It was a day of teamwork, community spirit, and meaningful action on Thursday as volunteers across Elgin and Middlesex came together for United Way’s annual Day of Caring.
This year’s event saw more than 400 volunteers from 23 different workplaces lending a hand at 30 project sites — including several in St. Thomas and Elgin County.
Locally, teams got to work at Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Thomas-Elgin, the Ignite Youth Centre, The INN and the YWCA’s Project Tiny Hope, tackling everything from painting and gardening to sorting donations and building furniture.
At Ignite, the goal was to clear out clutter and repurpose extra items — such as coats, shoes, cutlery, and clothing — for distribution to local agencies like The Inn and Grace Café, explains Manager Julie Forrester.
Employees from St. Thomas newcomer, PowerCo. Canada were on-hand assisting staff, adding to the incredible experience of the day notes Forrester.
PowerCo’s CFO, Brent Hinson was on-hand for Day of Caring, where he was tasked with helping his team assemble furniture for one of the YWCA’s Project Tiny Hope bungalows.
Hinson explains how great it was to get out and give back to the city they now get to call home.
Lindsay Rice, Executive Director of the YWCA St.Thomas-Elgin noted how thankful they are for the assistance, helping them move Project Tiny Hope one step closer to the finish line.
Rice notes that eight units are expected to open this fall, with full completion by June 2026.
This year marked the 24th Day of Caring for United Way Elgin Middlesex and the ninth year with Libro Credit Union as title sponsor. Organizers estimate the volunteers donated over 2,000 hours of service in a single day.
For more information on United Way’s work across the region, visit unitedwayem.ca.
Written by: K. Freeman
