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450 volunteers spread out to do good on Day of Action

June 23, 2010|Michael Broihier

This volunteer uses a sand blaster to remove graffiti from a wall at the scenic overlook atop Halls Gap. Almost 500 volunteers spread out across a four county area Wednesday to clean up, paint and provide other assistance to individuals and organizations on the Heart of Kentucky United Way’s Day of Action. (Photo by Devin Wren)

For years it’s been known as a Day of Caring, but while the name has changed to a Day of Action and the date switched from September to June, the results are the same; many deserving individuals and groups got help from their community on a wide range of projects from gardening to painting.

This year, almost 500 volunteers in Boyle, Mercer, Garrard and Lincoln counties spread out early Wednesday morning to do good after a quick breakfast of donuts and coffee, and in Lincoln County, the workers got some last minute marching orders from Lincoln County Coordinator Ruth Smith.

There has been a huge response from volunteer workers on the annual Heart of Kentucky United Way project that Andrea Miller attributes to shifting the project date from the fall to summer. “It gives a chance for families and kids to volunteer as well,” Miller said, noting that several families will be working together on projects, and the Junior Miss contestants will be pitching in as well.

The Lincoln volunteers worked on a wide range of projects that vary from interacting with the elderly at the Lincoln County Senior Citizen Center to building a wheelchair ramp in Lancaster.

Last year, Kayla Phillips of Stanford asked how old one had to be to become a project manager, and apparently, 17 is old enough because the recent Lincoln County High School grad is led a 10-person team of volunteers that that cleaned up the scenic overlook at Halls Gap and removed graffiti from the walls around the parking area.

A great deal of planning goes into selecting and preparing for projects; on the Day of Action workers have only a few hours to complete their assigned tasks. There was a 12:45 p.m. lunch planned at Millennium Park in Danville for all of the volunteers, so tools, supplies and equipment were all waiting for helping hands early Wednesday. Some of the projects only require the volunteers’ presence, like helping children with crafts at the 4-H site. Others require securing special equipment to get the job done, like Phillips’ project on Halls Gap that required a sandblaster to remove graffiti.

Miller said that projects that benefit organizations or individuals are proposed by groups who are normally beneficiaries of the United Way. “The projects have to be economical and within the capabilities of our volunteers in a short period of time,” she said.

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