SitemapEarly Friday morning, some 1,200 volunteers in bright, green
shirts gathered at the Covelli Centre alongside a box truck with the word
“Revitalize” printed on the side.
The group shouted the word as photographers snapped a group
picture, then were dispersed by staff speaking through megaphones, kicking off
the 22nd annual Day of Caring hosted by the United Way of Youngstown and
Mahoning Valley.
Among the record number of volunteers was Keimanni Boyd,
president of the Emerging Leaders program at Boardman Local Schools. She joined
a group of about 10 carrying shovels and garbage bags, and cleaning properties
and sidewalks along Chalmers Avenue. It’s Boyd’s second year volunteering for
the Day of Caring, an experience that’s been “eye opening,” she said.
“My first year was last year and it made me feel like a
better person,” Boyd said. “I love volunteering and this is a step up from all
of the things I’ve been doing.”
Emerging Leaders has participated in the Day of Caring for
five years, and it’s exciting for the students to take time to make a
difference in the community, said Amy Radinovic communications coordinator with
Boardman Local Schools.
More than 40 students total from the Emerging Leaders
program participated in the Day of Caring, Radinovic said. Students also
volunteer for Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning Valley and the Second Harvest
Food Bank.
“We have filled up buses with our Emerging Leaders to do
this even on days where we did not have school,” she said. “They spent their
day off doing this, so they definitely believe in it.”
Of the 1,200 volunteers, more than 850
participated in the cleanup efforts on the city’s south side, said United Way
President Bob Hannon. The United Way works with the Youngstown Neighborhood
Development Corp. to identify the neighborhoods that need the most work, he
said.
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