Day of Caring 9.11.09
What do you get when you take 270 local organizations and match them with nearly 9,000 volunteers? Over $1,000,000 worth of volunteer time and one HUGE day of service. On Friday, September 11th, United Way of King County held its 17th annual Day of Caring event, which coincided with the first annual 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, as declared by President Obama earlier this year. I had the opportunity to visit a handful of the hundreds of projects that took place on Friday, and it was truly inspiring to see so many people taking the day off work to volunteer. Whether they were deep cleaning a homeless shelter, pulling ivy or helping an organization with strategic planning, volunteers were out in full force with a common mission: to give back. Here’s what one volunteer had to say about his experience,
“I can see the big picture of how Day of Caring works – as each of us 8,000 volunteers spend our time with a non-profit – we get a glimpse of the benefit to the community the non-profits we visit provide. We gain an appreciation for the service a specific non-profit provides as well as an appreciation for the matchmaking work of United Way – matching need with donors.”
If you participated in United Way’s Day of Caring this year, we would love to hear from you! Tell us about your experience in the comment section below and make sure to check out the volunteer photos here!
I am always impressed by the speed and enthusiasm of Day of Caring volunteers, and this year was no exception. A dozen volunteers from The Hartford come to clean the Hearing, Speech & Deafness Center’s classrooms and organize some storage areas.
All I can say is – “WOW!!” Those volunteers can hustle! They thoroughly cleaned not one but SIX classrooms, in addition to completing several other organizational projects. Our staff members are excited to be able to tell parents that HSDC has taken every precaution possible to provide their (often medically fragile) children with a safe and healthy learning environment. Our preschool teachers would love to have volunteers come back every year!!
Hi Nicole
Thank you so very much for putting together a fantastic workshop last Friday with PSKS.
As you learned – these are amazing young men and women who are really working very very hard to better their lives. What we all learned is how everyone is so very similar in many ways – but have had different pasts that have shaped our present lives.
I had many moments where I had to fight back the tears – especially when I was looking around the room as one PSKS and one Gates were learning about each other – to see the interaction, to see the body language be so comfortable and to hear the laughter.
All of you were able to draw out the teens/young adults and help them see their own leadership qualities. I know each PSKS member walked out feeling more confident and had better awareness of their own leadership qualities.
Thank you!
I mentioned to you at the end of the workshop I wanted to pass on a suggestion. I love to be part of these types of workshops/events. I love to see the interactions and bonds being formed. But what often happens is people go back to their lives, their routines….and life goes on – both for the Gates employees and the PSKS core members. I would love to see the interactions/bonds develop even further than the workshop……either with the core members or other clients of PSKS, either through the Step Beyond program or maybe mentoring, tutoring. PSKS is not a place to come to volunteer on a regular basis because it is run by the teens themselves……but they always have their doors open to people who do care and want to add to the program in some personal way.
As Rachael said as she was leaving the Gates Foundation “Come see us at PSKS sometime” It would be pretty neat if you would
Thanks again!
Katie
Leave your response!
National volunteer week
Blogroll
Our Flickr
Our Videos