Volunteers Needed for United Way’s Annual Days of Caring

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 30, 2007

Media Contact: Michelle Wade
Work: 203.691.4202
Cell: 860.834.0128
mwade@uwgnh.org

Days of Caring is an annual United Way of Greater New Haven week-long event where thousands of volunteers from around the region work on one-time improvement projects. The 2007 Days of Caring will be Sept. 9-15 and volunteers are still needed for many of the projects.

Days of Caring volunteer projects help regional nonprofits that may not have the time, financial resources or ability to perform the work needed. Projects widely vary and consist of activities like beautifying and renovating facilities, creating games and "hands-on" information stations for kids, organizing donated items, planting and landscaping, and planning or donating to a collection drive for anything from school supplies to diapers.

"We hope to encourage individuals, families, friends, and co-workers to support our community and volunteer during Days of Caring and beyond,” said Jack Healy, President and CEO of United Way of Greater New Haven. “Days of Caring is one of the largest volunteer events in the state and we hope to take the week to new heights this year.”

Once again, this year’s Days of Caring presenting sponsor will be Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Honorary Chair for the event is Marna Borgstrom, Yale New Haven Hospital’s President and CEO. Also supporting this years’ Days of Caring activities will be WTNH/MYTV9 and Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield.

To search available projects and register to volunteer for Days of Caring 2007 please visit www.uwgnh.org.

About United Way:
United Way brings together the caring power of our community to create measurable, sustainable change and to improve lives. To do this we: help identify our region's greatest needs and best opportunities for change; raise dollars and invest those dollars for results; connect people to their caring through volunteer opportunities.

More information about United Way of Greater New Haven's community leadership and how you can help can be found at www.uwgnh.org.

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HOW A BAGEL TAUGHT ME TO CARE or WHY I VOLUNTEER

When I was little my family didn't have much money. We regularly received food from the Christian Community Action food bank, WHEAT, our church and caring friends. We were very familiar with food bank cuisine. My brothers and I would get home with the bags and tear into them looking for the good stuff…wading past the tuna, peanut butter, oatmeal, soups and canned vegetables hoping for some cookies or a cereal with marshmallows in it or some sweet treat. While nutritious, I can't say that most of the contents were particularly appealing to us kids. Occasionally we would get bagels in our bag. If we were really lucky, we'd get the cinnamon raisin ones.

Sometimes when we were growing up we had a car and sometimes we didn't. During one period when we had a car and went to CCA to get our monthly allotment, they needed someone to pick up a donation for the food pantry and my mom said she would go. Turned out the pick up was at the Lenders Bagel Bakery! Anyone who drove past the bakery on the Boston Post Road in West Haven in the 80's is very familiar with the wonderful aroma that greeted you as you passed the block the factory was located on. I swallowed as much of that tasty air as possible as we turned into the parking lot. We went inside. I cannot remember if it was a woman or a man who greeted us and gave us our precious cargo, but I do remember that they gave me a warm cinnamon-raisin bagel that I got to eat in the car on the way back to CCA. We made several trips to Lenders over the next few months to do the "bread" run. Each time I squiggled in the back seat, filled with anticipation at the prospect of getting a warm raisin bagel. I was very hard for me to stand patiently by my mother while she attended to the real purpose for us being there. Most times I was given a warm bagel. One time they gave me a mini-bagel face necklace; it was tough to hide my disappointment. The necklace was nice, but not the treasure I was hoping for.

Growing up, a bagel was a bagel. It was something yummier to eat than plain bread. It was a treat. As I got older I came to realize that the bagel, and all the similar acts of kindness I had witnessed while growing up were tangible proof that people cared about me. These things made me know that I was part of more than just our family. I was a part of a community. A community that saw to it that I had a coat to wear in the winter, a camp to go to in the summer and a turkey to eat at Thanksgiving.

So now, whenever someone asks me to do something, I can't say no. I hem and haw. I make excuses but in the end my response is always yes. I often kick myself afterwards knowing all the demands I already have on my time. Then I go to the classroom for Read Aloud Day, and I see the rowdy kindergarteners become silent as I read my story and I know why I said yes. I go the Girl Scout meeting (and I don't even have a Girl Scout!) and do a craft project with them and they gather around me squashing me with their hugs and I know why I said yes. I take an elderly person to pick up her prescription and she tells me she doesn't know what she would do without me and I know why I said yes.


I have witnessed the power of a bagel to fill a hungry belly and an empty heart. I am the product of a caring community. I am a member of a caring community. I care. That's why I volunteer.

-A Community Volunteer

Annual region-wide volunteer initiative to take place Sept. 9-15

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 16, 2007

Media Contact: Michelle Wade

203.772.2010, Ext.202
mwade@uwgnh.org

United Way announces details for this year’s Days of Caring

Days of Caring is an annual United Way of Greater New Haven week-long event where thousands of volunteers from around the region work on one-time improvement projects. The United Way would like to announce the dates for this year’s Days of Caring as Sept. 9-15.

Days of Caring volunteer projects help regional nonprofits that may not have the time, financial resources or ability to perform the work needed. Projects widely vary and consist of activities like beautifying and renovating facilities, creating games and "hands-on" information stations for kids, organizing donated items, planting and landscaping, and planning or donating to a collection drive for anything from school supplies to diapers.

The 2007 theme for Days of Caring will be “Kids Matter!” Successful children and youth is a key priority area for the United Way and projects that dedicate themselves to this purpose will be emphasized. In support of this year’s “Kids Matter!” focus, children from the Connecticut Children’s Museum in New Haven contributed art work that is being used in the “Kids Matter!” logo.

"We hope to encourage individuals, families, friends, and co-workers to support our community and volunteer for Days of Caring,” said Jack Healy, President and CEO of United Way of Greater New Haven. “Days of Caring is one of the largest volunteer events in the state and we hope to take the week to new heights this coming year.”

Once again, this year’s Days of Caring presenting sponsor will be Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Honorary Chair for the event is Marna Borgstrom, Yale New Haven Hospital’s President and CEO. Also supporting this years’ Days of Caring Activities will be Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield and WTNH/MYTV9.
To search available projects and register to volunteer for Days of Caring 2007 please visit www.uwgnh.org.

About United Way:
United Way brings together the caring power of our community to create measurable, sustainable change and to improve lives. To do this we: help identify our region's greatest needs and best opportunities for change; raise dollars and invest those dollars for results; connect people to their caring through volunteer opportunities.

More information about United Way of Greater New Haven's community leadership and how you can help can be found at www.uwgnh.org.

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