Sector’s national value of a volunteer hour of $31.80 for 2023. That is money organizations can save to put directly toward their mission and services.
For the first time, Days of Caring volunteer teams will support home projects that have been vetted by Backyard Mission Trip for residents throughout Hancock County.
“We are thrilled to work with Backyard Mission Trip organizers to help the community in this way,” DeBoskey said.
While continuing to meet agency needs within Findlay and assisting BYM, teams will complete more projects for participants ranging into the county this year, including the Village of McComb, Van Buren Schools, Riverdale Local Schools, Gateway Church, Harvest Time International Church, the University of Findlay’s Rieck Center for Habitat Studies, and Good Samaritan Society and Independence House, both senior living facilities. Throughout the week, more than 100 projects will be completed for 39 organizations.
In September, UWHC will host a second opportunity to participate in Days of Caring. Fall Days of Caring will run Sept. 18-20, and a separate registration will open for those dates later this year.
This spring’s volunteer teams represent: Marathon Petroleum Corp., Blanchard Valley Health System, Whirlpool Corp., First National Bank of Pandora, Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies, City Apparel, Fifth Third Bank, Aktion Club of Hancock County, AMS - Alexander Mann Solutions, UIS Insurance & Investments, Hancock County ESC, and the Hancock County Democrats.
For more information about Volunteers United, the UWHC’s volunteer center and the variety of ways you can get involved, visit liveunitedhancockcounty.org/volunteersunited.