United Way hosts Days of Caring

FINDLAY — United Way of Hancock County hosted its Days of Caring event this week, with 861 volunteers completing 89 different projects through the weekend. In just five days, volunteers contributed more than 3,000 hours of service, serving more than 36 local organizations with a value of $119,820 that agencies save in the community, the United Way reported. The biannual event is the one of the largest volunteer events in Hancock County. People help local nonprofit agencies and other social-service based organizations complete a wide variety of projects, from landscaping and painting to cleaning and construction. United Way matches volunteer teams from local companies and service organizations to projects submitted by agencies. "It's a vehicle to allow organizations to live out their CSR policies and their corporate social responsibilities," said CEO of United Way Hancock County Kelley McClurkin. "Anyone can volunteer, but since this is during the work week, Days of Caring is more geared towards those organizations to allow their employees to have paid time to volunteer." McClurkin said the matchmaking project is extensive on its own, pairing volunteers based on availability, physical limitations and their preferences. One of the biggest volunteer teams this year was made up of employees from Marathon Petroleum Corporation. Employees volunteered at the Community Garden of Hancock County, organized by CHOPIN Hall. "Our community garden is quite impressive and it takes a lot of people to get it together," McClurkin said. The Community Gardens of Hancock County are set to open today. The gardens, located at the Family Center, 1800 N. Blanchard St., will have more than 70 plots available ranging in size from 8' by 8' to 8' by 16', with larger plots available for organizations and community groups. Other standout projects this year included painting at The Cube, landscaping at local parks and the construction of a rock wall for local nonprofit On Target Outfitters. "Volunteering brings a richer, more connected life to people," McClurkin said. "When you're doing the work, whether it's helping build a community garden for people who have plots or freshening up a park to clear out trails to make it safer for people to walk down, it connects you so much more to your community. It's about giving and growing, and learning new skills." With Tuesday's rain showers, some scheduled outdoor work will be rescheduled in the next couple of weeks to make sure organizations get the support they need. United Way will host its next Days of Caring event from September 15-19. For more information on Days of Caring events, visit https://www.liveunitedhancockcounty.org/days-caring.