The rain couldn’t stop nearly 500 volunteers across Caddo and Bossier Parishes from pulling together and helping nonprofits community-wide on Friday.
United Way of Northwest Louisiana’s annual Day of Caring provided dozens of nonprofits in need, with eager volunteers. This single-day, community-wide event involved nearly 500 volunteers that helped fulfill a need at 30 local nonprofits.
The event kicked off with a breakfast rally at the Horseshoe Bossier City Riverdome. From there, volunteers were dismissed to their project sites from Keithville to Benton and everywhere in between. The rest of the afternoon would be spent completing much needed projects.
United Way Day of Caring helps connect teams of local businesses with nonprofits in need of assistance. These are projects the nonprofit may not have the resources, manpower or time to complete while handling their daily operations.
“Despite all the last-minute weather changes we had to make this year, this was still a very successful Day of Caring. So many nonprofits were grateful for the extra help they received today. It saves them the money and time they didn’t have to dedicate to these projects,” said Tabitha Trewolla, Volunteer Coordinator for United Way NWLA. “It’s a great feeling to see hundreds of people get excited about not only volunteering, but also learning about the good work our local nonprofits work toward every day.”
The largest group to donate their time this year was AEP SWEPCO who had a total 63 volunteers from all over the region. Each year, Day of Caring offers a competitive edge. Teams get to compete for the spirit award by showing their enthusiasm and good efforts online. Many dress in costume to stand out from the crowd. The most spirited team award went to Bossier Parish Libraries.
Day of Caring is dedicated to encouraging year-round volunteerism throughout the community. Trewolla says too frequently, volunteering is only of during the holiday season but depending on the nonprofit, volunteers are needed year-round.
