On a recent Saturday, more than 250 children and parents along with 133 volunteers came together at Santa Ana’s Memorial Park for an active day of play. The volunteer gathering was the official kick-off of Orange County United Way’s quarterly Days of Caring with a focus on families living a healthy lifestyle. Fun and energetic activities included physical fitness obstacle courses, soccer agility stations, relay races, basketball and kickball—all in support of our work in reducing childhood obesity.

Drawstring bags with various sporting equipment, courtesy of presenting sponsor Wells Fargo and health event sponsor AT&T, were distributed to every child participant to encourage greater physical activity at home. When kids can eat healthy balanced meals and get regular physical activity while having fun in the process, the chances of decreasing health problems later in life and overall obesity rates in the County will improve.

Each of the quarterly Days of Caring is aligned with one of our FACE 2024 goals to support the four building blocks for a good life: Education, Income, Health and Housing. The events bring corporate and community partners together to volunteer their time and serve local children, individuals and families that are facing barriers to success, while fostering team-building among participating companies.

Ginger Lee of Latino Health Access is just one of the agencies with participants that enjoyed the event. “It was a true pleasure to be a part of this year’s Day of Caring focused on health,” said Lee. “We at Latino Health Access and the families who participate with us are working to be physically and mentally healthy now to prevent serious problems in the future. It was great to get outdoors and be active with everyone during the event.”

The next Day of Caring will be focused on Income at Pretend City in June with workshops and resources to increase financial stability. Learn more about future Days of Caring volunteer events and view photos from the most recent Day of Caring.