For nonprofit organizations, building repairs and upgrades are often at the bottom of to-do lists.
"We don't want to tap into the resources that would be used for our clients," said Rebecca Wallace, the development director at the Salvation Army.
A new paint job for the dining room could take away funds that would otherwise be used to feed or clothe the homeless.
On April 25, as part of National Volunteer Week, more than 150 volunteers put a dent in many of those to-do lists as the United Way of the CSRA held its annual Project Serve -- Day of Caring.
More than 20 volunteers spent the day at the Salvation Army painting the dining room and building a cabinet for the women's and children's dorm.
"It would not be getting done if it was not for this day," Ms. Wallace said .
The volunteers working at the Salvation Army were employees of Savannah River Site and Palmetto GBA in North Augusta.
"We do this once a year," said Angela Holladay, who works at Palmetto GBA and spent the morning stripping paint from cabinet doors. "We want to give back to the community."
A few blocks from the Salvation Army, paintbrushes were also in use at St. Stephen's Ministry on Greene Street. St. Stephen's provides services such as transitional housing and food bank assistance to homeless and low-income people with HIV/AIDS.
Hope Campbell, the organization's executive director, said she was grateful for the opportunity to have volunteers paint two bathrooms and a laundry room there.
"By having volunteers on site today, they are assisting in cost-saving that will allow us to expend our funding on other areas that are needed, such as programming," she said.
Eight volunteers from Savannah River Site painted at St. Stephen's Ministry. Charles Crawford, who headed the volunteer squad, said this is an annual event his co-workers participate in.
"The site is always a big supporter of the United Way," he said.
Other volunteers, employees of companies such as Atlanta Gas Light, Augusta Service Co./Austin Industrial, Procter & Gamble and First Citizens Bank, did projects at local charities including Friendship Community Center, Family Counseling Center of the CSRA and Shiloh Comprehensive Community Center.
Project Serve -- A Day of Caring is the culminating event in a week that honors volunteers, but United Way volunteers work year-round. In 2007, nearly 2,100 United Way volunteers gave nearly 21,000 hours of service to local nonprofits.
La Verne Gold, president of the United Way of the CSRA, said the agencies funded by United Way could not function without the support of volunteers.
"We could not accomplish anything" without them, she said in a news release.
Reach Charmain Brackett at czbrackett@hotmail.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012. All Rights Reserved.
