WEEK OF CARING: United Way seeks volunteers to tackle community projects

Published 6:00 am Wednesday, September 13, 2017

For the past 19 years, the United Way of Athens-Limestone County has asked residents to give back to their community as part of the annual Week of Caring.

This month, the organization is again issuing the call to donate supplies, services and elbow grease to assist a variety of nonprofit organizations. The 20th annual Week of Caring kicks off Thursday and runs through Friday, Sept. 22.

Last year, more than 450 volunteers worked on community projects. This year’s goal is to simply adopt out all projects.

All volunteers will be invited to the Day of Caring luncheon set for Friday, Sept. 22, and will receive a free Day of Caring T-shirt. The deadline to adopt a project is noon Monday, Sept. 18. To sign up for a project, call 256-233-2323.

The projects are a mix of hands-on projects and in-house shower needs for organizations. Others are simply a request for services. To sign up for a project, call 256-233-2323.

The projects are as follows:

• American Red Cross home fire campaign: 10 to 20 volunteers needed to install or replace batteries;

• Athens Arts League and Boy Scouts of North Alabama: Work at the Scout House on Washington Street (five volunteers);

• Athens City Schools Creative Exchange: Landscape and streetscape on grounds of the Limestone County Archives. Create raised beds of mulched plants and restore antique railroad freight cart. (Must be able to lift 50 pounds);

• Ardmore Boys and Girls Club: Supply shower;

• Athens Boys and Girls Club: Paint playground equipment (10 volunteers);

• Athens Group Home: Trimming shrubs and landscaping (four to five volunteers);

• Athens Group Home: Pressure washing front porch (four to five volunteers);

• Athens-Limestone Counseling Center: Weed/clean flower beds and mulch (four to five volunteers);

• Athens Limestone Counseling Center: Wash buses (four to five volunteers);

• Birdie Thornton Center: Remove cane, trim bushes, weed flowerbeds (four to six volunteers);

• Birdie Thornton Center: Janitorial supply shower;

• Crisis Services of North Alabama: Paper and school supply shower;

• Family Resource Center: Paint conference room and two bathrooms (must have painting skills; four volunteers needed);

• Family Resource Center: Need dark green commercial rug for entryway (69 feet-by-43 feet);

• Family Resource Center: New carpet for all or part of the center (must have carpet measuring and installation skills; four to five volunteers needed);

• Girl Scouts of North Central Alabama: Collecting items for veterans and providing cookies and toiletry items for homeless vets and those in local hospitals;

• Girl Scouts of North Central Alabama: Provide items for supply kits for troops in Limestone County and surrounding areas (volunteers should have ability to copy, staple, file and organize putting kits together);

• Hospice of Limestone County: In-house shower for patient items and office items;

• Hospice of Limestone County: Need 25 conference room chairs:

• Learn to Read: Need carpets cleaned (three to four volunteers);

• Learn to Read: In-house supply shower;

• Limestone County 4-H: Build seating for youth at Limestone County Extension office (must have woodworking experience; three to four volunteers needed);

• Limestone County 4-H: Need food demonstration table with mirror for cooking/preserving demonstrations;

• Limestone County 4-H: Need tabletop or portable sewing machines for sewing club projects (should be new or used in good working order);

• Salvation Army: Cleaning inside and outside, including vacuuming carpet and cleaning windows and fixtures. Outside of building also needs cleaning (six to eight volunteers needed);

• United Way of Athens-Limestone County: Trim shrubbery around building and remove vines growing in shrubs (four volunteers needed);

• United Way of Athens-Limestone County: Paint trim on outside of building above windows (volunteers should have painting skills; two volunteers needed);

• United Way of Athens Limestone County: Donate and install awning above side entrance to building (three volunteers needed); and

• United Way of Athens Limestone County: Replace light bulbs inside building (must be able to climb ladder; two volunteers needed).