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A dozen volunteers donned gardening gloves and got to work.

Their task: some light landscaping, including weeding, trimming, and removing dead vines and a tree from the flower beds at Yakima's Allied ArtsCenter.

But these jobs didn't daunt the folks from Yakima's Southwest Rotary Club and the Dolsen Companies.

"I think most of us that volunteer want to give back to the community," said Kathy Sebree, a Dolsen receptionist, leaning against a shovel Thursday morning.

Spiffing up Allied ArtsCenter was just one of many community service projects that took place Thursday to help launch the 2008 fundraising season for United Way of Yakima County.

The "Live United" campaign launched around 8:30 a.m. at
Yakima's Jewett Child Development Center. The annual kickoff event, including the service projects, is known as the Day of Caring.

"We believe we have a very generous community, and they are going to step up and support the programs that they use and that their friends and neighbors use," said Tysa Kihn, a resource devel-opment associate for the local United Way. "What we raise stays in Yakima County."

United Way raises and distributes funds to fulfill community needs. The money is used to support approximately 60 local programs each year.

While it accepts donations all year, the volunteer-driven organization's main push takes place September through November.

This year's goal — $2.25 million — represents nearly a 7 percent increase over 2007's goal of $2.1 million.

"Our energy costs and food costs are higher, just like everywhere," said campaign chairman John Rothenbueler. "The people we are serving don't have discretionary income to account for that increase."

About 25 percent of local United Way donations come from donors who give $1,000 or more, Rothenbueler said. The bulk of the rest, he said, comes from employees at local businesses who give a regular donation from their paychecks.

"Most of them are small amounts," Rothenbueler said. "But if you have 200 employees giving $5 a month, that's $1,000 a month for 12 months. That's $12,000. That's significant. It all adds up."

According to Rothenbueler, 84 percent of the money raised by the local United Way is allocated to agencies and organizations in Yakima County. Another 7 percent goes to fundraising costs, and 9 percent is used for administration.

But United Way isn't just about money. After the morning campaign kickoff, more than 250 volunteers — many from local businesses — participated in Day of Caring service projects.

Day of Caring is "a great way" to give back to the community, said OralynnManweller, an engineer at GE Aviation Systems in Yakima. "I feel privileged to work for a company that allows us the time to do this."

Two dozen GE employees helped Thursday to tidy up the Salvation Army. Other Day of Caring projects included assembling "buddy bags" for youths in foster care, painting picnic tables at Carroll Children's Center and creating a play area for children at Triumph Treatment Services housing.

Still others were cleaning and repairing homes of local seniors, collecting school supplies, hats and scarves for children in need, and reading to children.

Plus, United Way is sponsoring a "Coats for Seniors" drive and gathering new and gently used coats, which will be distributed by United Way agencies.

Thursday's kickoff featured a hot breakfast for volunteers, prepared by members of Yakima County Search and Rescue, as well as a "Trick my Trike" competition.

Tricycles, decorated by employees of local companies, will be donated to agencies that serve children in Yakima County. Meantime, the three-wheelers will be displayed for a few weeks in the windows of the Wilson Building at the corner of Yakima Avenue and Third Street.

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