Showing the community they care

Maria Perreira looked at the bustling volunteer activity in the Idaho Youth Ranch Thrift Store and exhaled a happy sigh.

"These guys are putting everything that they have into it, and it’s pretty amazing,” she said Thursday, standing behind the sales counter. "It’s such a relief, and it's really nice to see that people found us and are willing to come by and help us so we can do a better job at helping everybody else."

Perreira, a lead customer service representative for the store, said she and other staff usually have so much to keep them busy that it's hard to know where to begin. But when the Day of Caring volunteers came in like a helpful storm of productivity, the thrift store workers could all breathe much easier.

"I can actually get some really important stuff done, like the manager paperwork I can't do when I'm out here," Perreira said. "It’s nice to have that ability to lay back and not worry about all these tiny details that you’ve been trying to get at for a long time and you just never have the manpower. The work they’re doing is really great, and just seeing the product of that hard work is amazing."

About 285 volunteers chipped in to make United Way of North Idaho's ninth annual Day of Caring a successful one. They contributed about 1,500 volunteer hours at roughly 30 different sites for a variety of nonprofits, doing everything from organizing shelves, painting and landscaping to making phone calls and helping organizations prepare for events.

Keri Stark, impact and agency relations coordinator for United Way, said the amount of volunteer time (valued at $20 per hour) saved the different organizations around $30,000.

"The best part about it is offering another avenue of support for the nonprofits," Stark said. "The volunteers are a crucial part of building this community. Just in general, volunteers tend to become return volunteers, then donors, then board members. This is a great way to introduce people to the different needs of the nonprofits."

The Day of Caring pulls employees from their normal work environment and provides them with hands-on opportunities to help their community. This year, teams were provided from US Bank, North Idaho College Workforce Training, Panhandle Health District, the city of Coeur d'Alene, Kiwanis, Lake City Church, Global Credit Union, St. Vincent de Paul and others.

"It's a lot of fun getting out here and talking to people and helping great organizations that the United Way sponsors," said Donny Peterson, an Avista team member who helped spruce up the Idaho Youth Ranch Thrift Store.

"I'm just very proud that we work for a company that will allow us time to get out into the community," said Peterson's teammate, Sheryl Florance. "And what a worthy cause."

Jana Brooks, center manager of Mountain States Early Head Start-Coeur d'Alene, said she was thankful for the quick work of the two volunteers who organized a shed on the property and hauled away unneeded stuff.

"It was an overwhelming project for us," she said. "It was wonderful just having people who had a great attitude and were willing to do whatever."

Stark said the Day of Caring began with a breakfast rally that started the day on a high note and closed with the United Way food drive, which collected 2,300 pounds of food and $2,900 that will be donated to the Coeur d'Alene Community Action Partnership and Post Falls Food Bank.

Sandpoint also held its first official Day of Caring, she reported, with two volunteer teams that helped out three Sandpoint nonprofits. This brings the North Idaho total of volunteers to 300.

"We are so excited to welcome Bonner County companies and organizations into the event," Stark said.