WEEKEND: Jefferson County volunteers to swarm out in force today (Friday)

Published 12:01 am Friday, September 12, 2014

NOTE: “Today” and “tonight” refer to Friday, Sept. 12.

PORT TOWNSEND — Volunteers will clean up, spruce up and donate time and goods during today’s fourth annual Day of Caring hosted by United Good Neighbors of Jefferson County.

Port Townsend Mayor David King will kick off the day at 8:30 a.m. at Mountain View Commons, 1919 Blaine St., with a proclamation, and the “Good Neighbor Award” will be given to an outstanding community volunteer.

From there, volunteers will fan out to 15 sites for a morning work.

The single-day volunteering event will jump-start the nonprofit’s 2014-15 fundraising campaign. United Good Neighbors (UGN) pools donations and provides funding to nonprofits.

In 2013, UGN helped three dozen agencies provide emergency, senior, youth and community services in Port Townsend, Port Hadlock, Chimacum, Port Ludlow and surrounding areas.

Bonding experience

“Businesses involved in the event in past years have said Day of Caring is a bonding experience for their employees, and it is a great opportunity for businesses and community members to learn about a nonprofit organization while providing a valuable service,” said Carla Caldwell, UGN executive director.

For individuals, it can be a learning experience.

“Day of Caring was a wonderful and really rich experience for me,” said Naiomi Chorneau, a barista at the Boiler Room.

Last year, she volunteered at the Jumping Mouse with a group of peers from the Boiler Room and discovered more about the organization’s work with children.

“What they are doing for kids is beautiful. Having a chance to volunteer with Jumping Mouse opened up a whole new area of understanding for me,” she said.

This year, a group from the Boiler Room, a teen center at 711 Water St., will volunteer for Day of Caring projects for the third year in a row.

At the same time, the Boiler Room, which receives funding from UGN, will host a group of volunteers from Port Ludlow Associates.

Donation drive

Also today, the Boeing Bluebills will host a “Sharing the Goods” drive to gather donations of household goods.

The donations will support those in transitional and longer-term housing provided by Olympic Community Action Programs and Dove House, which offers assistance to survivors of domestic abuse.

Items can be dropped off at Mountain View Commons between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Suggested donations include blankets, sheets, diapers, pillows, pillowcases, towels, soap, shampoo, body wash, dishes, glasses, silverware, cookware, toilet paper, small appliances such as toasters or microwaves and paper towels.

The Day of Caring is sponsored by Wells Fargo.

Other community groups and businesses with volunteers signed up to work on Day of Caring projects are Port Townsend Rotary, Sunrise Rotary, Swan School, Jefferson Community School, city of Port Townsend, the local chapter of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, Boeing Bluebills, Local 20/20 and Reel Life Productions.

Projects are:

■ The Boiler Room — Cleaning and gardening.

■ Ecumenical Christian Helping Hands Organization (ECHHO) — Painting service area, freshening up front yard and create two parking spaces.

■ Port Townsend Food Bank — A deep clean at the food bank.

■ Olympic Community Action Programs’ South Seven Senior Project — Cleaning.

■ The ReCyclery — Painting.

■ OlyCAP South Community Harvest — Gleaning at Dharma Ridge Farm in Quilcene for Jefferson County food banks.

■ Port Townsend Backpack for Kids — Assembly of backpacks to feed 43 children through the weekend.

■ Jefferson County YMCA — Cleanup of grounds.

■ Boeing Bluebills’ “Sharing the Goods” drive — Donations of household items for Dove House and OlyCAP.

■ Food bank farms and gardens at Mountain View — Gardening.

■ Food bank farms and gardens at Port Townsend High School — Gardening.

■ Camp Beausite — Painting.

■ Tri-Area Community Center — Cleaning the center in Chimacum.

■ Port Townsend Community Center — Sprucing up.

■ Fort Worden — Sidewalk pressure-washing, painting safety stripes on stairs, bird spike installation, minor landscaping.

For more information on the UGN Day of Caring, email Nikki Russell at nikki@weareugn.org or phone the UGN office at 360-385-3797.