TOPEKA (KSNT) – Friday marked the annual United Way Nancy Perry Day of Caring, as organizations from all over Shawnee County joined together to give back to the community.
More than 600 volunteers from organizations like Evergy and Squeegee Squad spent the day on Sept. 18 outside in the heat doing yard work, hanging lights and painting. We spoke with volunteers at the Topeka Rescue Mission and the Topeka Zoo. Both groups said this day holds a special meaning for the community.
“I think the amount of participation has grown,” said lead HR business partner for Evergy, Melvin Norrington. “I feel like our leaders are getting us more involved in seeking more participation. So, my experience has been the people I’m with, the groups are getting bigger and bigger, and I think our employees are looking forward to it.”
“I think the whole goal is to watch the community come together, right?” said the president of Squeegee Squad, Melissa Coburn. “We all love this place. We all love where we live. We all love each other. We’re trying to make something great for our kids and our families and everybody to come through. And there’s just such a sense of pride of bringing the community together and doing something fantastic. And I think that’s the spirit of the day.”
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The event honors Nancy Perry, the former CEO of United Way of Greater Topeka. Nancy and her family were also volunteering alongside the other organizations.
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