Community

Tygart Valley United Way’s ‘Day of Action’ upcoming

FAIRMONT - All those nonprofit directors who showed up at the Tygart Valley United Way's campaign breakfast earlier this month in Fairmont had to work for their scrambled eggs, as it were.

While they heard about the Fairmont organization's "Be Bold" initiatives for the coming year, they also packed hygiene kits - toothpaste, toothbrushes, toiletry items and the like - for people who might suddenly find themselves without a roof over their heads.

Call it a side gig for altruism.

Next month, Tygart Valley United Way returns the favor.

Volunteers on Sept. 11 will fan out across the local United Way's five-county region of Marion, Taylor, Barbour, Randolph and Tucker, providing much-needed sweat equity to all the outreach places that offer logistical comfort in troubled times.

It's billed as a "Day of Action," because that's what it is - Tygart Valley United Way CEO Brett White told The Dominion Post previously.

As a recruitment tool for United Way, the dividends are immeasurable, White said.

That's because people who sign up for a day or afternoon invariably end up becoming lifers, he said.

"They recognize the benefit of having a firsthand opportunity to learn how United Way and local organizations are meeting the human service needs in our community," he said.

You get that, he said, when you stock shelves at a food pantry, or build those shelves at a food pantry, even.

You build awareness of your own, he said, when you're helping with all those basic cleanup projects that said organizations simply don't have time to tend to - since they're so busy watching out for the needs of people who are economically vulnerable.

Fixup projects were done at more than 40 human service endeavors during last year's Day of Action activities for Tygart Valley United Way.

Volunteers may register for this year through Friday. Visit www.tvunitedway.org for details.