United Way Day of Caring volunteers weed the Orcas Center gardens. Pictured from left are Dr. Carol Vincent-Hall, United Way of San Juans Board President, Candace Bodenhamer, Orcas Island 2009 Day of Caring Coordinator, Jan Koltun-Titus, United Way Board member (retired), and Margie Sabine, Primary Intervention Partnership coordinator, Orcas Island Elementary School. Photo courtesy of Damien Stark.
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The United Way of San Juan County will sponsor its annual “Day of Caring” on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Day of Caring is an annual event sponsored by United Way to further the spirit of volunteerism and to demonstrate what people working together for the community’s good can accomplish. It provides an opportunity to build relationships among employees, families and the community.
The day’s events include service projects designed to aid community members and programs that could benefit from a day’s work. In years past, cleanup of individual seniors’ property, litter pick-up, and weeding of the Vitality Trail have been some of the Orcas activities undertaken during the “Day of Caring.”
The county-wide organization is licensed by the national organization and is otherwise independent, operating locally with its own articles of incorporation and by-laws. Ninety-nine percent of the funds raised locally by United Way/SJ is spent within the county.
The mission of the United Way of San Juan County is to enhance the ability of local agencies to meet vital needs of the community. In 2009, United Way of San Juan County provided $115,000 to local programs, including OPAL, the Orcas Family Health Center, the Orcas School District’s Primary Intervention and the Readiness to Learn programs, The Funhouse Mentoring Program, Orcas Montessori Tuition Assistance and the Orcas Island Prevention Partnership. United Way also funded 4-H Development programs, and the Compass Health Chemical Dependency and Mental Health programs.
In 2010, although funding requests exceeded$ 142,000, the organization’s donations were down; still it distributed $59,000 to community organizations.
To sign up for United Way’s Day of Caring, call United Way San Juan County at 378-4121 or email at unitedwaysjc@rockisland.com.
Orcas Island residents can call Dr. Carol Vincent-Hall at 376-7370.
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Those interested can call United Way San Juan at 378-4121 or email unitedwaysjc@rockisland.com
For Orcas, contact Dr. Carol Vincent-Hall at 376-7370.