Elgin United Way asks for volunteer projects for Day of Caring

Elgin, IL, (June 12, 2011): The date is set for United Way of Elgin's 17th Annual Day of Caring, which will take place on Friday, Sept. 9.

Day of Caring not only marks the beginning of the United Way's annual campaign, but also reaches out into the community to improve the lives of individuals who need our help.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the entire community to come together and show how much we care about our friends and neighbors,” said Elissa Kojzarek, Special Initiatives Manager of the United Way of Elgin.

This year, for the Day of Caring, volunteers will gather to work on group projects within the community. United Way is currently seeking help from Elgin area agencies and nonprofits in identifying projects from community organizations. Projects should be suitable for groups of five to 25 people, and should be anticipated to take 1-4 hours to complete.

“In the past, favorite agency projects have included gardening, landscaping, painting, picnics and other group activities,” said Kojzarek. “We will take any enjoyable group project that allows people to make a difference in the community for one day.” Administrative work and projects that most people dislike, such as window washing and carpet cleaning likely will not be approved.

“In the years past, over 300 individuals have signed up to volunteer, so we will need several projects from area agencies,” said Kojzarek. “We are excited to coordinate such a large-scale community project.”

To request a Project Application form, email ekojzarek@uwelgin.org. You can also download it from uwelgin.org/library under “Community Resources.”

For the past three years, the Day of Caring was used to coordinate a community-wide food drive. “We decided to revert to group projects to better benefit both our agencies and our volunteers. The agencies really need the work done, and volunteers really want to do projects that are more hands on,” said Kojzarek.

The entire community is encouraged to save the date to volunteer for Day of Caring on Friday, Sept. 9. Information for volunteers will be available on the United Way of Elgin website beginning in July.

If you would like more information, please contact the United Way office at (847) 741-2259 or e-mail Elissa Kojzarek at ekojzarek@uwelgin.org.