* For information about Oceana Day of Caring please contact Barbara at (231) 332-4005 or barbara@unitedwaylakeshore.org
* For information about Newaygo Day of Caring please contact Jim at (231) 924-2101 or mayor@cityoffremont.net
* For information about Muskegon Day of Caring please see below or contact Dominique at (231) 332-4006 or dominique@unitedwaylakeshore.org
We've turned Day of Caring into a month of service!
What is Day of Caring? 
Traditionally, Day of Caring has brought hundreds of volunteers together to complete a day of service for our community. In the past volunteers come together for a morning rally and then disbursed to their projects. Projects have been made up of large teams, to work on a wide variety of things including parks, renovating organizations, and fixing individuals homes. After volunteering, everyone would congregate again for a celebration lunch.
With the COVID-19 Pandemic, Day of Caring planning has been drastically changed and altered to keep our community and volunteers safe, while still creating waves of impact across our community. This proposal will be the outlines and plan of how we hope to achieve this while still following the recommendations by our Public Health Office, the CDC, and our Governor's orders.
How are we adapting due to COVID-19?
The safety of our volunteers and our community is extremely important to us. We are working closely with our Health Department to make sure everyone is working safely. Here is how we are adapting our Day of Caring:
- The "Day of Caring" will actually be a "Month of Caring" offering several days to do the activities to minimize large groupings
- Only micro teams of up to 10 volunteers only
- All projects will be outdoors in large areas*
- Shifts will be staggered - if teams will be working on similar or the same projects, these teams will work in shifts with breaks in between to ensure no contact
- Shifts will be in 2 hour increments instead of 6-8 hours
- Before volunteers can start, each volunteer will be asked health screening questions the day of the event
- Masks will be required and provided on site. Along with hand sanitizer and wipes
- No large gatherings before or after service - a kickoff video will be sent virtually
- Meals will not be provided, instead prepackaged snacks will be available
- There will be designated break areas with chairs 6 feet a part, and lines clearly marked for social distancing up to the water coolers (bottled water)
- Travel routes will be clearly defined
*If there is a project that is indoors, it must meet a large space requirement and we will only allow teams sizes to be up to 5. This is only under very special circumstances, and volunteers must be able to remain 6 feet a part at all times.
Thank you to our sponsors for this event:
VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION:
United In Our Hearts - Veteran Cemetery Clean Up
The "kick-off" for our Day of Caring will be on September 11th. For the past 4 years, Day of Caring has honored and served our greatest heroes in our community, our veterans. This year we would like to continue to pay tribute to them and focus on our fallen veterans and first responders. We plan to do this by hosting cemetery cleanups with our municipalities. Teams will be given a map that highlights the plots of fallen veterans and proper tools to clean off headstones and its surrounding area. .
Click on the links to sign up for our projects today!
- Muskegon Heights (FULL)
- Dalton Township
- Egelston Township (10:00 AM Only)
- Fruitland Township
- Sullivan Township
- Laketon Township
- Whitelake (3rd week of September)
- City of Muskegon Sites (3rd week of September)
Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership Clean Up - September 26, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Join us and our partners, Muskegon!
Always one of our favorite times of the year to make a difference for our community. Muskegon has the best volunteers! The Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership and our partners - UAW Local 637, West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission (WMSRDC), City of Muskegon, Muskegon County, West Michigan United Labor (WMUL), DTE, Muskegon Co. Environmental Coordinating Council and United Way of the Lakeshore - along with other generous, local volunteers will team up, once again, to improve Muskegon Lake shoreline and watershed locations along the Lakeshore Trail from the Muskegon River to Lake Michigan and along it's tributaries.
Every Woman’s Place on September 18th, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM!
Join United Way of the Lakeshore in helping Every Woman's Place with landscaping and other building needs! Volunteers will help with weeding, mulching, sweeping the parking lot, raking, and cleaning out window grates!
Step Up on September 18th, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM!
Join United Way of the Lakeshore in helping Step Up with replacing a few boards and staining their ramp at their Men's Home!
Step Up was formally organized in May of 2015 after the founding board members learned of the significant number of youth in our community aging out of the foster care system. These youth, like other foster youth throughout Michigan, age out of their foster homes at age 18. Less than 50% of former foster youth maintain strong, supportive relationships with their foster families. When they age out, they are expected to live on their own.
Operation Gratitude
Help us honor those who serve us! Operation Gratitude is one way we honor some of our most important community members. Write or craft letters for our local first responders, new recruits, deployed troops, and our veterans. Whether it is your family, classroom, club, church or even just you, you can make a hero's day!
Help Us Find Veterans, New Recruits, & First Responders:
Everything we collect we want to distribute locally to those who are serving from our community. Help us find who we need to send these cards/packages to by signing them up at https://forms.gle/niQAqpPJqECcfrvE7
T-Shirts:
If you have been a part of Day of Caring, you probably still have one (or several) of our LIVE UNITED T-Shirts. Each year, these T-Shirts take a huge piece of our budget, money we could be using in our community and for our recipients (Veterans, Daycare Providers, Parks). This year we are asking everyone to use their previous T-Shirts and wear one you may have received in the past. We will have some T-Shirts available with a small donation. These shirts will be a first come, first served basis.
If you are a part of a company (or club) team, we encourage the following options:
- Wear Your Company Team Shirts - whether you are a business, a club, a union, or a church, chances are you already have a "Team Shirt". Represent your organization and look great while doing it.
- Order a LIVE UNITED CoBranded T-Shirt
- Contact United Way at 231-332-4006 or email our engagement office at dominique@unitedwaylakeshore.org today! Have the traditional LIVE UNITED shirt in either blue, light blue, red, yellow, orange, gray, black or white, with your organization's name on the back.
Thank you for your understanding on this issue.