Centre County embraces ‘Day of Caring’

CENTRE COUNTY — On Thursday, Oct. 6, more than 1,500 volunteers, with shovels, paint brushes and other tools in hand, will spread out across Centre County to volunteer in the United Way’s annual Day of Caring event.

‘We’re all real excited to get going,’ said United Way communications director Megan Evans early this week. ‘The volunteers are itching to get out there and get some work done and the partner agencies are happy to have that little bit of extra help. The Day of Caring is a wonderful tradition in Centre County, and it’s something we’re going to keep going for years to come.’

Each year, on the first Thursday in October, volunteers gather at project sites across the county. These partner agencies must be non-profit organizations, historical sites or municipal parks and properties and are in need of painting, landscaping, clearing trails, installing shelves, planting gardens, cutting down trees and/or general up-keep.

This is the 23rd year for the event here in Centre County. PNC Bank has sponsored the event for all 23 years of the program’s existence.

‘We’re very, very fortunate to have a partner like PNC Bank,’ said Evans. ‘It’s these kinds of special partnerships that make this kind of effort a success. We’ve been successful for each of the last 22 years, and, we’ll be successful again in 2016.’

The United Way also partners with other local businesses. Lowe’s and Home Depot both provide free paint, as well as small work crews, to help with projects in the county. R.H. Marcon Roofing Contractors of State College has donated labor and it supplied the material to replace a roof on a building in the Strawberry Fields residential program.

‘There are just way, way too many people to thank for all this,’ said Evans. ‘It’s remarkable how much people help when it comes to the Day of Caring.’

In all, 96 projects are on the spreadsheet for the event, including work at Kepler Pool in Bellefonte, at the Boal Mansion, at Centre Furnace Mansion and at Millbrook Marsh.

‘I think we have a few less volunteers signed up this year, but we have more projects on our list,’ said Evans.

She said volunteers include Penn State students, staff and athletic teams; teams from local businesses; Bald Eagle, Bellefonte and State College students; and individuals, couples and families.