|
Sheriff David Reynolds
works at the Caring Place
Workers at the Hilltop
Neighborhood Health Center
350 volunteers turn
out for United Way’s Day of Caring
By Charles
M. Bartholomue / Post-Tribune correspondent
June 19, 2004
VALPARAISO
— Porter County United
Way’s first Day of Caring took wing and soared Thursday. Kathy Bonaventura, director of the
United Way’s volunteer center, said the day was a pilot project to
bring local businesses and civic and religious groups together to
help not-for-profit service agencies for the benefit of the
community. Bonaventura said the United Way’s
agencies and affiliates provided a list of projects to be done at
their facilities that was posted on the organization’s Web site.
Businesses and organizations were
then invited to gather volunteers and sign up to do one or more of
the projects. “We’re going to do this every
October now, starting in 2005,” Bonaventura said. Agency president Sharon Kish said
it’s an idea she brought with her when she came to Porter County
three and a half years ago. “We thought we were going to get
maybe 100 volunteers for 10 or 12 projects. I’m pleased to report we
have 350 for more than 30 projects,” said former Valparaiso Mayor
David Butterfield, chairman for the day, at a kickoff continental
breakfast at Jefferson Middle School. “I don’t think this will be just a
one-time connection for businesses,” Butterfield said before heading
out to lead a 14-member team to work at Spring Valley Shelter. Typical of the participants for whom
volunteering was another part of the job was Valparaiso High School
junior-to-be Kaitlyn Cook, 16, who is a member of the school’s Key
Club and the youngest person on the United Way board of directors. “It starts in one area of your life,
and you get more and more involved. It’s fun to see how many
opportunities there are,” said Cook, who gives her time at school,
church and Porter Memorial Hospital. “We couldn’t have asked for a better
day. It’s a great feeling to help,” said Jean Phelps, owner of
Express Personnel Service in Valparaiso, snapping her hedge trimmers
at an evergreen in the courtyard of Opportunity Enterprises. Some projects will come later. “Barile Ford will be teaching our
clients how to change tires and oil and care for their cars next
week,” said Mary Beth Schultz, director of The Caring Place women’s
shelter. “Gettin’ a little sunshine!” said
Porter County Jail worker inmate Charles Henderson of Portage as he
and five other prisoner volunteers put flowers from Samuelson’s
Nursery in front of Hilltop Neighborhood Health Center. Next door, six volunteers from
Century 21 Alliance Realty painted the walls of Hilltop’s child-care
building. A dozen members of a Hilltop youth
group were treated to a day of mini-golf, go-karts and pizza at Zao
Island by American Express financial advisers. “We try to do something in the
community at least once a month,” said Tom Calkusic, leader of the
four-person team. ISG, a leading United Way supporter,
sent a 20-member team from United Steelworkers Local 6787 that split
into two crews to do landscaping, painting and odd jobs for clients
of Housing Opportunities at their Portage apartments. Day of Caring sponsors listed by
United Way president Sharon Kish were Centier Bank, First National
Bank of Valparaiso, Harley Snyder, Porter Memorial Hospital, The
Post-Tribune and Speedway. |
