OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - Friday marked United Way of Central Oklahoma’s annual Day of Caring.
“We're all givers at heart, I think, and this is just an invitation to come on out,” said John Armitage, MD, the President and CEO of Our Blood Institute.
On Friday, hundreds of volunteers across central Oklahoma took the time to serve their communities. The effort pairs volunteer teams with local nonprofits.
"It's bonding for those companies to come together and spend a few hours doing something, and it helps them know those agencies better,” said Rachel Holt, the United Way of Central Oklahoma President and CEO.
Pivot on NE 50th Street in Oklahoma City provides youth between the ages of 12 and 17 with a safe and secure temporary place to live.
"We've had a lot of construction that's happened to our building in the last year,” Elizabeth McLeckie, Pivot’s manager of marketing and communications.
So volunteers from Our Blood Institute and the Oklahoma State Medical Association spent the morning helping the nonprofit move boxes and get organized.
"While they may seem kind of monotonous or kind of small, it really is incredible the help that they are able to give us so that we can better provide for our youth,” said McLeckie.
There were a handful of other volunteer events happening across OKC as well, ranging from landscaping to painting to feeding those experiencing homelessness.
"I think it just expands the idea that there's so many gifts that people have to share,” said Armitage. “It doesn't take a deep, deep commitment. Anything you do on any given day is part of helping."
This year, Our Blood Institute and Donable Cares partnered with United Way of Central Oklahoma. Both individuals and companies can sign up for a United Way QR code to donate blood at any OBI location in the region.
For each blood donation scheduled and completed through United Way’s QR code, Donable Cares contributes $15 to United Way of Central Oklahoma.
