Help adds up on Day of Caring in Elgin

Don Hopp didn't need a calculator or spreadsheet to add up how he felt this week loading food into two pickup trucks.

"It was a really cool feeling," he said. "We hear a lot of the hardships, especially with the economy now. There's a lot of need right here."

Hopp, a partner at Hopp Accounting in Elgin, and three of his co-workers were among the 300-plus volunteers for the United Way of Elgin's annual Day of Caring Friday.

This was Hopp's fourth year helping but the first in which he and his staff organized their own food drive for employees and clients.

Hopp and his co-workers also helped sort food items at the Salvation Army office in Elgin and assisted with the weekly food distribution held on Fridays.

"Usually it's financial stuff we help with. This is important, giving back to the community," he said.

Elissa Kojzarek, United Way of Elgin's resource development and special initiatives manager, said volunteerism in the activity is on the rise and so is the number of food pantries United Way helps, increasing from six to seven this year.

While some might think the poor economy might lead to a dip in volunteers because they are out looking for jobs themselves, Kojzarek said more and more people want to help others in any way they can.

Kojzarek said a lot of volunteers now know someone who is out of work or has lost a home to foreclosure.

"There's definitely an increase in people wanting to help others because it's at their front door," she said. "It's become more real."

The United Way collected about 2,000 boxes of food last year; Kojzarek didn't have a final tally but expected it to be as much or more this year.

Crystal McGuire, an administrative assistant at the city of Elgin's community development department, was in charge of coordinating more than 20 city employees who took time out to help. They did so on city city time, but many are salaried and work more than 40 hours a week, officials said.

"You're helping people in the community. We're actually seeing how much was donated and how much they need," she said. "Everyone stepped up and wanted to help out in any way they could."