Community Responds to Give A Day Week!

Over 144,000 volunteers and acts of caring were produced in Louisville during the  3rd annual Give A Day week of service, April 12-20. Give A Day, 2015 will be April 11-19.

We had vivid and often stirring reminders this past week of the basic goodness, kindness and compassion of our fellow citizens during our third annual Give A Day week of service. We saw the community come together -- friends helping friends, strangers helping strangers in endless ways. That’s the real story of Louisville.

In fact, there were more than 144,000 volunteers and acts of compassion recorded during Give A Day week– breaking the ‘world record’ we set last year. 

The good work included more than 57,000 JCPS students and teachers – who worked on service projects ranging from collecting and sorting food to decorating Easter eggs for children who have survived abuse. Thousands more students from our Catholic and independent schools were also in action. More than 10,500 volunteers – organized by Brightside – cleaned neighborhoods, parks and schools.

Some other amazing numbers and projects included:

• 101,106: meals packaged by volunteers for Kids Against Hunger; 
   
• 6,000: stuffed animals for kids in crisis by Kosair Charities and its “Bears on Patrol” program;
   
• 5,000: pounds of shoes donated to WaterStep to help fund providing safe drinking water around the world;
   
• 1,615: backpacks donated for students in need through a drive organized by the PGA for Blessings in a Backpack; 
   
• 1,000: family literacy kits assembled by volunteers organized by Metro United Way. The kits will be used by families to help prepare youngsters for kindergarten;
   
• 200 : beds constructed by the Build A Bed team including JCPS Student Support Services, AmeriCorp, YouthBuild and The Healing Place. The beds, including mattress, bedding, books and a stuffed animal, went to JCPS students who did not have a bed of their own;
   
• 8: abandoned homes renovated or built for needy families by Habitat for Humanity and Fuller Center for Housing.

Thanks very much to all of the people behind these numbers with special appreciation to our partners at Metro United Way for helping connect volunteers with projects. Without their help, Give A Day would not be possible.

One of the most rewarding parts of launching this initiative is seeing it grow every year and hearing the excitement of people talking about making next year bigger and better. So, I’m pleased to announce that 2015’s Give A Day week of service will be April 11-19, the week leading up to Thunder Over Louisville, helping launch the 2015 Kentucky Derby Festival.
 

Please make plans now for your family, organization or company to join us next year – and  help make headlines about more good things happening in Louisville.

Give a Day week is what Louisville is all about: a great community with a big, compassionate heart. Thanks again to everyone who helped!