More than 1,000 central WV volunteers 'pay it forward' for 20th Day of Caring

Two decades of service

For two decades, Day of Caring has brought together companies, employees and community members to tackle projects that nonprofits often can’t afford or don’t have time to complete. Many employers continue to support the tradition by allowing their workers to take the day off to lend their skills to local causes.

Margaret O’Neal, president of United Way Central West Virginia, said the projects range from simple fixes to large-scale improvements, including a paint job at the United Way's ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä office.

“We have one little crappy room that we would never paint or get to, and that’s really the spirit of Day of Caring,� she said. “Nonprofits don’t always take the time or the money to do some of the things that need done in their facility or in their building. Folks can go in, build shelves, paint ... do all the things that some of the folks just don’t have time to do or can’t afford to do, and they do it with a great love and passion.�

O’Neal, who celebrated her ninth Day of Caring with United Way on Wednesday, said the annual event often sparks ongoing relationships between businesses and nonprofits. Some volunteers even go on to serve as board members or regular volunteers.

She recalled one project at the Kanawha Valley Fellowship Home, on ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä's East End, where an Encova team repainted the family room. After noticing the furniture was worn, the company later returned at Christmas to replace it all.

“It’s just a great marriage between our business community and our nonprofit community,� O’Neal said. “What makes Day of Caring truly remarkable is not just the number of volunteers or hours served. It’s the sense of connection and commitment it creates.�

On the ground in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä

On ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä’s West Side Wednesday morning, volunteers joined forces with the Religious Coalition for Community Renewal, a nonprofit focused on affordable housing and single-family home development.

This year, the group is renovating a foreclosed home — replacing the roof, windows and siding, along with landscaping and upgrading the plumbing and electrical systems. The project is a collaboration with Rebuilding Together ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä.

Wednesday's Day of Caring volunteer hours from the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Police Department’s hybrid unit completed outdoor tasks around the property before returning to police work that afternoon.

Kevin Jones, RCCR’s executive director, said the home will be sold through the Home Blend program, which offers a 35% down payment assistance to potential homebuyers earning 80% of the area median income.

By bringing in Day of Caring volunteers, Jones said, RCCR saves money and deepens community investment in their mission.

“What we try to do is to partner with them to basically stretch our dollars a little bit further to maximize our impact in the community,� he said. “And you can’t turn down the assistance for the day.�

By mid-morning, four CPD volunteers worked alongside RCCR staff on the home, located in the 1000 block of Grant Street. Among them was Cpl. Adam Lindell, a 12-year veteran of the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Police Department and a recent addition to the hybrid unit, which focuses on community events and mental health outreach.

For Lindell, the day’s work was about more than landscaping around a house. He recognized the impact his work will have on the community to improve local affordable housing options.

“I think it’s important to the community that the police are involved,� said Lindell, a 12-year department veteran. “We’re trying to not only clean up the community by getting criminal law straight, but also helping people who need help with simple things like this that we take for granted.�

Lindell called the effort “a stepping stone� for the West Side, adding that community service is part of his philosophy of “paying it forward.�

“If someone needs our help, we’re going to help,� he said. “If you’re blessed somehow — financially, spiritually, whatever — I think you should pay it forward. Good things come back to you when you do, and people learn from you. Hopefully then they push it forward too.�