Community partners Rock the Block during Day of Action
I spent last weekend at my fourth annual Day of Action, a “volunteer blitz,” with two of our wonderful charitable partners, Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County and The Daily Bread of Lenawee. The weather was spectacular, the volunteers were terrific and the service recipients were grateful.
Since 2010, this community has held a “Day of Action” as per the National United Way volunteer movement. Typically held in June across the nation, the Day of Action provides for and highlights opportunities for local community members to volunteer for local nonprofit organizations. However, the past four years we have held our local Day of Action in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity’s Rock the Block neighborhood revitalization project, held in September each year.
Each year we also offer Day of Action volunteer activities at The Daily Bread. Once again, Daily Bread Executive Director Pamela Byrnes graciously welcomed volunteers from XSell Realty who spent their fourth Day of Action helping with the day’s lunch provisions. They were busy serving pork chops with locally picked fresh ears of corn and greeting lunch customers. It is readily apparent the The Daily Bread is an important hub of social activity as well as meal provisions. The XSell volunteers enjoy the time spent in this important hospitable institution. Pam welcomes all to stop for lunch served Monday through Saturday, and more volunteers are needed, too. They also offer pantry packs and personal care packs.
The Habitat for Humanity Rock the Block offers a lot of goodwill as well. Working with Habitat for Humanity’s volunteer coordinator, Jennifer Bush, the United Way helped to recruit about half of 70 volunteers who helped this second year in the Onsted community. Nine selected homes in the downtown area surrounding the Bank Michigan neighborhood were targeted for improvements. Activities included landscaping, porch replacements, shutters/trim painting, power washing, and overall cleanup. Habitat Executive Director Wendy Knox, construction manager Doug Straub and the Habitat Team did another great job coordinating the day and a half activity. The volunteer teams from Citizens Gas Fuel Co., District Court Probation/Sobriety Court, Rollin United Methodist Church, Premier Bank, Hospice of Lenawee, local Onsted residents and other skilled Habitat volunteers once again did excellent work. Local resident Steve Muth once again served a grilled hamburger and hot dog lunch to all participants. United Way volunteers Jeff DiCenzo, Olivia Nickelson and Shannon Engberson all helped me provide the continental breakfast and snacks for each day. Thanks to all who contributed to the wondrous day!
Each year I look forward to participating in the work of Rock the Block. The beautiful weather made the Onsted area even more appealing. I love walking around with my friend Carrie Hartley, Habitat’s marketing and development director, to tour the projects, check on the volunteers, take photos and marvel again at the transformation of neighborhoods. One house was green with a lot of mold growing on the white siding along with overgrown bushes that hid the enclosed front porch. The volunteers power washed the house and removed the overgrown bushes in the front. The white house now sparkles with a much more attractive character among the surrounding homes. I love looking down the streets abuzz with activity, listening to the humming of power tools and the overall excitement of doing good work.
Carrie and I navigated a little further north of town to the Ad Lib coffee and ice cream shop to call into Doug Spade’s “Talk Back” radio show.
Thank you to all the groups who participated in Day of Action and to our community partners, Habitat for Humanity and The Daily Bread. It was another memorable day of seeing community members giving of themselves so others can benefit from their Day of Actions. The joy is contagious; please consider doing your own Day of Action for others. See our social media pages for photo records of our Day of Action activities this year.
For more information about the joining us in new ways to live united, please contact us. Call us at 517-264-6821, email lpipis@unitedwaymlc.org, visit us at 136 E. Maumee St., Suite 15, Adrian, MI 49221 or visit our website at www.unitedwaymlc.org. Visit our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok social media platforms, too!
Laura Schultz Pipis is the executive director of the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: United Way: Community partners Rock the Block during Day of Action
