TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – Hundreds of people from dozens of organizations across East Texas went out into the community today to serve on the United Way Day of Caring.
KLTV 7′s Willie Downs tagged along with some volunteers to see what they were doing to make a difference.
“It’s been a great exhibit of people working together, because we’ve been on this assembly line packing these boxes. Everybody just gets with it, but we’ve had a chance to visit.”
County Commissioner Precinct 1, Neal Franklin, tells how he and others from Smith County are excited to contribute something on United Way Day of Caring by volunteering at the East Texas Food Bank in Tyler.
He says he has been able to get to know employees from Smith County that he didn’t know before, and says he loves being able to work together.
“I love this community, born and raised here, it’s just an opportunity to give back. It makes me feel good.”
Senior boxes non perishable items such as canned goods, peanut butter, and evaporated milk to help supplement seniors with food to get them through the month. The East Texas Food Bank is currently helping over 4,000 seniors a month get a box of food.
“I don’t know how many pallets it’s been. There’s 48 boxes to a pallet, we did figure that out, and we’ve been loading them, and it’s multiple pallets and we still have more to do.”
Senior Project Manager at Langan Engineering, Carter Delleney, along with 14 of his co-workers helped box up donated goods to be dispersed to 200 food pantries around East Texas.
“We’re all back in the back, packing boxes up, getting sweaty and doing good work.”
Among the other organizations giving back are the Smith County Habitat for Humanity, who took to the flower beds to move a little earth.
Delleney shares why it’s important for him and others to give back.
“We’re called to serve our communities that we live in – you know, we’re not only from Tyler, we’re from Bullard and other places so we love being able to give back like this.”
United Way Day of Caring is one way that people give back, however, the organization serves the East Texas community every day to help our most vulnerable neighbors.
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