The United Way’s Week of Caring has hosts of volunteers working on projects for nonprofits and organizations throughout their communities.
In Carter County, that meant plenty of organizing, cleaning, landscaping and partying.
The United Way of Elizabethton/Carter County arranged for a troupe of volunteers to help out with many of the organizations the local agency supports or partners with on a regular basis.
On Thursday, a 15-person group from Eastman Chemical Co. spent the day at the Elizabethton Senior Citizens Center helping complete projects that needed to be done throughout the year.
Volunteers organized and cleaned the center’s storage closets, pantry and kitchen and library; landscaped by adding mulch, trimming plants and planting new flowers; painted the center’s sign, power-washed the sidewalks and cleaned all the center’s tables, chairs and other supplies used in the meeting room.
“They are doing a lot of the work that we cannot do,” Senior Center Director Kathy Dula said. “A lot of the projects, like mulching, raking and the heavy lifting, we just don’t have the manpower to take care of the projects. They are doing things that we could never get done without their help. It is our annual spruce up. It makes the building look nice.”
Other projects included:
• Employees from Carter County Bank volunteered at the Adult Day Care Center and hosted a farm-themed party for members;
• A group of anonymous volunteers worked at Assistance Resource Ministries for two days helping to renovate the inside of the building;
• A team of community members from Carter County participated in the regional kickoff on June 15 working at the Boys & Girls Club of Johnson City/Washington County.
“I would say this Week of Caring has been a success,” said United Way Director Cheri Tinney. “The Week of Caring is a great opportunity for individuals in the community to see what the agencies provide and to get out and get involved. These are volunteers from our community who give of themselves to make a difference.”