Lafayette volunteers lend a helping hand during Day of Caring

By Kelly Huth

A team of volunteers from Lafayette College and B. Braun volunteered during Day of Caring at the Salvation Army Easton Corps.

Lafayette staff members joined volunteers from across the Lehigh Valley Sept. 14 during the United Way’s 30th Day of Caring community service event.

Landis Center for Community Engagement arranged for a Lafayette crew to join a team from B. Braun at the Salvation Army’s Easton Corps on Northampton Street. The team spent much of the day unboxing and sorting nonperishable food donations, as well as filling bags with food for families to pick up from the nonprofit’s food bank. 

Captains Isabel and Daniel Mino say they’ve seen an increase in recent months of the number of those who come for emergency food assistance from the food bank, with some months seeing 300 families.

Isabel notes that those in need are able to pick up emergency food supplies from the Easton Corps four days a week, and fresh fruits and veggies three days per week.

She says having extra helping hands during Day of Caring allowed her team to focus on other to-dos.

Volunteers from Lafayette and B. Braun worked to unpack and sort food donations at the Salvation Army’s Easton Corps as part of the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley’s Day of Caring.

“It helped us so much—not just us personally, but our community as well,” Mino says. “Having those food bags packed and ready to go when people come to us, it really matters. It makes a difference.”

Volunteers also sorted and organized clothing donations, cleaned the kitchen and prep area for the soup kitchen, and power-washed outside areas.

According to a news release from the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, Day of Caring engaged more than 1,200 volunteers in community service projects at 53 area nonprofits throughout the Lehigh Valley.

Rebecca Pichetto, divisional operations manager for enrollment, says the day offered a chance to support the community. 

“My family holds community service as a core value, and I love representing the Enrollment Division and the Administrative Council at Lafayette College while living out this value in Easton.”