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Bartlesville Regional United Way appeared on Wednesday's COMMUNITY CONNECTION.

New Board President Davis Austin joined in by phone with Katie Zaun in the studio. Both recapped successful kickoff of the 2020 campaign that was held last Friday at halftime of the Bartlesville Bruins football game.

Austin said that this year's goal is $2.2 million. He added that with the challeges of COVID-19, BRUW is really going to need the help of the community to reach this goal.

Speaking of the coronavirus, Kati Zaun reminded us that due to the effects of COVID-19, the Bartlesville Regional United Way’s annual Day of Caring activities will be a little different this year.

Dubbed “Day of Caring – Social Distance Style” and scheduled to formally open on Thursday, Sept. 24, many of its associated events focused on helping area non-profit organizations will be virtual. But even as that is the case, this year’s Day of Caring, which is always a staple of the Bartlesville Regional United Way’s annual fundraising campaign, will still carry on its long-standing tradition of making a positive impact in the community.

This year, to respect health and safety guidance, “Day of Caring” volunteer activities will be done a little differently. And, some new ones have been created which allow for social distancing, while still making a positive impact. Unlike previous years, BRUW will not be coordinating projects between volunteer teams and nonprofits. Individuals are still encouraged to volunteer locally on their own terms on September 24th. Examples some volunteer activities include…

• Writing notes to teachers, first responders, essential workers and those associated with non-profit organizations to express gratitude and lift spirits.
• Livening up the environment in and around area non-profit agencies, hospitals and schools with creative posters and sidewalk art.
• Helping spread stories and messages from non-profit organizations through social media. This includes liking and sharing organizations’ posts.
• Recording reading passages to assist with literacy organizations.

Information regarding Day of Caring can be found by visiting www.bartlesvilleuw.org/day-of-caring/ or by visiting the Day of Caring event page on Facebook.

Also available on the BRUW’s website will be a link to purchase commemorative 2020 Day of Caring T-shirts. All proceeds raised through Day of Caring activities – including T-shirt sales – will go toward the BRUW’s 2020 campaign to fund the programs of its 14 partner agencies. Those partner agencies include organizations such as the Salvation Army, the American Red Cross, Elder Care, Agape Mission, the YMCA and many more.

If you do purchase a T-shirt and volunteer for a “Day of Caring” activity while wearing it, please share it via social media. You can tag the Bartlesville Regional United Way on Facebook posts and use @bartlesvilleuw for Instagram posts. For social media platforms which utilize hashtags, those interested can use #dayofcaring and/or #liveunited.

The BRUW is a nonprofit organization which supports programs that help individuals reach their full potential. It helps lead the fight to improve the health, education and financial stability of people throughout our community.