UNITED WAY DAY OF CARING®

Ajax-Pickering-Uxbridge – United Way of Ajax-Pickering-Uxbridge is having their first community wide Day of Caring® on October 19th. It’s a hands-on initiative that connects volunteers from businesses, corporations, union groups and donors with non-profit organizations in their community to complete various projects for local community agencies that may not otherwise be done without their support.

       “Day of Caring® is a great way for organizations to give back to the community through non-monetary means,” said Edna Klazek, Executive Director of United Way Ajax-Pickering-Uxbridge.

       Volunteers from local workplaces are given time off by their employers to spend the day working on projects under the supervision of agency staff or volunteers. There are currently twenty-one confirmed projects for Day of Caring ®. The projects include tasks such as: interior/exterior painting, furnace cleaning, a clothing giveaway, building benches, staining a deck, levelling a play yard, replacing flooring, fall cleanup, classes for nutrition, event planning/organization, and training on computer programs such as Microsoft Word and Excel.

       The Home Depot will begin the first Day of Caring® project on September 30th with interior painting. Certified Heating and Air Conditioning will also fulfill their Day of Caring® project prior to the day of, on October 1st, with one of two fall furnace cleanings. Community Living of Ajax-Pickering-Whitby will have a deck stained on October 17th. Durham Family Network – Durham Association for Family Respite Services will have their volunteer hostesses working Day of Caring® night.

       On October 19th participants of Day of Caring® include organizations to do the physical labour such as: Bank of Nova Scotia, Barbara M. Lorne - Perceptions Consultants, City of Pickering, Hepcoe Credit Union, MeadWestvaco, Miller Waste Systems, Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation District 13, Pickering Rotary Club, Royal Bank, Rotary Club of Durham, Social Services Department – Region of Durham, Town of Ajax, Township of Uxbridge, Uxbridge Rotary Club, Zeal Enterprises, and several individual volunteers.

       Companies donating supplies include: the Home Depot, MeadWestvaco, Millwork Home Centre, Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation, Pittsburg Paint & Glass and the Town of Ajax, to name a few. Sponsorship is provided by Ontario Power Generation and Veridian.

       The other agencies receiving service are Community Development Council of Durham, Central Seven, Community Living Ajax-Pickering-Whitby, Durham Family Network – Durham Association for Family Respite Services, Durham Region Unemployment Help Centre, Family and Community Action Program, Precious Minds, P.R.Y.D.E. Learning Centres Inc., the Salvation Army, Schoolhouse Playcare Centres, The Youth Centre, and Women’s Multicultural Resource and Counselling Centre of Durham.

       Rain-dates will be scheduled for those projects performed outside. All organizations and agencies listed are only those confirmed to date, there are more participants pending confirmation.

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For further information, please contact:
Jaime Scanlan
Communications Coordinator
905-686-0606 or JScanlan@uwayapu.org