Shape Up Cape joins effort to promote volunteerism

For the past three months, Cape Girardeau business people have been walking, running, swimming and exercising after points to push their Shape Up Cape teams into the lead. Now those teams can add two new point-earning activities during the program's final week: helping and volunteering.

Due to a convenient overlap in scheduling, the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce decided to integrate the last week of Shape Up Cape with Days of Caring, a program that encourages area businesses to promote volunteerism among their employees. As a result, Shape Up Cape participants who help community organizations with volunteer projects between Sept. 20 and Sept. 25 can each earn a daily 25 bonus points to help in their teams' push for first place.

According to the United Way's director, Nancy Jernigan, one of the problems facing Days of Caring is availability of volunteers during the work week. Most community organizations are not open after hours or on the weekends, and even people who want to volunteer find it difficult to take time off work. Jernigan said this joint campaign will encourage businesses to give their employees time to volunteer.

United Way coordinator of Days of Caring Marla Mills said a few area businesses have already expressed interest and signed up for Days of Caring that have never done so in previous years.

Any team, team member or business interested in signing up can call either the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce at 335-3312 or Mills at the United Way of Southeast Missouri at 334-9634.

trehagen@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137