Days of Caring links Wayne County volunteers to charities
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on August 26, 2007 2:10 AM
Local charitable groups have made their "to-do" lists, and volunteers are now needed to make those wishes come true during the 2007 Days of Caring.
Days of Caring is a county-wide effort to help local nonprofit agencies, sponsored by United Way of Wayne County and coordinated by Volunteer Wayne/RSVP. The event will be Sept. 14-22 and will begin with an opening ceremony Sept. 14 at 8:30 a.m. on the steps of the courthouse.
In addition to the chance to do good works, Days of Caring allows residents to see what local charitable groups are accomplishing across Wayne County, said Barbara Stiles, Volunteer Wayne director.
Volunteers are encouraged to register with Volunteer Wayne no later than Sept. 8 by calling 735-5151 or logging onto the Web site at www.volunteersolutions.org/uwwc/volunteer.
Last year, more than 1,200 volunteers took part in 30 projects that affected more than 4,000 people in Wayne County.
Here is a list of projects that are waiting to be done during this year's Days of Caring:
*Meals on Wheels -- deliver lunchtime meals to the homebound in Wayne County.
*Partnership for Children of Wayne County's Read for the Record -- read "The Story of Ferdinand" to children at local day care centers.
*Girl Scout Council of Coastal Carolina -- plant around the front of the Girl Scout sign, prune shrubs and do other general grounds work.
*Habitat for Humanity -- mini blitz builds in Mount Olive and Goldsboro, supply lunches for 25 volunteers, provide tools.
*Communities In Schools -- provide school supplies for needy children.
*Esther's Refuge -- put shingles on a shed, help with a garden, repair driveway.
*Cherry Hospital -- provide care packages for patients who are being discharged back into the community to include toiletries, books, candy, stamps, envelopes, stationery and telephone cards; provide backpacks and supplies for children who attend the campus school.
*Hispanic Community Dev-elopment Center -- book bags and school supplies for needy children.
*Wayne County Depart-ment of Social Services -- provide first aid kits for adults and families with children; provide toiletry kits for children; provide nonperishable food items.
*WAGES Wayne County First Steps -- gardening and landscaping and provide books and toys for infants and preschoolers.
*Wayne County Chapter of the American Red Cross -- paint a utility trailer.
*Diamonds In The Ruff Canine Rescue -- provide foster homes for a dog until a permanent home can be found; provide crates, carriers and portable puppy exercise pens or kennel runs; provide dog food, powdered puppy formula, dog biscuits, collars and leashes, water and food bowls, dog toys, towels and washcloths, shampoo and flea and tick control products.
*Salvation Army -- provide nonperishable food for the food pantry.
*Seymour Johnson Air Force Base -- provide pillow cases for deployed airmen; volunteers to create a pillow case or infant T-Shirt.
*Mental Health Association -- provide sleeping bags for the homeless.
*Arts Council of Wayne County -- trim and prune bushes, light weeding, plant flower beds.
*MERCI warehouse -- provide health kits and clean-up kits for victims of disasters.
*VA Hospital in Fayetteville -- collect playing cards for patients (sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa of Wayne Community College).
*Wayne Opportunity Center -- install a flag pole at the center.