Volunteers Get Day to Give for Their County

Orange County will be showing its heart in at least 87 ways this weekend. There will be free dental exams and vaccines for those in need, and hugs for the terminally ill. Walls will be wiped clean of graffiti and trash removed from the shoreline.

Saturday is Volunteer Connection Day, an expansive display of community pride that organizers expect will provide $500,000 worth of work by 10,000 participants.

“The impact on lives is immeasurable,” says Jeanette D. Wood, spokeswoman for the Volunteer Center of Greater Orange County. “Our goal is [that volunteers] will go out, see that they can make a difference, have fun making a difference and see that they can make volunteering a part of their life.”

The countywide event, in its fifth year, is an outgrowth of National Volunteer Week. The Volunteer Center in Santa Ana works with cities and organizations to schedule projects, secure donated supplies and match volunteers with events.

Organizers hope those who show up at project sites Saturday will make giving back more than an annual event.

“If we could do this once a quarter, it would be even better,” says Amy Lytle, who works with Christmas in April, an organization that repairs homes for the poor. “There are a lot of people out there who need help.”