Day of Action: Who changes the world? Volunteers!
On May 18, our United Way maximized the caring spirit of our community by activating more than 300 local volunteers at more than 20 locations across Cass and Clay counties during our United Way Day of Action. Together, volunteers worked to complete essential projects, raise awareness around community issues that impact us all, and helped our neighbors in need.
All of this caring spirit really adds up! According to the 2023 Value of Volunteer Time Report by Independent Sector, the current estimated national value of a volunteer hour is $31.80. The more than 300 volunteers completed more than 1,245 hours of volunteer time which equates to a value of $39,591 for our community during United Way Day of Action. That’s the power of community, realized.
Watch video of the volunteers in action on this story that aired on KVRR.
Volunteer projects include much-needed tasks at United Way Community Partners, local nonprofit organizations, and more. The volunteers worked together on a variety of tasks including outdoor planting, facility cleaning, donation sorting, building and painting projects, food packaging, and more.
For example, a team of volunteers from John Deere, Ihry Insurance Agency, Inc., and U.S. Bank worked together to help clean and beautify the Fargo Rose Creek location of the Boys & Girls Club of the Red River Valley. Thanks to this team of hard-working and generous volunteers, children and students will have cleaner and more beautiful space when they arrive for their first day of childcare this summer after school gets out.
Another team of volunteers from Western State Bank, Border States, Heartland Trust, Bell Bank, and more packed hundreds of pounds of onions at the Great Plains Food Bank. The food will be distributed to local food pantries to get into the hands of families and children in need.
During the spring especially, there are so many indoor and outdoor projects local nonprofits need help with, and our United Way volunteers were so eager and happy to assist! A small group of volunteers from Red River Commodities and Rockwell Automation helped the team at New Life Center with much-needed cleaning projects including cleaning the homeless shelter where each night men in our community have a safe place to sleep.
More than 50 volunteers planted wildflowers to help beautify the parks and provide crucial wildflower and pollinator habitat in partnership with the Fargo Park District and a group of volunteers also helped to inventory the warehouse full of donations at Furniture Mission of the Red River Valley which re-gifts furniture donations to people coming out of crisis.
United Way Day of Action was hosted by the United Way Lead UNITED network which provides unique volunteer and leadership development experiences that activate and elevate your connections, skills, and our community. Anyone in our community is invited to become a part of the Lead UNITED network. Learn more and give here. Stay tuned as we make plans for the 2024 Day of Action!