People who volunteered for the United Way’s 2019 Day of Caring knit hats and burp cloths for newborns and cancer patients at Lumberton Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac. The 2021 event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 7.
The Robesonian file photo
Munn
Tate
Related Articles
LUMBERTON — The Lumber River United Way is close to reaching its goal of 80 volunteers for the 2021 Day of Caring, but welcomes many more.
The Day of Caring, which was not held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will kick off May 7 at 10 a.m. at the Lumberton Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac. It is a volunteer-driven event that brings the community together to help nonprofits and human service providers in Robeson County that assist people in need. Event volunteers typically tackle projects at local schools, churches, city parks and nonprofit organizations.
All volunteers will be invited the morning of the event to Lumberton Chevrolet, located at 500 Linkhaw Road in Lumberton, for breakfast and to pick up their Day of Caring T-shirt and supplies.
So far more than 70 people have signed up to volunteer for Day of Caring, but at least 30 volunteers are needed to donate blood through Blood Connection, which will be on-site during the event.
“Only a few have signed up for that,” said Tameika Munn, director of Community Impact for Lumber River United Way.
To register as an individual volunteer or a group send an email Munn at [email protected]
The Knit-In event will return this year and will take place at Lumberton Chevrolet and virtually. Volunteers will knit burp cloths for newborns and hats for cancer patients. Anyone wishing to volunteer for the Knit-In, hosted by N.C. Cooperative Extension, should register with Shea Ann DeJarnette at [email protected]
People who do not have time to volunteer will have many opportunities to donate, Munn said. Individuals or groups can make donations, at the dealership, to the Stuff the Truck nonperishable food drive, hosted by Robeson County Church and Community Center, or donate food and supplies to the Robeson County Humane Society, which will also be held at Lumberton Chevrolet.
“There’s several ways to give back,” Munn said. “It’s just taking your own initiative to give back to your own community.”
Volunteers who want to do some hands-on work will have several opportunities this year.
“This year’s event has been scaled back, but there will be plenty of outdoor opportunities for people to volunteer safely,” said Tate Johnson, Lumber River United Way executive director. “The bulk of the work we’re doing this year is off-site.”
Off-site opportunities include installing a Born Learning Trail at Northeast Park in Lumberton.
Ally Bedell and Robeson County Parks and Recreation will host a litter cleanup at Alamac Park, located at 1886 Alamac Road in Lumberton. Community In Schools needs volunteers to paint its office at 308 E. Fifth St. in Lumberton.
Cleaning, inside and outside, the Robeson County Humane Society’s facilities will be another volunteer opportunity. The shelter is located at 380 W. Fifth St. in Lumberton.
Volunteers can also choose to clean a two-mile stretch of N.C. 711 from Pine Log to Caton Road, which United Way adopted through the Adopt-A-Highway roadside litter cleanup initiative.
“That was an initiative our board took on in early 2020 as part of our advocacy in our community, and then, obviously, COVID hit and we haven’t had the opportunity to even clean it yet,” Johnson said. “This is our first opportunity to go out there and actually clean that section of 711.”
This year’s Day of Caring will be scaled down, but the hope is there will still be a significant community impact through the individuals that participate, Tate said.
“There’s a value for those community hours,” he said.
In 2019, 156 volunteers provided 451 hours of service to ensure United Way’s 2019 Day of Caring was successful. Projects throughout Robeson County provided a value of $10,909.69 in volunteer time.
“People that are coming out this year really want to volunteer and show their appreciation for the community since they have been inside because of COVID,” Munn said. “We’ve all been away from everybody and isolated, so this is really like a mental health day. I think it’s like a day of freedom.”
Tomeka Sinclair can be reached at [email protected] or 910-416-5865.
"caring" - Google News
April 30, 2021 at 04:26AM
https://ift.tt/3sZAKvi
United Way brings back Day of Caring; more volunteers wanted - The Robesonian
"caring" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2z0ngcp
https://ift.tt/3fgQ2Gv
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "United Way brings back Day of Caring; more volunteers wanted - The Robesonian"
Post a Comment