Acts of service

A weeklong volunteer project starts Monday and culminates with a blitz of service work Saturday.

The Saturday blitz is the culmination of United Way Days of Caring Week, which encourages people to be more active in the community. The week is designed to promote volunteerism, the third leg of the United Way's call to action -- "Give, Advocate, Volunteer."

Three agencies funded by the United Way of Southeast Missouri will be coordinating a blitz of hundreds of volunteer workers who tackle a range of community projects. Officials of the coordinating agencies are hoping for a touchdown in terms of results.

Eva Hillis, executive director of Love INC (In the Name of Christ), said her faith-based organization will likely coordinate 1,500 to 2,000 volunteers representing more than 20 area churches for Saturday's blitz.

"The goal is to get as many churches involved as possible," Hillis said.

Jessie Vavak paints Tara Vokerding's face her face during the 2007 Service Blitz.

Hillis described Love INC as an organization that connects volunteers with people and agencies that need help.

"There are Christians who want to do more," Hillis said, "but they just don't know how to get paired up with someone who needs help."

Hillis pointed out that Love INCs mission isn't about giving people in need a handout.

"We're about showing Christ's love in practical ways," Hillis said. "We try to help people become self-sufficient and independent.

"Some volunteers do minor household repairs. Others bake. Still others teach financial concepts like budgeting."

Tina Dohogne, who serves as executive director of both Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and the Volunteer Intergenerational Center (VIC), said those organizations will also coordinate a volunteer force Saturday. Dohogne said nearly 1,000 volunteers work with the two programs.

VIC, which like RSVP is operated under the Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging, is for those who haven't reached the age of 55. The programs serve both Cape Girardeau and Scott counties.

"This is a way for us to tap into the pool of younger volunteers," Dohogne said about VIC.

Dohogne said the senior volunteers of RSVP tend to volunteer more hours than their counterparts with VIC because many are retired.

"With the VIC program, people come and go a lot," Dohogne said, adding that many of the volunteers are students or those who relocate after being in the area for a brief time.

Some of the organizations benefiting from Saturday's volunteer blitz are the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Safe House for Women, Lutheran Family Children's Services, the Southeast Missouri Food Bank and Mississippi Valley Therapeutic Horsemanship.

RSVP and VIC volunteers will be involved in a variety of projects in Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area.

According to the organization's website, some workers are needed to help paint and lay new carpet at the Safe House for Women, while others are needed to help with a food drive to support the Southeast Missouri Food Bank.

The Salvation Army is looking for 50 volunteers to help with its Meals with Friends Program, which serves a free hot meal to any who needs it Monday through Friday evenings. Habitat for Humanity will need 60 workers to help with the three homes they have in progress during the week, as well as nine others to help out at their ReStore.

Volunteers who want to help with these and other RSVP and VIC projects can call 335-7555. For specifics about Days of Caring project information, visit their website at www.vicrsvp.org and then click on the United Way logo.