8/28/08

Volunteer to help during United Way's annual event

United Way of Snohomish County is preparing for its annual volunteer event, Days of Caring, slated for September 12 and 13 this year.

Days of Caring is a community-wide event benefiting non-profit agencies in Snohomish County. Each year the two-day event brings together volunteers committed to creating positive change in the lives of children, families and seniors.

Volunteer teams, organized primarily by local companies, complete projects for local non-profit agencies that often lack the necessary resources to tackle such important initiatives themselves. Projects range from reading to children at childcare sites and engaging them in outdoor activities to landscaping an elderly person’s front yard or sprucing up interiors at the YWCA.

This will mark the 16th year for the volunteer event. Last year’s participants contributed an estimated 6,900 hours of labor, valued at $121,000, in Snohomish County alone.

The Marysville Community Food Bank is challenging the community to participate in Days of Caring on behalf of the food bank. The plan:

• Gather teams from work, school, church, or friends.
• Register with the Snohomish United Way by going online at www.uwsc.org or calling Michelle Morris at the Volunteer Center, (425) 374-5534.
• Collect as much food and/or financial donations as possible from neighbors, friends, and family.
• Get to the food bank between 5 and 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 13 to have your team picture taken with your donations.
• All teams who gather over 500 pounds of food or $500 will be listed on a plaque hung on the wall at the food bank.
• Prizes will be awarded for the top three teams.

Visit the United Way Web site (www.uwsc.org) to find out about other worthwhile Days of Caring projects in your community, then sign up to make a difference for others.