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Bartlesville Regional United Way (BRUW) kicked off its 2021 Day of Giving at Unity Square in downtown Bartlesville on Wednesday morning.

President Lisa Cary says Day of Caring encompasses her personal beliefs as well as BRUW's mission statement to fight for the health, education and financial stability of every person in our communities. She says BRUW's mission is possible through financial advocacy and volunteerism.

Cary says there will be incredible stories because of Day of Caring projects in 2021 that will carry on throughout the years. She says giving back and volunteerism is all about making a long-lasting impact.

Over 70 projects were up for grabs this year. Cary says a team lead along with five to ten volunteers were signed up for each project. She says the money non-profits are able to save thanks to the hard work of the individuals that volunteer is remarkable. Day of Caring was held virtually in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Cary says giving back and helping others is something we can all get behind. She says we can all agree that volunteering is necessary for our society, our world and our community to be successful in living united. 

Volunteerism to Cary means giving back and meeting people where they are at in life. Cary presented a quote to Day of Caring participants before they ventured out from Unity Square, saying, "The heart of a volunteer is not measured in size, but by the depth of the commitment to make a difference in the lives of others." She says volunteering matters because it changes lives.

Cary says she appreciates everyone that came out to participate in Day of Caring as their service means so much to our area's non-profits. She says they hope to get even more people involved next year to have an even bigger Day of Caring in 2022.

Partner agencies and non-profits typically submit projects for Day of Caring in June and July. Cary says those projects are then placed on BRUW's Day of Caring portal. She says volunteers are then able to pick projects they work on come August 1 by visiting the portal on bartlesvilleuw.org. The non-profit, BRUW partner agency, or school then coordinates with the project lead to determine when they want to put in the work.

The portal for Day of Caring projects in 2021 has closed, however, Cary invites everyone to get out into the community and get involved. Cary says there are always projects that are always listed that are not always listed on their Day of Caring site. She says there are agencies in our area that need help year round, not just during Day of Caring.

Bartlesville Regional United Way is coming off of a successful golf tournament where they broke a record for amount of golfers and monies raised. Cary says they raised over $800,000 thanks to support from the community and their wonderful sponsors and friends.

Looking ahead, Cary says they are holding kick-offs with different companies while getting donations from retirees that worked for Phillips 66 and ConocoPhillps. Cary says they continue to do day-to-day work to help their partner agencies as well so those groups can do the work that is vital to our communities in Washington, Nowata and Osage counties. She thanks the community for helping their partner agencies make a difference daily.