Officials with the United Way of the CSRA are trying something a little different to kick off its annual fundraising campaign this year.
Instead of the luncheon that was the tradition prior to the pandemic, events for Aug. 19 will include a breakfast and Project Serve — a day of volunteering.
“We usually do Project Serve in April,” said Brittany Burnett, president and CEO of the United Way of the CSRA.
But the same people who roll up their sleeves and volunteer for Project Serve in April aren’t usually among those who attend the kickoff luncheon each August. To give both groups a chance to celebrate the first in-person kickoff since before the pandemic, the organization is putting both pieces together.
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The kickoff will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a breakfast at the Bell Auditorium. After a short program, volunteers will head off to the different projects. About 300 people have already signed up to volunteer at 15 sites around the area.
Burnett said they prearranged the volunteer effort with the non-profits to fit the volunteers with the different charities’ needs’ list.
“We have a laundry list,” she said.
Girl Scout Camp Tanglewood, the YMCA’s Camp Lakeside, The Masters’ Table Soup Kitchen, Ronald McDonald House and Easter Seals will be among the sites where volunteers will assist with projects later in the day.
While all those spots are already filled, Burnett said there will be a task that others can participate in at the Bell Auditorium after the breakfast.
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“We’re going to make no-sew fleece blankets,” she said.
The blankets will be distributed to agencies such the Salvation Army, Hope House and Safe Homes of Augusta.
The United Way of the CSRA raises money for a variety of health and human service programs in multiple Georgia and South Carolina counties.
To learn more, visit uwcsra.org.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the managing editor of The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
