Photo by Derek Redd From left, volunteer Tom Kudla and Wheeling Health Right employees Milly Verdier and Jodi Miller sweep out the shed at Wheeling Health Right during the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley's Sandy O'Haver Day of Caring.

In the nonprofit world, when organizations spend so much time helping others, they often run out of time to help themselves. When a workday is based around helping others receive proper healthcare or find housing, tasks like simple maintenance get pushed to the corner.

On Wednesday, hundreds of volunteers from around the Ohio Valley spent the day at nonprofit groups across the valley, helping them with those simple, but needed tasks during the annual Sandy O’Haver Day of Caring through the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley. Businesses throughout the area had employees chip in at various sites.

Staci Stephen, the executive director of the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley, has been in the nonprofit world for nearly two decades, and she knows how nonprofit employees wear many hats.

Projects like painting or just shredding documents keep getting put off so those employees can continue assisting those in need.

“This is one of my favorite days of the year,” Stephen said, “because the community comes together and goes out and helps these agencies complete the projects they may not be able to get to for the rest of the year.”

Stephen said volunteers fanned out to Wetzel County to Barnesville and all points in between. At Wheeling Health Right, volunteers from Unified Bank and the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack worked throughout and around the facility, washing windows, painting railings and helping with landscaping among other tasks.

Wheeling Health Right Executive Director Anne Ricci said the work the volunteers do during their time there is invaluable.

“They buy our pharmaceutical staff, front office staff, medical staff and dental staff time with patients to provide the necessary care to those who are uninsured and underinsured or stuck in the benefit cliff,” she said. “And that shows that time matters and we can’t thank these businesses enough.”

The day benefitted the volunteers as well, serving to recharge their spiritual batteries by helping organizations that do so much for others. Angie Coe, compliance and quality control officer for Unified Bank, sees it from multiple angles. She’s not just a volunteer from the bank; she’s also a member of the Wheeling Health Right board of directors.

“There are a lot of things they just don’t have time to do, whether it’s washing windows or painting, they just don’t have the time. They’re doing all the wonderful things that they do. I think that’s what really helps me, knowing that we’re helping them.”

Kim Florence, president and general manager of the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack, said it’s good for her and her employees to do this work, to get a closer glimpse at what these organizations are doing.

“It’s re-energizing, getting out of your own element and getting over here and being reminded of all the work that these organizations do,” she said. “It’s just remarkable. It gives you a new perspective. Our team looks forward to this every year, trying to help those in the community. It’s just really refreshing.”