As Mother’s Day approaches, so does Lumber River United Way’s Day of Caring.

Day of Caring is an opportunity for residents in Bladen, Robeson, and Hoke counties to give back to their communities through service projects organized by Lumber River United Way.

During last year’s Day of Caring, more than 100 volunteers came together to provide over 500 hours of community service.

“United Way is encouraging eager volunteers to give back to the community they love, 2023 Day of Caring is highlighting cancer, specifically early detection. The 13th Annual Knit-In will concentrate on stuffing and sewing pillows for breast cancer patients,” said Director of Community Impact Tomeika Munn.

Prospective volunteers can find more information on the Day of Caring at lumberriver.org/day-caring, including a comprehensive list of all the projects for which participants can volunteer.

Day of Caring begins at 10 a.m. and lasts until 3 p.m.

Volunteers will register at 9 a.m. and will be provided with a free breakfast and tee shirt, followed by a kick-off rally at 10 a.m.

Included below are just a few of the volunteer opportunities available this year:

•Knit-In event hosted by NC Cooperative Extension of Bladen, Hoke, and Robeson counties

•Rehab Lower Income Home with W.A.R.M. in Elizabethtown

•Lunch and mentoring at Southeastern Carolina Crossroads, hosted by Elizabethtown Rotary

•Facility cleaning hosted by Robeson County Humane Society

•Exploration Station beautification project

•Maggie’s Outreach Center beautification project

Volunteers are able to register for the project they wish to volunteer for with preference given to those who registered first.

Those with less available time to give can still participate in the Day of Caring. Those unable to volunteer for larger projects are invited to stop by Lumberton Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Hummer to stuff a pillow that will be given with love to breast cancer patients. This project takes about 15 minutes.

Additional volunteer opportunities for those in a time crunch include dropping off nonperishable food items at Lumberton Chevrolet Buick GMC Hummer and the City of Lumberton Town Hall on the day of the event.

Day of Caring is sponsored by Lumberton Chevrolet Buick GMC Hummer and GRAIL, LLC.

Lumber River United Way works to create positive, lasting change for people in need in Bladen and surrounding counties. The volunteer-driven non-profit is dedicated to solving the most pressing health and human service needs in southeastern North Carolina by assisting people in Bladen, Hoke, and Robeson counties who need it most.