University Times

Staff and faculty volunteers again will be lending a hand in the community for the 10th annual Day of Caring Sept. 6.

More than 500 Pitt volunteers, including family members and friends, are expected to work in surrounding neighborhoods and at local and regional agencies as part of this year's Pitt-United Way campaign. The formal campaign, which will be launched Oct. 11, has set a goal of $625,000, in an effort to best last year's record of $600,833. Chancellor Mark Nordenberg will chair the campaign's southwest Pennsylvania regional effort this year.

Day of Caring activities range from renovating local homes and helping to clean up Oakland, to visiting the elderly and packaging medical supplies and donated food.

In addition to work release time (with the approval of their supervisors), Day of Caring volunteers get a T-shirt; lunch; transportation to and from the site, and the opportunity to win prizes during this fall's Pitt-United Way effort.

Some of the Day of Caring projects are:

* The War on Vines. A project co-sponsored by Partners in Parks will help weed out the wild grape vines in portions of Schenley Park behind the Frick Fine Arts building and Mervis Hall.

* West Oakland Interior Restoration. Sponsored by Breach-menders community action group, volunteers will help paint interiors of some homes near campus that are set for resale.

* The War on AIDS. One group of volunteers will assist Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force staff in distributing AIDS-prevention materials in local neighborhoods. A second group will help at the task force's East End offices with painting and bulk mail preparation. A third group will staff a client picnic.

* Oakland Gateway Floral Project. In conjunction with the Oakland Business Improvement District, volunteers will plant a floral gateway to Oakland in the area of Fifth, Forbes and Craft avenues.

* The Program for Female Offenders. Some volunteers will assist with helping Uptown area clients with GED preparation and job interviewing, while others spruce up an Uptown garden area.

* Paint Your Heart Out. Pitt volunteers will help paint the exteriors of homes of elderly residents on the South Side.

* The Home Improvement project. Volunteers will work at Family House in central Oakland, washing outdoor furniture, making hoagies, preparing parking signs and cleaning up.

To register for the Day of Caring, go to the Web address: www.pitt.edu/~united. Pre-registration is required. For more information, call coordinator Steve Zupcic at 624-7709; or e-mail him at stz@pitt.edu.