United Way of northwest Louisiana is gathering teams of volunteers to participate in a community-wide service project called “Day of Caring,” set for Saturday.
“We hope to raise awareness for nonprofit agencies in the Minden area by giving individuals hands-on opportunities,” Bruce Willson, CEO of United Way of northwest Louisiana, said.
Jeri Bloxom, director of United Way’s Webster, Bienville and Claiborne parishes office, believes “Day of Caring” will have a positive impact on everyone involved.
“From nonprofits who run on volunteers or limited staff, to individuals and teams who will have an opportunity to learn how agencies improve our community, those involved in this event will end the day feeling accomplished – knowing they made a difference,” Bloxom said. “Many events and projects in our community are made possible by volunteers. ‘Day of Caring’ aims to unite the community by continuing the volunteering trend that is so prevalent in our community.”
Nonprofit agencies, including Sadie’s Arms, Cultural Crossroads, Joe LeBlanc Food Pantry, United Christian Home and United Way’s community center have been partnered with teams of volunteers from Regions Bank, Minden Medical Center, Minden Press-Herald, Mondi, AmeriHealth, Northwest Louisiana Technical College, TG Companies and ConocoPhillips. Projects range from landscaping, sorting food donations, folding clothes donations and other miscellaneous tasks.
“This being our first year to hold ‘Day of Caring’ in Minden, we didn’t know what to expect,” Bloxom said. “This response has been positive and I’m looking forward to a fantastic experience with people who love our community. This has been so much fun; I’m already brainstorming for next year’s event.”
At United Way’s WBC center in Minden, located at 202 Miller St., teams and agencies will be acquainted over breakfast, donated by Bon Temps Fleur Deli. Once teams leave the center and head to the project sites, the center will be open for “Financial Fun Day.”
“We partnered with Regions Bank with VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) provider Sadie’s Arms to provide an opportunity to establish banking relationships, learn about financial management and have your taxes prepared,” Bloxom said.
She says if a household made less than $53,000 a year, the VITA volunteers can assist with
preparing and filing income taxes at no charge.
“Learning from one another and cooperatively completing tasks brings people together,” she said. “That’s what the ‘Day of Caring’ really boils down to – bringing the community together. Whether you signed up as a volunteer for a service project, are a nonprofit agency needing help or a community member benefiting from services, you are going to have a good experience and learn a lot this Saturday.”
For more information, contact Bloxom at 318-677-2507, ext. 140 or email her at [email protected].