Day of Caring shows volunteer spirit is strong

By John Dodge | The Olympian • Published September 16, 2007

I returned to my high school alma mater Friday, but it wasn't to see the Homecoming Court unveiled, which it was, or pick up my daughter from classes — wrong high school, and she's driving anyway.

I stopped by North Thurston High to spread beauty bark, an unannounced addition to the Lacey Sunrise Lions Club team of nine hard-working volunteers on the 15th annual United Way of Thurston County Day of Caring.

The school district had 30 cubic yards of bark to spread, and club members were up for the task, one of 39 projects countywide that drew a record 500 volunteers from state agencies, local businesses, nonprofit groups, hospitals, banks and Saint Martin's University. And yes, I'm pleased to report, The Olympian had a team, too.

Volunteers painted, weeded flower beds, sorted items at the food bank, repaired bicycles, washed windows and participated in other community-service projects that benefited schools, social-service agencies and other short-handed and money-strapped nonprofits.

For the record, I only spent about an hour at North Thurston High. But I was there long enough to be reminded how much good work service clubs in South Sound do, including the three Lions Clubs in Lacey that collect used prescription eyeglasses for the needy, build wheelchair ramps for senior citizens and sponsor summer camp for youths with Type 1 diabetes.

From the high school, I headed to the food bank, where a 12-member team from the Association of Washington School Principals received a crash course on how the busy facility operates, then spent the rest of the day sorting food and handing it to clients.

"We'll see about 200 families today," food bank board member Dick Thompson said. "At the end of the month, when people run out of money and run out of food stamps, that's when we're really busy."

"It's just an amazing place," volunteer Pat Barber said. "It's so eye-popping to see the organization and variety of ways the food bank procures food."

A case in point: There stood Tony Sexton at the receiving dock, more than happy to donate a pickup load of fresh-picked Bodacious corn.