Nearly 500 volunteers came together on Saturday, October 24, for United Way of Indian River County’s 31st annual Day of Caring, completing 39 hands-on projects at schools, nonprofits, and community organizations throughout Indian River County.
Together, 480 volunteers contributed 1,440 hours of service, putting their time and talents to work to support organizations and improve spaces throughout the community. While three hours might not seem like much on its own, when hundreds of people make the decision to show up for a few hours, the collective impact is significant. Those donated hours also represent valuable time and resources that participating organizations can put toward other needs.
The day kicked off at the Vero Beach High School Citrus Bowl with donated breakfast and coffee from McDonald’s and Coffee House 1420, and a pep rally to get energized before heading out to their project locations. TBLB Fitness led a group warm-up, and the Daring Divas provided entertainment with a performance during the morning kickoff.
One of the largest projects took place at Citrus Elementary School, where 75 volunteers, including community members, parents or students, and school district staff, worked together to make improvements to the campus.
Another project brought together UPSTARTERS, United Way of Indian River County’s youth volunteer initiative for high school students, and staff from Sunshine Physical Therapy Clinic to assemble 150 Early Learning Kits for children at the clinic. Supported by a grant from PNC Grow Up Great, the kits will provide young children with resources and materials to support early learning.
“Day of Caring is a great example of what can happen when people are willing to give a little of their time to make a difference,” said Meredith Egan, CEO of United Way of Indian River County. “Three hours may not seem like a lot, but when 480 people each give that time, it adds up to something pretty incredible. We’re grateful to everyone who showed up and helped make this year’s Day of Caring such a success.”
United Way’s Day of Caring is an annual tradition that gives individuals, families, businesses, schools, and community groups an opportunity to work alongside organizations that make a difference throughout Indian River County.
Day of Caring is made possible through the generous support of Coffee House 1420, Coca-Cola, Gould Cooksey Fennell, McDonald’s, PNC Bank, Publix, TBLB Fitness, and Your Part-Time Controller.
