Grab lunch, paint a rock

FINDLAY — "Do Good Days" are back, and so are the Thursday lunchtime parties. The event takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Thursday through Labor Day at City Apparel + Merch, 116 E. Main Cross St. — starting today. This partnership between City Apparel and United Way of Hancock County features a rotating fleet of local food trucks that generously donate a portion of each week's sales to the United Way's Halt Hunger Initiative. Jonny Burritos will be cooking up lunch today. Other rotating trucks include Greek Garden, Slippin' Sammies, the Wailing Onion and Pull Up & Grill. This year marks a milestone for the program. It's been five years since the event started in 2022. United Way of Hancock County Volunteer Coordinator Mindy Ary said every Thursday this month, the United Way's volunteer center, Volunteers United, will be present to promote family and youth volunteer opportunities throughout Hancock County. "The whole reason that City Apparel + Merch is doing this is some of the proceeds go to benefit our Halt Hunger Initiative so it's good for us to be there, too," she said. "We always go and get lunch and support it either way." This month, Ary and the Volunteer Ambassadors decided to focus on younger volunteers. "We have a lot more youth and families that are contacting United Way about volunteering opportunities," she said. So they're promoting the different options that are available for families and youth who may need volunteer hours for a club or organization. "I think this year we have grown quite a bit in the youth department," Ary said. "But I also feel like we're making much more of an effort to make that contact and try to help in those areas and let them know. Obviously we want our kids to start service at a young age so they continue through." "This is what we do. This is part of giving back," she added. She said it's also important to find something that's going to draw their interest so they stick with it. Every agency or organization has its own rules. Ary said some may not accept younger volunteers, but there are quite a few that will, provided they're with a parent or a guardian. They may have to sign a waiver as well. "But there's different opportunities all over Hancock County," she said. Along with this, the volunteer center has set a goal to create 250 inspirational rocks in celebration of America 250. Today is the first day for rock painting. Diners are invited to use the materials provided to decorate a rock while they wait for their food. Each rock will already have a base coat of red, white or blue, but then the rock can be embellished with stars, stripes and words of encouragement using paint pens and markers. "It's so much easier and especially since we're down there for Do Good Days. If you're coming to grab lunch, two of the Ambassadors will be there. They'll have a table set up," she said. "These are similar to rocks the volunteers painted last year for Mental Health Awareness Month." "It would be nice to look down at rocks and they may be decorated in red, white and blue, but to see 'Inspire' or 'Keep Shining' or 'Have a Great Day' or 'Blessed,'" she said. Ary will provide a list of ideas to give the painters a better idea of what can be done quickly. The goal by the end of the month is to amass 250 rocks that will be hidden around the community in time for July 4 for people to find and either take home or re-hide for someone else to find. "I'm also encouraging people if they would like to paint rocks and possible take them home to do with their families," she said. The rocks have already been cleaned primed and a base coat of either red, white or blue added. Those who cannot make it for Do Good Days are welcome to contact Ary at volunteer@uwhancock.org to arrange to pick up rocks to be decorated at home. "We're going through a lot as a world, so every little bit of smile helps," she said. The Ambassadors will also have information on volunteering and can explain the new summer service tab on the website. It can be found under the "Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities" section of the "Volunteer" page at www.hancock.org. The tab will remain on the website through Labor Day. "These are fresh new opportunities within the community that you can check out this summer," Ary said. "If you're a family or an individual and you don't see something maybe that interests you and you still want to get out there, I'm happy to help you find something." Do Good Days is made possible through the generosity of the participating food trucks, as well as City Apparel + Merch. Cash donations are collected all summer, with City Apparel matching those donations at the end of each season. The event has raised over $3,000 in the past two summers to support the United Way's partners in fighting hunger: Christian Clearing House, West Ohio Food Bank, Findlay Family YMCA and the Salvation Army.