United Way Evanston Day of Caring is September 19

Submitted by the City of Evanston

Community members are invited to join the fun while helping various organizations throughout the city as part of the second annual United Way Evanston Day of Caring volunteer event on Saturday, September 19, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, or until projects are completed. Last year, more than 200 volunteers came together to give back to the Evanston community.

Volunteers of all ages are encouraged to sign up for one of the many projects available that day to assist our community and Evanston organizations, such as District 65, Family Focus, YWCA Evanston/North Shore, PEER Services, Childcare Network of Evanston, Infant Welfare Society of Evanston, Evanston Public Library, and the City of Evanston. Available volunteer opportunities include donation sorting, painting, letter writing, City-wide park cleanup and more! To view the list of projects and register, visit VolunteerEvanston.org. The goal for this year’s event is to bring together 300 volunteers across the 22 volunteer sites.

Volunteers will be provided with a FREE goodie bag including a reusable water bottle, t-shirt and more! On Wednesday, September 16, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., bags may be picked up from the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave., Room 4802.

Extra bags will also be provided at each volunteer site on the day of the event for those who cannot pick them up beforehand. Please note: One bag will be distributed per volunteer.

Following the event, all participants are invited to attend the post event celebration, from noon to 2 p.m., to enjoy free food and beverages on the Walker Terrace at Northwestern University’s Ryan Field, located at 1501 Central St. Community leaders, including Evanston Mayor Pro Tem and 7th Ward Alderperson Jane Grover and Sheila Merry, Executive Director of Evanston Cradle to Career, part of United Way’s Neighborhood Network Initiative, will be in attendance to thank the volunteers for their commitment to the community. During the event, volunteers will also be given the opportunity to take a fun group photo! All volunteers must RSVP for the post celebration event at the time they register for their project.

To help document the day’s volunteer efforts, participants are encouraged to tweet updates and photos throughout the event using #EvanstonDOC. For more information about the Evanston Day of Caring event, please contact Community Engagement Specialist Charliese Agnew at 847-859-7833 or visit cityofevanston.org/dayofcaring.

The United Way Evanston Day of Caring event is co-sponsored by the City of Evanston, Northwestern University, Rotary International, NorthShore University HealthSystem, and First Bank & Trust.