Day Of Caring Works On North Escambia Projects

October 23, 2010

Friday, over 100 volunteer teams took part in the annual United Way Day of Caring  in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, including projects at Northview High School, Jim Allen Elementary and the Cantonment Senior Center.

At Northview High School, volunteers from Exxon Mobil joined the school’s horticulture class in a campus cleanup and planted flowers.

At Jim Allen Elementary, volunteers from Publix sanded and repainted several pieces of playground equipment.

At the Cantonment Senior Center, volunteers from Gulf Power Company washed the outside of the building, painted the front porch and cleaned up the facility’s yard.

Volunteer projects across the two counties included yard work at homes of elderly or disabled residents, repair of playground equipment at children’s centers and schools, planting gardens and grounds beautification at schools and nonprofit outreach centers, and help building a Habitat for Humanity home.

Friday marked the 18th year of the United Way Day of Caring in Escambia County. There will be more than 90 projects completed in Escambia County and more than 30 projects in Santa Rosa County, with over 1,100 volunteers taking part.

Pictured top: Volunteers work to beautify the campus at Northview High School in Bratt. Pictured below: Day of Caring volunteers at Jim Allen Elementary School. Pictured inset: Volunteers at the Cantonment Senior Center. Submitted and NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

4 Responses to “Day Of Caring Works On North Escambia Projects”

  1. S.L.B on October 24th, 2010 2:42 pm

    Awesome program! I saw the flowers at NHS Friday night while working the front gate and they looked beautiful. Kudos to all that participated! :)

  2. Kris Thoma on October 24th, 2010 2:32 pm

    The best way to get connected on needs such as those you mentioned is to register as a client with an agency that serves that particular need area. One way to start is to call First Call For Help, 850-595-5905. They can provide you with a list of agencies, for instance, agencies that serve medically disabled. Often, home/yard work is not what the agency does, but they often can arrange for help by asking for a Day of Caring volunteer team through United Way, requesting a military or college volunteer group, etc. And yes, very often, residents who need help do not know that they are eligible for help or where to ask. First Call For Help is a good first step, but the resident should be prepared to contact the agencies that they are referred to, fill out some forms, meet with agency personnel to discuss needs, etc. There is often a waiting list, but it’s always better to get registered so that future help can be provided.

    Kris Thoma
    United Way of Escambia County

  3. tlad on October 24th, 2010 7:39 am

    You can contact the Escambia County United Way, or the Council on Aging. The team I was with on Saturday worked at two homes, both of them were located around the Olive Road/Scenic Highway area. I would like to help out homeowners who live in northern Escambia County, but I don’t think that folks know how to sign up for the assistance or are even aware that they can.

  4. my own two cents on October 23rd, 2010 8:34 am

    How can we get on the list next time to possibly get some help at our house? My husband is medically disabled (severe heart condition) and I’m not strong enough to do everything that needs doing.