Volunteers Make a Community-Wide Impact at Day of Caring 2007

What can over 1,400 hours of volunteer work accomplish in just one day? Well as Glynn and McIntosh volunteers see it, the answer is almost anything. With 380 volunteers participating in United Way’s Annual Day of Caring, which was held October 2, various agencies around the community were impacted in numerous ways. In fact, 13 different projects were held at 12 non-profit organizations in Glynn and McIntosh Counties. Projects included painting and landscaping at the American Red Cross, talking to high school students about career decisions at Southside PLC, building a ‘Big Kids Nook’ at Amity House, and several others.

The 2 main goals for the Day of Caring were to create a community wide impact and to promote volunteerism. “Volunteers are needed year round at hundreds of different agencies in our communities,” said Morgan Meece, program manager for Hands On Coastal Georgia. “Hopefully, this has created an awareness to lend a hand at other opportunities. There really is something for everyone- no matter what your interests or skills are, or even your time availability.”

Thank you to all of the volunteers, sponsors, agencies, and partners who helped make this year’s Day of Caring the most successful one yet! Together, we are making a difference!

Log on to www.handsoncoastalgeorgia.org and click on 'Photo Gallery' to see and read more about the community wide impact that was made because of each volunteer.

ENCOUNTER Makes An Impact

While recently visiting Brunswick and the Golden Isles, a group called ENCOUNTER from Alton, Illinois, wanted to leave a lasting impact on our community. With the help of Hands On Coastal Georgia, the youth of ENCOUNTER found a volunteer project that suited their needs at United Way of Coastal Georgia and Signature Squares of Brunswick. What did they accomplish while volunteering at the United Way and Signature Squares? What didn’t they accomplish should be the question. For the 3 hours that the 76 youth and their chaperons volunteered, they painted 2 bathrooms, shredded hundreds of documents, completely landscaped the outside of a building and one of the squares in Downtown Brunswick, and cleaned out a storage shed.

Morgan Meece, Program Manager of Hands On Coastal Georgia, said of the day’s projects, “It really is amazing to see what a group of young people can accomplish in just a few hours. We were amazed not only at their hard work but also at their willingness to volunteer. This is a great group to be inspired by.”

ENCOUNTER, celebrating their 35th Season and sponsored by Main Street UMC in Alton, IL, is a group of high school students who represent 30 area churches throughout the Greater Alton area. Every summer they travel to a different place for a week to serve the community through volunteer work. The group expects to return to Glynn County in the year 2011.

Hands On Coastal Georgia, an initiative of United Way of Coastal Georgia, is a volunteer management website that connects people who want to help with those that need it the most. To find volunteer opportunities in Glynn and McIntosh Counties, log on to www.handsoncoastalgeorgia.org or call 912.265.1850, ext 306.

Counselor Comforts and Teaches

By Carole Hawkins
The Brunswick News

Dot Barlow doesn’t want women with unplanned pregnancies to have abortions, she wants them to have help.

As a counselor at the faith-based Care Net Pregnancy Center, Barlow talks to women who think they might be pregnant and are scared or confused about what to do. The center offers free pregnancy testing as well as screening for sexually transmitted diseases.

Advocating a non-abortion route, Barlow hopes women will listen to ramifications of abortion and consider other options before making a final choice.

“We give them facts and let them make the decision. They come to us because they know we’re not going to tell them what to do.” She said.

Medical complications occur in one out of 100 abortions, and the procedure makes women more susceptible to future miscarriages and breast cancer. Guilt, anxiety and depression can occur depending on a women’s a woman’s age, circumstances of pregnancy and religious beliefs, Barlow said.

During counseling, Barlow calms nerves and sifts through issues often surrounding an unplanned pregnancy. “I’ve had girls in here who were crying. A mother who comes in whit her daughter may be hard on her because she’s upset. It’s really important to listen to (the girl).”

Barlow said both pregnant women and women who have had abortions deserve support. Barlow connects pregnant women to local resources like Medicaid and Women, Infants and Children. Films on health and child rearing help prepare women for parenthood.

Women who have had abortions and who are struggling with the physical, emotional and spiritual aftermath may participate in post-abortion counseling.

Barlow said helping other women through their pregnancies is especially important in modern times. “Women have always done this through history, but it’s especially needed now because strong family bonds are not always there. So many people don’t have support from any direction.”

Dot has volunteered at Care Net for 13 years.

Photo shows Dot Barlow, left, helping client LaTanya Sparks pick out baby clothing at Care Net Pregnancy Center.

This post was submitted my Crisis Pregnancy Center of Coastal Georgia, Inc.

To learn more about Crisis Pregnancy Center of Coastal Georgia or for volunteer opportunities log on to www.handsoncoastalgeorgia.org.

Hands On Georiga Day of Service

Brunswick, Georgia (January 31, 2007)…Need volunteers? Don’t overlook the talent and service of children and youth. Four year-olds from the Pre-Kindergarten class at F.A.C.E.S. volunteered recently alongside community leaders for the “Hands On Georgia Day of Service” at United Way of Coastal Georgia, Inc.

Representatives from the Brunswick Police and Fire Departments, Glynn County Police Department, The Home Depot, and several other community volunteers joined them. The event, one of many planned, was designed to promote volunteerism at an early age by allowing children meaningful hands-on activities, as well as learning from adult volunteers why giving back to your community is so important.

Mayor Bryan Thompson, who talked about volunteering also read a book to the children about service to others and said of the day’s events, “I was delighted to spend time with such smart and energetic children. I was pleased to see them planting and painting up to their three foot high necks. I was honored to talk to them about the importance of volunteering and being able to give back to our community. I would like to see and encourage more young citizens to volunteer in the community; what a difference it will make!”

The children not only learned about volunteering but worked with adult volunteers in planting flowers and designing special cards with messages to be sent to community leaders. In addition, local artist Ike Daniels Sr. worked with the children and used their help to begin painting a mural on the United Way building. The children also took home bags containing volunteer opportunities for families, small toys donated by KB Toys, and firefighter hats donated by the Glynn County Fire Department.

When asked if they knew what volunteering means, one child raised his hand and proudly answered, “Volunteering is doing something good for someone else and not wanting anything from it”. By the end of the morning, every child understood what volunteering is and how anyone can help, no matter what age.

Hands On Georgia’ is a statewide network that supports innovative volunteer approaches to meeting Georgia’s critical needs through service and civic engagement. The United Way of Coastal Georgia is a nonprofit organization and is a partner of ‘Hands On Georgia’. For more information about the United Way of Coastal Georgia or for volunteer opportunities please visit our website at http://www.uwcga.org or call 912-265-1850, ext. 307.