Dedicated to helping others

Family volunteers in its 15th Day of Caring

Intelligencer Journal

Published: Sep 06, 2008
01:02 EST

Lancaster

By LORI VAN INGEN, Staff

Kennedy Jet Kulish, a sixth-grader at Hambright Elementary School, is a seasoned professional volunteer.

When she was just 6 years old, Kennedy began raising funds for needy children through "Kisses for Kaeden," the nonprofit organization she founded when it was discovered her baby brother had a hole in his heart.

Since that time, Kennedy has contributed more than 3,000 hours of volunteer work, raising $71,000 with the help of family, friends and neighbors.

But not only has Kennedy volunteered with Kisses for Kaeden to raise money, she also volunteers each September for the United Way's Day of Caring.

Although Kennedy is only 11 years old, her family has volunteered for 15 of the 17 years the Day of Caring has been held in Lancaster County.

"It's very addictive (volunteering at Day of Caring)," Kennedy's mother, Cammyjoy Kulish-Rhoads, said. "The community rocks. We love (Day of Caring) — and you feed us and dress us, too."

This year is the first time their family is repeating a volunteer assignment during the Day of Caring, Kulish-Rhoads said.

Kennedy, her family and 25 other people in their Kisses for Kaeden group are helping out with Lancaster YMCA's triathlon at Speedwell Forge in Lititz this morning.

"We get to root on the athletes and give them water," Kulish-Rhoads said.

"If it rains (as expected with Tropical Storm Hanna hugging the coastline) and people are still (competing) in the triathlon, we'll bring umbrellas and still cheer them on," Kennedy said. "It's fun to root on people."

"If they can be out there swimming in that lake and biking and running, the least we can do is stand in the rain and cheer them on," Kulish-Rhoads said.

Erin Conahan, director of the United Way Volunteer Center and coordinator of the Day of Caring, said portions of the Day of Caring will go on rain or shine today. The triathlon, indoor projects and the thank-you picnic hosted at McCaskey East will take place as planned.

However, outdoor projects may be rescheduled, she said. The agency site coordinators and team leaders have developed contingency plans in the event of rain and will decide this morning, on a case by case basis, whether to proceed or reschedule, Conahan said.

This year's Day of Caring includes 150 projects at 64 agencies with an estimated 3,500 volunteers from dozens of area companies, as well as college students, educators, church congregations, civic organizations and service groups, Conahan said.

"Traveling across the county on Day of Caring, catching glimpses of hundreds and hundreds of people dressed in the same T-shirt, you understand that you are part of something much larger than yourself and the project you completed," Susan Eckert, president of the United Way of Lancaster County, said.

"Volunteering on Day of Caring is about connectedness, not only to other participants, but to all the people who benefit from the time that you shared; giving works the same way," Eckert said. "That's what we mean when we talk about Living United, believing in the power of collective action."

The annual Day of Caring also kicks off the United Way of Lancaster County's fundraising campaign each year.

To achieve the goal of raising more resources to build a stronger Lancaster County, Eckert said, the United Way has set the following objectives:

• Increasing donors by 4 percent;

• Increasing employee giving by 4 percent;

• Increasing corporate giving by 4 percent;

• Increasing leadership giving of $1,000 or more by 12 percent;

• Raising $100,000 in new accounts.

E-mail: lvaningen@lnpnews.com