8/8/2019 Volunteering for The Corning Leader
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BY KATHLEEN COSTELLOkcostellothe-Ieader.com
CORNING IThe SouthernTier is a little brighter andcleaner today,
than ks toabout 300 volunteers whoparticipated in Wednesday's12th
annual United WayDay of Caring.From pain ting porches toclearing
trails, employeesfrom 3S area companiesspent the day
completingselected projects at nonprofit agencies in Steuben
andChemung counties. Mostprojects began at 9 a.m. andcontinued
until 3 p.m."I'm a huge supporter ofvolunteer work, and this is
agreat way for our team to gettogether outside of workand do
somethi ng we feelgood about," said SarahGodwin, a technician
forPhilips Lighting Company.
Godwin an d about 20other employees from PhilipsLighting and EFP
Rotenberg,
JASONCOX ITHE LEADERFrom left, Ken Duell o, Todd Seeley, Terri
Reed andBryan Lepowskl, w ith Cerebral Palsy of ChemungCounty, work
on general cleanup of the area sur-rounding Corning Hospital during
the United WayDay of Caring .LLP donated their services to the
paint color, said Michelepainting the Family Service Mayer, youth
services direcSociety building on Flint tor for Family
ServiceSociety.Avenue in Corning. The chil-dren ' from the center
chose SEE VOLUNTEERS I8A
8/8/2019 Volunteering for The Corning Leader
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,VOLUNT ERSContinued from 1A
. ~ The kids, ages 8 through 18,voted on three different
shadesand selected the robin's eggbluethat flecked Godwin's
anus."It's been several years sinceI painted, but it 's a lot of
fun.It's great to know that you'redoing something that makes
adifference," Godwin said.Benefits from the UnitedWay Day of Caring
are widespread and varied, not onlyfor the people who receive
theservices,' but also for those
who perform them."It's excellent for groupswho normally never
wouldha ve ha d a ny co ntact with us,to learn what we're about
andthe services we provide free ofcharge," Mayer said . "And ou
rkids (who take part in theyouth center at Family ServiceSociety)
always do a monthlycommunity service project, soit's nice for them
to be on thereceivin g end and see thatsuch work ca n con tinue
intoadulthoo d."There were 42 teams ofemployees who each took
on
different projects Wednesday. "The Un it ed Way touchesPart of
their day's experience so many people in so manywas to listen to an
orientation different ways, " said Dawnfrom each organizat ion
before Burlew, manager of new busithey began working. ness deve
lopment for Coming"A big part of th e day is for Enterprises.people
to understand some of Burleworganized her team ofthe issues facing
non-profits employees - from The Gafferand some of the solutions as
District and Coming Enterwell," said Sarah Grossman, prises - to
,do some outdoordirector of marketing and cleanup behind Coming's
Citycomm un icati ons for the Hall. The two groups spreadUnited Way
of th e Southern trees, planted flowers andTier. "People tend to en
d the ir cleaned up flower beds.day having a sense that they "I
work a lot with the cityare part of a community, feel- and the
Department of Publicing that they are connected."The estimated
value of the Works, so this was a way today's work provided by all
the give back to th e people I workvolunteers is $30,500, accord-
with," Burlew said .ing to the United Way. Projects Coleen Fabrizi,
executivestretched fro m Pine City to director of The Gaffer
District,Horne ll, from flower-planting was on h and behind City
Hallat the Economic Opportunity with the team. Fabrizi menBuilding
in Elmira to invento- tioned the importance ofry-checking at the
Prattsburgh ignoring busy .schedules inLibrary. Volunteers from
Cath- order to lend a helping hand.olic Charitie s of Steuben "It's
important to recognizeCounty painted the handi- that no matter what
we have. capped-accessible ramp out- on our to-do lists, we v
to..stdevi Southem Tier Legal ' make time for something
likeServices Jn Bath, while Weg- . th is," Fabrizi said. "It's. a,
ni ce ,: rrians employees helped main: i', way 'to give back to the
comtain trails at Tang lewood munity, and a few hoursNature Center
in Big F l t makes such a huge impact."
