"We're here to help our community,'' said Villarreal, on her knees as she yanked at a particularly ornery clump of weeds.

The weather did little to dampen the spirits of these volunteers.

"It's cleansing,'' said Marrie, "when you are doing something good for the community. Doing something to make it better, more beautiful.''

That's a shared sentiment.

Some 3,230 volunteers from nearly 150 local companies, agencies and groups came out today to pull weeds, scrub walls and pick up trash all around the city and county during the 12th-annual United Way Day of Caring.

"That number says a lot about the people of Lancaster County,'' said Beth Gerber, the Day of Caring director of communications.

The county United Way can boast the largest Day of Caring turnout in the nation among metropolitan areas of this size.

But Gerber said the many organizations volunteering today have little taste for boasting. They prefer action to talk.

Across town on Euclid Avenue, staff members from the city law firm of Gibbel, Kraybill & Hess were working with Habitat for Humanity. They were doing preconstruction work, such as prepping the driveway for macadam.

Holding a rake and ready to get to work, Vickie Gerontonis of Willow Street, a receptionist at the law firm, noted that co-workers have volunteered for the Day of Caring every year since it began. "And we'll be here next year,'' she said proudly. "Rain or shine.''

"We try to work with Habitat every year,'' added Becky Davis, an office administrator who lives in Mount Gretna. "We really like the work they do for the community.''

"When the family that will soon live here comes by and sees these folks working to build them a house, well, it's exciting for them to see this level of caring from their community,'' said Larry Fowler, Habitat construction supervisor.

The four houses Habitat is building on the block were being prepared by the volunteers today for a large-scale building drive next weekend, when 62 local churches will participate in "The House that Churches Built.''

More than 220 projects were being worked on simultaneously this morning throughout Lancaster County.

All across the area this morning, volunteers could be seen wearing royal-blue T-shirts with the "Day of Caring'' logo across the front. They carried shovels and pruning shears, cleaning supplies and trash bags.

Volunteers from Abel//Savage Marketing & Communications were washing ambulances and cleaning up the rescue-services station at Manheim Township Ambulance, 1820 Municipal Drive.

Ten volunteers from Walz, Deihm, Geisenberger, Bucklen & Tennis and Armstrong World Industries were sprucing up the grounds and painting the cafeteria at the Occupational Development Center, 640 Martha Ave.

At COBYS Family Services, 1417 Oregon Road, eight volunteers from Precision Medical Products were washing windows and cleaning bathrooms.

Joan Paxton, chairperson of the 2003 United Way campaign, finds it exhilarating to drive around the county and see a "sea of people in blue shirts, cleaning, weeding, painting and landscaping...a wonderful, visible symbol of the power of collective action and positive community spirit.''

The Day of Caring kicks off the United Way's 2003 fund-raising campaign.

"So much is accomplished through Day of Caring activities,'' said Paxton. "The agencies benefit, the volunteers benefit, the entire community benefits. But beyond the visible exterior changes, we also witness an incredible reward: the spirit of giving.''

The Day of Caring ended at noon when volunteers gathered at McCaskey East High School for a picnic.

The day was sponsored by Lancaster General Hospital, Pepperidge Farm and PPL.

For more information about the Day of Caring and a complete list of participants, visit the United Way's Web site at www.uwlanc.org.


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