Businesses have pitched in, donations are being gathered, and volunteers are preparing in Searcy for the annual event that brings community members together to show they care.
The 19th annual A Day of Caring will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 1 in the Ganus Athletic Center at Harding University in Searcy. Unity Health organizes this event every year to help the uninsured and underinsured residents of White County receive free medical, dental and vision screenings, among other services.
“It can really make a big difference in someone’s life,” said Brooke Pryor, marketing director at Unity Health. “They’re happy to be there. They’re happy to have the opportunity, which is wonderful. When you have such a large group of people in one place, it’s good to know that they’re happy.”
In addition to the health screenings, participants in A Day of Caring will have the opportunity to receive haircuts,
immunizations and pap exams. Free items will be distributed, including school supplies, Bibles, children’s socks and shoes, underwear, diapers, bags of groceries and personal-care products. Children must be present to receive school supplies, socks/underwear and diapers.
This is the third year shoes will be available at A Day of Caring. The Kiwanis Club of Searcy has made shoe-collecting a special project, and Pryor said the number of donated shoes continues to rise each year as a result of the club’s efforts.
“We’ve always known that [children’s shoes] was such a need,” she said. “Kiwanis made that possible a few years ago. It looks like they’re slated to have more shoes than last year, and we’re excited about that.”
There are several places around Searcy for the public to drop off donated items for A Day of Caring, Pryor said.
“Most of the grocery stores in town, as well as the Walmart Supercenter, have a donation box — a large red box that says ‘Donate Here’ — for nonperishable food items,” she said. “Also, shoes and diapers are still a big need. Personal-care items are always a big need — shampoo, soap, toothpaste, deodorant. We can never have too much, and we do not have leftovers by the end of the day.”
The 22nd annual Shots for Tots and Teens will be held in conjunction with A Day of Caring, and a parent or guardian is required to attend with a child’s vaccination record for the child to receive immunizations.
With immunizations and school supplies as part of A Day of Caring, Pryor said, the event can be a “one-stop shop” for back-to-school preparations.
“Things a lot of us take for granted — like shopping for school supplies and getting a haircut — can be a difference-maker for a lot of families,” Pryor said. “Being able to get that at A Day of Caring could mean they can use that money to pay a necessary bill at home. … It’s heartwarming to see. You can almost see the relief in the parents’ eyes, and those kids are beaming. We see ear-to-ear smiles because they’re proud to have new shoes and a fresh haircut and all the school supplies they need on the first day.”
On average, 1,400 to 1,900 people attend A Day of Caring, Pryor said, and hundreds of
volunteers are needed to make the event run smoothly. Many volunteers are hospital doctors and staff, but Pryor said a large portion of the volunteer force comes from outside Unity Health.
“We have about 400 volunteers come the day of the event,” she said. “At this point, they can show up on the day to volunteer. They can call beforehand if they want. We like to talk it through with people, especially if they’ve never been before. We ask that all volunteers try to be there at 8 a.m. — the doors open at 9 a.m. — however, if you can’t be there at 8, come at any time and we’ll put you in an area that needs help.”
For more information on A Day of Caring — including volunteer and sponsorship opportunities — contact Unity Health Event Specialist Anna Brumfield at (501) 278-3230 or abrumfield@wcmc.org.
Staff writer Angela Spencer can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or aspencer@arkansasonline.com.