United Way of South Hampton Roads in September mobilized 1,202 volunteers from over 40 different companies to complete 120 projects at nonprofit organizations across the community in their annual Day of Caring. Participating companies this year included TowneBank, Wilbanks Smith & Thomas, GEICO, USAA, Sentara, Checkered Flag, the Cities of Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Dominion Enterprises and Bank of America, among others. Nearly 40 nonprofit organizations benefited from Day of Caring, including EQUI-KIDS, ForKids, the Foodbank, The Salvation Army, the YWCA, the YMCA, H.E.R. Shelter, Children’s Harbor and multiple local elementary schools.
Participants helped with everything from power washing and painting to landscaping and food delivery. Teams delivered meals with Meals on Wheels, trimmed trees at the Samaritan House, made craft kits for kids at Reading Enriches All Children (REACH), organized a food pantry at the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center, painted rooms at EDMARC Hospice for Children and helped the YMCA prep for a yard sale, among many other projects.
“The Day of Caring is a beautiful display of the incredible impact a determined group of volunteers can have in just one day,” said Carol McCormack, president and CEO of United Way of South Hampton Roads. “It is such an inspiration to see the over 1,000 volunteers take time away from work to help our local nonprofits accomplish tasks they may never have the time to get to. This is what it looks like to LIVE UNITED.”
