DAYS OF CARING BRINGS VOLUNTEERS OUT TO HELP

Eighth grader Laci Poole's arms weren't long enough to reach some high spots on the wall with her paint roller, so she tried jumping up and down to get the streaks of paint higher.

Most likely this isn't the technique a professional painter would have chosen. But what Poole and her classmates from Trinity Lutheran School lacked in experience, they made up for with enthusiasm as they tackled the job of sprucing up the offices of Lutheran Family and Children's Services.

This was one of the 20 projects undertaken during the fifth annual Days of Caring, a United Way effort to pair volunteers with community-service agencies. Volunteers were working on 13 projects at 10 agencies on Friday. Work sessions at three more agencies are planned for today and three projects were previously completed.

Bill Unzicker, principal of Trinity Lutheran School, said he saw a natural connection between the Lutheran school and the Lutheran agency when he looked over the list of projects agencies has submitted for Days of Caring. He said he wanted to involve students so they would have the opportunity to do something for others.

"With all the blessings we have, it's good to give something back," Unzicker said.

And with this project, which included planting flowers in front of the building, the students can feel good about participating every time they drive by, Unzicker said.

"I was shocked they would let us paint," Poole said as she helped paint the lobby of Lutheran Family and Children's Services.

But Laura Hulcy, director of the agency that offers counseling and child welfare services, said she was glad to have the help.

"Our agency is so busy with the programs that we run that there's not enough hours in the day to do all the upkeep, too," Hulcy said. Rather than paying for the work to be done with funds the agency would rather spend on clients, Days of Caring offers a chance to have volunteers help with projects.

Several agencies requested help with fix-up projects. On Friday Gamma Phi Beta sorority took on a clean-up project at Girl Scouts Otahki Council's Camp Sacajawea and volunteers from Zimmer Radio Group organized the Salvation Army's thrift store. On Saturday, Lone Star will help install a handicap-accessible ramp at Easter Seals and Lambda Chi Alpha wil put the finishing touches on a Habitat for Humanity house.

"Most agencies are short on staff and they already rely on their volunteers for so much, they don't want to tax them further by asking them to do fix-up projects," said Kathy Patterson, assistant director of the United Way. Days of Caring allows these agencies to accomplish special projects and, at the same time, broaden their base of volunteers.

A conference room at the Girl Scout Otahki Council office was filled with new volunteers on Friday. They were busy placing mailing labels on 3,000 Council newsletters that need to be sent out.

About a dozen boys from the Girardeau Center were working under the guidance of Lee Ware to meet community service hours.

Across the room was Kim Weller who was looking for volunteer opportunities after moving back to Cape Girardeau from Oregon. Weller was in Girl Scouts here as a child and wanted to do something for the organization she loved as a girl.

"I think people who are able should give something back to the community when they can," said Weller, who is in AmeriCorps VISTA.

Once volunteers see first-hand what agencies do, they often want to do more, Patterson said.

Such was the case with Gamma Phi Beta, the sorority that helped with the clean-up at Camp Sacajawea on Friday, Hinkebein said.

"They began volunteering for projects, but once they saw what we did and the needs we had, they began supporting us financially," she said.

Not all Days of Caring pairings were for special projects. Some agencies asked for volunteers to help with regular programs. On Friday, volunteers from the Jackson Chamber of Commerce delivered meals for the Jackson Senior Center and Sigma Phi Epsilon members did the same at the Cape Senior Center. Volunteers from the Division of Youth Services sacked groceries for the food pantry at Jackson Ministerial Alliance and those from Sylvan Learning Center organized clothing and school supplies for the Jackson R-2 Children's Fund.

At Hoover Eldercare, Bill Gilmore of Radio Information Service in Carbondale, Ill., was interacting with the 11 women participating in activities on Friday. He clapped and cheered his teammates when he joined a group of women in a darts competition.

"I enjoy interacting with the elderly," Gilmore said of his choice of the senior agency for Days of Caring. "The participants seem to like me being here, and it helps those leading the activities."

Days of Caring is held during the United Way fund-raising campaign and it does draw attention to efforts to increase donations.

Days of Caring offers several benefits for the agencies involved, said Nancy Jernigan, executive director of the United Way. It increases awareness of what the agency does, it helps them accomplish the project they choose to do during Days of Caring, and it often results in a long-term relationship with volunteers.

"In many cases, the agency and the volunteers make a connection and the volunteers keep coming back," Jernigan said.

That connection seemed to be taking hold for many of the Trinity Lutheran School students helping with the painting at Lutheran Family and Children's Services.

"This is my first time to volunteer for a big project like this," said eight-grader Jaimie Lynn. "But I think I'll do it again."