Day of Caring in its seventh year

By TOM KANE

MILFORD, PA - Volunteers will assemble again this year for the Seventh Annual Day of Caring sponsored by the United Way of Pike County.

The day begins at 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, September 8 at the Delaware Valley Elementary School at the Delaware Valley School campus on Route 6.

“Last year, we had about 200 volunteers,” said Kaitlin Albrecht, an Americorp-Vista worker who is working for United Way. “We are hoping for more this year.”

The volunteers will receive breakfast at the school, be given a T-shirt and then bussed out to their assignments to about 20 human service and non-profit agencies who would like help.

“The volunteers do things like painting walls or fences, doing clerical work, helping with tasks that have to be done,” Albrecht said. “Many of the agencies don’t have enough funding to do everything they want, so the volunteers assist them.”

Most of the volunteers are middle school and high school students.

“We have a number of elderly retired people who volunteer,” she said.

In preparation for the day, United Way staff made a presentation to the 50+ Club at Hemlock Farms, a private gated community located in Lord’s Valley.

“We expect to get a number of those folks to join us,” she said.

“This day is a way to give back something to the agencies that do a lot of good in the county,” said Pike County Commissioner Rich Caridi. “It’s a way to say thank you.”

Young people often get a bad rap from the public, he said. “These are really good kids that our community should be proud of. They don’t get recognized.”

“We are looking for more agencies and non-profit groups to participate,” said Michael Donlon, a United Way volunteer who also works with Habitat for Humanity. “This thing is growing every year. We need to show that our community cares. If anyone wants to know more about it, call the United Way at 570/296-9980.”