Holy Cross baseball team takes the field for United Way's Day of Caring

Veer Mudambi, Worcester Telegram & Gazette
·2 min read
WORCESTER - UMass Chan Medical School employee Margarita Clarke of Auburn helps paint a hallway during the United Way of Central Massachusetts 30th Annual Day of Caring on Friday.
WORCESTER - UMass Chan Medical School employee Margarita Clarke of Auburn helps paint a hallway during the United Way of Central Massachusetts 30th Annual Day of Caring on Friday.

WORCESTER -  The College of the Holy Cross baseball team hit it out of the park cleaning the Belmont A.M.E Zion Church on Friday.

Working on a second-floor worship space, the students, alongside employees from Imperial Distributors, were participating in the 30th Day of Caring of the United Way of Central Masachusetts.

“This is a big space,” said the Rev. George Kelley Jr. The church has two cleaners come in periodically, he said. “Working at three hour intervals, they can do it in about a week. (United Way) did it in three hours.”

For the Day of Caring, corporate partners of United Way send volunteers to help nonprofits, providing much needed manpower for a variety of projects. This year, 850 volunteers participated in more than 70 projects.

About 10 volunteers each came from the Holy Cross baseball team and Imperial Distributors for the church clean-up.

Naomi Sleeper, vice president of Imperial and a board member of United Way, sees the Day of Caring as a good way to get employees out of the office and connecting with the wider community.

“The best part about the day is getting a large group of people together and taking time off from work to support the community,” she said. “There are a lot of different jobs and things to be done.” Jobs that wouldn’t be done as effectively otherwise without the added volunteer help.

“Every church needs a thorough cleaning at least once a year,” said Pastor Clyde Talley. “We got a lot of seasoned members and they can’t do the kind of work that the younger folk from United Way can. It’s a big help to us.”

For college students coming from all over the country, participating in volunteer projects provides an opportunity to foster a deeper connection with the city around their school.

“I’m from Ohio, so I’m almost always on campus," said Holy Cross sophomore Will Harding. “Volunteering is a way to get around Massachusetts and Worcester and see new places I don’t normally see.”

“It makes you feel a part of Worcester,” agreed his teammate, sophomore Ralph Gariano. “I’m not from here but I feel even closer to the city now.”

Holy Cross senior Jack Ambrosino sweeps a doorway at Belmont A.M.E. Zion Church, part of the annual Day of Caring in Worcester.
Holy Cross senior Jack Ambrosino sweeps a doorway at Belmont A.M.E. Zion Church, part of the annual Day of Caring in Worcester.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Holy Cross baseball team takes the field for United Way's Day of Caring