United Way Day of Caring

Santa Barbara

By Erica Rascón on Oct 15, 2013 in Giving, People

Every year, local chapters of United Way host Day of Caring festivals throughout the nation. These celebrations promote the value of volunteerism while shining light on community service programs, civic agencies, and human-interest organizations.

Saturday, September 28th marked Santa Barbara’s 22nd annual United Way Day of Caring. Yardi employees joined forces with more than 1,000 local volunteers of various ages to support 60 nonprofits.

To kick off the festivities, attendees were treated to breakfast at Ben Page Youth Center. The meal was followed by a pep rally including a marching band, dancers, cheerleaders, and morale-boosting speeches by local leadership. K-lite emcees Catherine Remak and Gary Fruin, as well as elected official First District Supervisor Salud Carbajal spoke at the event.

After the pep rally, attendees switched into high gear. Yardi team members focused their efforts on Home Play Learning kits. These packages were invented by the United Way Neighborhood Parent Education Project to help give pre-school age children a jump start on learning. Multimedia tools including story books, craft supplies, and games to develop memory and cognitive skills were combined into handy packages. Each kit also came with a bilingual letter with tips for parents that will guide them in fun ways to use the kits, helping to stimulate children’s learning at home. The packages will be delivered to local low-income families who are enrolled in United Way’s Best Parenting Practices Program.

Other Day of Caring activities allowed volunteers to share their strengths while helping the community in a variety of ways. Some volunteers gathered for a beautification project at Casa Esperanza homeless shelter, improving landscaping on the grounds. Another group of volunteers got down and dirty as well, creating adobe bricks to be used by the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation (image, left). Those with a knack for animals helped to clean up around the Dog Adoption and Welfare Group (DAWG) no-kill shelter. Volunteers worked to provide a clean and safe environment for animals in need. Volunteers were rewarded with a few breaks to entertain the shelters’ furry residents. Additional Day of Caring activities included sorting goods, painting, and general repairs at some of the county’s local establishments.

It’s not too late for you to get involved!  The 17th Annual Red Feather Ball is slated for November 2, 2013. Proceeds from the event benefit United for Literacy’s Reading Plus and Fun in the Sun Programs. More than 30 schools and six after school programs benefit from these initiatives. Sign up to show your support for youth literacy. Visit the United Way Santa Barbara events calendar to find additional upcoming events in your area.

Word on the Street: United Way Day of Caring Santa Barbara Learn more about this exciting event from Yardi employees:

“Three years ago I saw a sign in the break room for the United Way Day of Caring and I signed up.  I had such a fun experience that first year that I’ve looked forward to participating each year since. The Yardi team usually volunteers  to assemble children’s Home Play Learning Kits.  The different kits are so much fun to put together.  It feels great to know that the kits we put together will teach parents how to become more active in their child’s education.”–Beth Dzvonick

“My favorite part of the event was working with co-workers in a different environment and feeling like I was making a positive contribution.” — Robyn Custer

“I decided to participate in the Day of Caring because this is one of the few events that just asks for your time – not a monetary donation.  Each person only has to help for 3 – 4 hours, and collectively we make a big impact! I thought it was fun to be able to talk to other Yardi employees outside of work hours.  You discover things about coworkers that you never knew before!  Also, we made early childhood ‘Learn and Play’ kits.  It’s a good feeling to know we are helping children learn the basics that they will need to know before they enter school. Teresa [the United Way team lead] said that we had done a year’s worth of work!  Once again – a few hours each, a group of people, a big impact!”–Marilyn Hansen

“My favorite part of the event is spending time with colleagues that I don’t work with on a regular basis and getting to know them better while helping the United Way.  It’s such a positive event. One memory from a United Way even that I will cherish in the future is a small world story involving me, Beth D., an apartment building in LA, and a billionaire!”– Christopher Fesenmaier