story and photos by Brittany Ransom
bransom@thecitywire.com
Spanning six counties, a force of 745 volunteers donated their time and skills on Tuesday (April 14) for United Way of Fort Smith Area's 13th annual Day of Caring. The dedicated volunteers served at United Way Community Partner Agencies and other local non-profit organizations throughout the area, helping with everything from painting and cleaning to spending quality one-on-one time with nursing home residents.
The morning kicked off with the traditional Day of Caring breakfast at Golden Corral in Fort Smith. There, teams rallied and enjoyed a send-off celebration to their projects, which included an official proclamation from Mayor Sandy Sanders. Similar events were also held in Booneville at the Jeral L. Hampton Meeting Place and in Ozark at OAYO(Ozark Area Youth Organization).
From the breakfasts, volunteers headed out to their respective assignments. A total of 93 projects at 34 participating agencies, cities, and non-profit organizations were included in this year's Day of Caring efforts. Prior to the event, companies and individuals could sign up for projects online or by contacting United Way.
Day of Caring is a long-standing tradition for many local companies, who generously allow their employees the opportunity to serve during work hours. Many teams sport unique company t-shirts and volunteer together year after year at their favorite non-profit.
"We love being able to take time out of our day to come work on projects and to help support these wonderful agencies," said Lindsey Brown, a six-year DOC veteran and Experian employee. "Volunteering is a way for us to give back to these organizations that do so much for our community every day. I am thankful for an employer who affords us the opportunity to get out and serve, especially during business hours."
Companies with the largest volunteer forces included Golden Living with 61, Arvest Bank with 48, Planters with 42, the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith with 33, and First National Bank of Fort Smith with 29. Some local youth also took part this year, with members of the Van Buren Drama Club helping out at the Boys & Girls Club of Van Buren and Abilities Unlimited.
"Once again the community has poured out its support for United Way of Fort Smith Area and our partner agencies," said President Eddie Lee Herndon. "We are extremely proud and thankful to have more than 700 volunteers from numerous companies in the area that will be sharing their time and resources to accomplish much needed projects."
Day of Caring also benefits the participating community partners by saving them dollars in the form of free labor.
"Many of our partner agencies would not be able to complete these projects without volunteer man hours and expertise," explained Herndon. "On behalf of our partner agencies and the clients served, we want to give a heartfelt thank you to our companies for giving up so many of their employees for a day to serve our community."