UGI Employees Make United Way “Day of Caring” an Annual Tradition
We want to give back, yet too often we’re not sure how exactly we can help to improve our communities or assist neighbors who are in need. Volunteering with an organization like United Way is one outlet, but where to begin? UGI employees are fortunate to work for a company with a longstanding relationship with United Way, which periodically sponsors a “Day of Caring,” where employees are given a workday to volunteer together on community projects. In Pennsylvania, UGI services 45 of its 67 counties and annually participates in many Day of Caring events. The United Way and UGI will once again team up for several Day of Caring events throughout this year.
The UGI-United Way partnership spans the Commonwealth and encompasses both physical and monetary resources. Contributions by UGI Utilities as well as UGI retirees brought the total to nearly $640,000. UGI coordinates a company-wide United Way fundraising campaign every fall across the state, and nearly half of UGI employees contribute to local United Way drives.
The volunteer hours UGI employees dedicated to United Way-funded programs are equally impressive.
“UGI is tied to the vitality of the community,” says Joe Swope, Manager of Media Relations and Special Projects. “The United Way is a conduit to address human needs in our community. This is why UGI has partnered with the United Way for so long.”
UGI employees participate in a wide variety of services during the Day of Caring events. They have helped with book fairs, planted flowers, and installed smoke alarms as part of the American Red Cross “Sound the Alarm” safety program. From painting to planting trees, building raised garden beds, and installing nesting boxes, UGI employees are making the Commonwealth a more compassionate and physically beautiful place to live.
Day of Caring events held in May included the efforts of dozens of UGI employees who took the day to improve their community. Volunteers from UGI’s Shippensburg office joined the United Way of Franklin County to set up the 34th Annual Book Sale of the Friends of Legal Services. This book sale is a wonderful fundraiser that directly benefits many members of the Franklin County community. Another group from the same office provided outdoor landscaping at the Frances Leiter Center at the Children’s Aid Society in Chambersburg.
In Pottsville, Frackville employees also put their green thumbs to work during the Schuylkill United Way’s Captain Jason B. Jones Memorial Day of Caring by planting vegetables and flowers at the Salvation Army of Pottsville. While Wilkes-Barre employees, in addition to various gardening projects for organizations in the Wilkes-Barre area, worked on a new Memorial Trail for Tails at the SPCA of Luzerne County. This new walking trail will provide volunteers a safe place to walk dogs as they work to move them towards adoption.
This past June, Lehigh area employees helped to organize clothing and furniture donations at the Family Promise of Carbon County. This organization’s mission is to provide temporary shelter, meals and fellowship to meet the basic needs of homeless families. Families are housed for one-week intervals at various host locations and receive educational support to become self-sufficient.
In September, UGI employees will participate in seven Day of Caring events, partnering with several agencies, including the Lackawanna Blind Association, Harrisburg’s Christian Churches United, Pocono Alliance, and the Lancaster Family YMCA. Volunteers will also head to Reading’s Glenside Elementary School and the Compass Community Center in Lewistown. At these various events, teams will add fresh coats of paint, clean up indoor and outdoor areas, and complete landscaping projects. In addition, employees will participate in the United Way of Huntingdon Day of Caring by assisting local seniors with home maintenance.
With approximately 700,000 customers across 45 counties in Pennsylvania, UGI plays a critical role in communities throughout the Commonwealth. UGI’s employees share this mission, not only ensuring that their neighbors are comfortable and safe on a daily basis, but volunteering in various activities including the United Way Day of Caring. This opportunity has become an annual tradition in which individuals give their time and talents to service organizations in their community. Learn more about UGI’s commitment to the community by visiting the UGI website.