Businesses support organizations through United Way’s Celebration of Caring

First Financial Bank employees pose for a photo outside of the Hope Landing barn during United Way's Celebration of Caring Oct. 10, 2019.
First Financial Bank employees pose for a photo outside of the Hope Landing barn during United Way's Celebration of Caring Oct. 10, 2019.

Employees from eight businesses volunteered to help seven agencies as part of Union County United Way’s Celebration of Caring Thursday.

The United Way of Union County holds the Celebration of Caring in October, as opposed to in June — when the national United Way Day of Caring is typically held — said executive director of United Way Alexis Alexander.

That’s because, here in South Central Arkansas, it’s pretty warm. Volunteers travel to local agencies to paint, clean, fix and give nonprofits the extra hands they need to complete projects.

“This gives [volunteers] an opportunity to see first-hand our agencies and see how the donated dollar is used,” Alexander said.

In the morning, Simmons and Murphy Oil employees helped organize storage and paint dugouts at the Boys & Girls Club, Lanxess organized BINGO and served lunch at Community Living Arrangements, SouthernBancorp reorganized a storage area at South Arkansas Fights AIDS and El Dorado Chemical helped spray paint kettle signs and stands at the Salvation Army.

After a lunch break at Hope Landing, First Financial Bank pressure-washed the barn and arena at Hope Landing, AmerCable did yard work at the Boy Scouts of America downtown office, and Clean Harbors cleaned and reorganized the storage room at the Camp Fire office.

Kaytrena Chambers and Charlotte Armour, employees with Clean Harbors, said this was their first time volunteering with United Way for the Celebration of Caring.

“I like to give back to the community,” Chambers said. “When I lived in Dallas, I used to work for Mercedes-Benz, and we did a lot of volunteer work for Habitat (for Humanity). It brought me back. I’m home, I can do the same thing — volunteer my service and give back to my community.”

Armour said she was happy to be out at Hope Landing and that the project is close to her heart. She said her 3-year-old daughter is deaf, so it meant a lot to see children with disabilities benefit from United Way and the money her company raises.

Alexander said Union County’s United Way is unique in that there is an endowment fund used to pay administrative fees, so all of the money raised in the county stays in the county.

She said it’s apparent how much the community cares about each by the amount of money raised each year, but it’s heartwarming to see people volunteer in-person.

“When people take time out of their day, businesses allow their employees to take off work and come out and do these sort of things… it’s really heartwarming and makes you feel good that people will take their time to help others,” Alexander said.

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