News

DAY OF ACTION: Volunteers spruce up schools ahead of Aug. 14 opening (2)

Volunteers from Pratt & Whitney and the N.C. Department of Justice pose at Edneyville Elementary School.

By Lightning Reports, Published: August 4, 2023

On a rainy Thursday and sunny Friday hundreds of community volunteers came together to contribute a morning of service to Henderson County public schools.

Since 2016, United Way’s Day of Action has been bringing volunteers to school campuses to work on projects that enhance the school environment before teachers and students begin a new academic year. The 2023 event registered nearly 400 volunteers. This year, volunteers worked at 22 schools to help spread mulch and manage outdoor landscape improvements.

"Day of Action provides maximum impact to Henderson County Public Schools by targeting all of our campuses, thus benefiting every single one of our more than 12,500 students," schools Superintendent said Mark Garrett said. "I have long been a proponent of community engagement, and it is wonderful to know we have this type of support from our neighbors. I want to thank everyone who came out to work, those who served behind the scenes, and the Day of Action sponsors for choosing to partner with us as we kick off another school year. HCPS is better because of you."

The volunteers included students and parents, school employees, individuals of all ages and 15 teams of workers from local businesses. The cumulative total of hours contributed by hundreds of volunteers exceeded 2,200 hours.

“United Way is delighted to organize this event that makes such a difference for our local schools,” said Denise Cumbee Long, United Way’s executive director. “It is obvious that the volunteers who rolled up their sleeves really care about our teachers and school children. And the staff at HCPS tell us that it makes them feel supported and appreciated.”

“This has been great," Glenn Marlow Elementary School principal John Hart said. "And the rainy day gave us a bonus of two mornings of volunteers. We’ve got a lot of landscaping at Glenn Marlow."

Day of Action was generously supported by local business sponsors including Champion Comfort Experts, Pratt & Whitney, Hendersonville/Mills River Family Dentistry, Mast General Store, Sky Top Orchard, Reid & Reid Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics and WNC Bridge Foundation.