Many dressed in white T-shirts with "Live United" on the front are volunteering out in the community this week.
Businesses and private individuals are volunteering for the United Way's Community Caring Week.
This is the 10th annual week where volunteers from companies as well as private individuals volunteer for a week in the summer for various organizations.
Article Photos
OBSERVER Photo by Samantha McDonnell
Employees of Walmart who volunteered at the United Way Tuesday were, from left: Carol Etzel, Sue Gawronski, Pam Tramuto and Paulette Ziemba.
On Tuesday, volunteers worked at six different locations in Dunkirk and Westfield. Employees from Nestle Purina were at Rural Ministry working in the warehouse painting as well as cooking and serving meals.
Joyce Harvard Smith, coordinator for volunteer services for SUNY Fredonia and alumnus Richard Hughes also volunteered at Rural Ministry.
Smith has been working with Rural Ministry for the past eight years and said many students from campus volunteer their time at Rural Ministry. Smith, who has participated in Community Caring Week for the past eight years, said she enjoys Community Caring Week for the ability to give back.
"It's a way of giving back to the community," she said.
Renae Bellando, food program coordinator for Rural Ministry, said she appreciates the help from the week.
"I love it when the (volunteers) come. Everybody wanted to cook," she said.
Bellando also said she is thrilled to have new volunteers.
"It's nice to have different people volunteering," she said.
In addition to Rural Minis-try, volunteers also worked at the United Way and Chau-tauqua Adult Day Care at St. John's United Church, both in Dunkirk. Employees from Lake Erie Regional Health System of New York were at Chautauqua Adult Day Care helping to paint a large room. Scott Butler, vice president of community relations for LERHSNY, said the organization has volunteered in past years and last year took part in two projects. Butler said volunteering is a way to give back to the community.
"We (LERHSNY) are a community based organization. This is another way we can serve our community," Butler said. "This is a nice way we can support the United Way."
Also working on Tuesday was a group from Walmart who worked on staining a handicap accessible ramp at the United Way offices on Central Avenue in Dunkirk.
"It was nice to help out," Sue Gawronski said.
Community Caring Week will continue throughout the rest of the week. Volunteers will work at a variety of agencies including, the Boys and Girls Club, Campus and Community Children's Cen-ter, Chautauqua Adult Day Care, Chautauqua Alcohol-ism and Substance Abuse Council, Chautauqua Blind Association, Chautauqua County Rural Ministry, Meals on Wheels, Girl Scouts of WNY, Westfield YWCA and the Westfield Commun-ity Kitchen. Volunteers are from Walmart, Nestle Purina, LERHSNY, Evans Agency, Lake Shore Savings Bank, The Resource Center and SUNY Fredonia.
Patti Fickelscherer, administrative assistant for the United Way of Northern Chautauqua County, said that the week has been successful thus far.
"It's going well," she said.
Fickelscherer explained that to "Live United" means to come together and taking action in order to accomplish tasks which will help improve the lives of others and our community.
Community Caring Week is sponsored by Cattaraugus County Bank, Lake Shore Savings Bank, Nestle Purina, NRG and Star Printed Graphic.
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