Hundreds to take part in service blitz

More than 900 volunteers clad in yellow T-shirts will converge at 7:15 a.m. today to take part in almost 80 different volunteer projects around the Cape Girardeau area.

The outreach project, organized by Rick Warren of La Croix Church, is known as "40 Days of Community." Members of the church have been preparing for the event for about two months, and have enlisted the help of other area churches and individuals interested in lending a hand.

Participants in the project, organized into groups from two to 40 members, will take part in service projects in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Perryville, Mo., Chaffee, Mo., and the surrounding areas. The teams have each been matched with a project that will take advantage of their skills, a process made easier through a list of people and agencies in need provided by the United Way, which holds a similar event annually, "United Way Days of Caring."

After starting with a prayer at LaCroix Church, volunteers and church members will go out into the communities where they are needed. Projects are scheduled to take anywhere from two hours to the entire day.

"People who have needs want people to help them," said Greg Stroup, La Croix Church mission team leader.

Activities include grounds beautification at the Missouri Veterans Home, winterization of homes and offering prayers for elected officials at Freedom Corner. The projects are intended to demonstrate the idea that individuals cannot complete all tasks, and that people are better together. According to Stroup, the projects are also geared toward "encouraging agencies that help the community all year long and giving people the chance to experience the joy of service." He said that in many cases, the workers may get more out of the experience than the recipients of the service.

Some projects don't require supplies, skills or physical labor -- like cleaning eyeglasses at a nursing home or socializing with residents -- while others call for hanging drywall, heavy lifting or repairing an HVAC system.

"This was not intended as a recruiting tool for people to come to our church," Stroup said. Instead, the hope is to encourage the community to continue the work through other groups already in place.

Warren hopes the work that the project will become contagious, encouraging others to continue the work both in the area and across the country.

cpagano@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 133