Day of Caring shows power of volunteering

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This article was published 01/08/2024 (684 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Green Acres Community Centre rink is freshened up and ready for another busy winter, thanks to volunteers who rolled up their sleeves and gave it a new coat of paint.

The community centre was one of the projects chosen by the United Way of Brandon and District for its 2024 Day of Caring.

“Shocked would be the way to put it,” said Jenn Solomon-Horkey, chair of the Green Acres Community Centre board. “We put our bid in with the hopes of getting it, not knowing who else within the city was going after the United Way Day of Caring, and we were chosen, so we were quite happy about that.”

The Day of Caring is a national initiative of the United Way. In Brandon, it is held every spring, typically in May or June.

“This community-wide United Way event demonstrates the power of volunteering. It is a unique opportunity for employees, students, and other groups to come together and make a difference in our community by taking part in meaningful volunteer projects with local community organizations,” BrandonUW.ca states.

Tasks could include anything from painting, landscaping and gardening, to serving meals, sorting donations or event assistance.

This year, volunteers from Maple Leaf Foods, Westoba Credit Union, the United Way and GACC spent a day in June at the Green Acres Community Centre rink, painting two fresh coats on the interior. This not only helps spruce up the popular neighbourhood rink, but it will help maintain it for years to come.

“It was so amazing. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but there were so many people that came together that didn’t even know each other and we all got along great,” said GACC board member Amelia Kissock. “Everyone put a lot of work into it and we’re super grateful for their help.”

Community members from Green Acres joined to form a brand new GACC board in March, amidst concerns the centre would close for good after the previous board stepped down. Kissock said the extra help from the United Way meant a lot.

“Honestly it’s a really great thing that they’re doing. We are just learning the ropes here and what it takes to run a community centre,” Kissock said, adding there have been a number of repairs they have had to deal with to ensure the community centre can continue to operate. “So having a resource like that, another community-involved resource just alleviates so much stress …We’re super grateful that (the Day of Caring) even exists.”

Solomon-Horkey grew up in the Green Acres neighbourhood and knows how important the community centre and rink are to the area.

“I see it in use all the time between the playground or the rinks during the winter, there’s always kids in here being this close to the school,” she said. The group plans to paint the exterior of the rink as well.

The 2024 Day of Caring had four projects total: rink painting at GACC, interior painting at the Wheat City Lawn Bowling Club, cleaning and reorganizing at Brandon Seniors for Seniors Co-op and cleaning the grounds at Riverbank Discovery Centre.

“It’s just a little job that maybe they don’t have the staff or the volunteers to help do them,” said Janis Evens, United Way director of operations. “Volunteers are giving back to their community and to those organizations that have helped them …maybe they went to the rink to go skating as a kid, or maybe they have a grandparent that’s a part of Seniors for Seniors. It’s giving back, and those organizations are so thankful for the help.”

Evens estimates United Way of Brandon and District has been hosting a Day of Caring for at least 20 years, and says it has become an important part of what they do.

“We try to get out and help the community as much as we can,” she said. “It’s important that community centres are kept up, because those are something that we don’t want to see disappear. Lawn bowling is great for people to go out and get some fresh air and some exercise, and it’s important for us to make sure our community is well taken care of.”

The United Way puts the call out to organizations and volunteers about six weeks prior. Every year they are impressed by the generosity of local organizations and their volunteers.

“We wouldn’t be able to do Day of Caring without our volunteers,” she said. “We put the call out to volunteers and we ask organizations if they need help doing something, and volunteers are always willing to help us out … Everybody’s happy at the end of the day. The organizations are happy that they got the help, and the volunteers are happy to be able to help in their community again.”

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