Volunteers unleashed for ‘Day of Caring’

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A team of volunteers spent several hours today helping with projects at Hospice of Orleans, including cleaning the windows and working on the landscaping, as well as other tasks as part of a “Day of Caring.”

The group pictured includes, from left: Pat Bennett, Amanda Ledger, Mary Jo Allen, Sue Verheyn and Sherry White. They are all employees at Baxter International in Medina. Another Baxter employee, Melinda Murray, was part of team at Hospice.

Baxter sent 60 employees out for service projects in the county that were coordinated by the United Way of Orleans County. Altogether, 80 volunteers joined for the first Day of Caring in the county.

United Way Executive Director Lisa Ireland wanted the day to be part of Sept. 11.

“I wanted to turn a day of tragedy into a day of good,” Ireland said while stopping by Hospice today. “We wanted to turn it into a day of service and remembrance.”

Volunteers also spent six or seven hours on projects at Camp Rainbow in Ridgeway, two Head Start sites, Habitat for Humanity in Medina, the Community Kitchen at Christ Church in Albion and the Grace’s Place child care center in Holley, where volunteers read to children and gave each child a book donated by Baxter.

Baxter employees were able to use today as a work day if they signed up for a service project. The company and its employees last year contributed $50,000 to the United Way.

“They have an amazing philanthropic culture,” Ireland said.