By Jessica Mathews/News@whmi.com


Livingston County United Way officials say the 19th annual Day of Caring is undergoing some exciting changes.

For the first time, the one-day community service event will be held in June this year. As school calendars have moved start dates earlier in August, the event date has been moved to Wednesday, June 17th to allow community volunteers the opportunity to participate prior to the start of the busy summer travel season. In addition to the new event date, a new online platform is in place that will allow volunteers to select the work projects that best meet their skill set and comfort levels. Worksite proposals are collected from local residents, seniors, schools, disabled residents and non-profit agencies. Work is often minor household repair projects, as well as cleaning and yardwork projects that the homeowner is not able to do on their own. Anyone can recommend a worksite and are encouraged to apply for a neighbor or friend who needs extra help. All proposed worksites are reviewed and must be approved by the Livingston County United Way Day of Caring Evaluation team.

Last year’s event brought together over 1,201 volunteers, to accomplish a total of 110 projects. Projects included assisting senior citizens with home related repairs and improvements, building wheelchair ramps, helping support the efforts of 62 non-profit agencies and schools, collecting school supplies and distributing 1,100 school backpacks, as well as participating in local food and personal care drives.

Volunteer registrations and project requests may be submitted online through May 15th. Volunteers may register individually or as a group, company, club or organization are invited to participate. High school students are encouraged to enter the Citizens Insurance Day of Caring Youth Challenge in which clubs or teams from area high schools can win up to $1,000 for their group simply by participating. Additional information is available online through the link. Specific questions may be directed to Day of Caring Coordinator Diane Duncan who may be reached by phone at 810-494-3000 or via email at lcdayofcaring@gmail.com.