At left, Bankers Trust employees work on playground equipment at Bidwell Riverside Center during Tuesday’s Day of Action. At right, a Sammons Financial employee cleans a mat at Sarge’s WestSide Boxing Club during the Day of Action. Sammons employees spent the day cleaning the gym and adding an after-school area for children. Photos submitted by United Way of Central Iowa.

More than 700 people volunteered to help 29 nonprofit organizations and four area school districts during the United Way of Central Iowa’s Day of Action on Tuesday.

Projects ranged from roadside cleanup to cleaning and repairing playground equipment, weeding and landscape work, and distributing educational materials. In all, 68 projects were involved in what the United Way said is the largest day of volunteer service in the region.

“Day of Action is an important way to raise awareness of the challenges people in our community face, for companies to engage employees to get involved in addressing these challenges, and for nonprofits and schools to have critical support they need to ultimately provide the solutions,” said Mary Sellers, president of United Way of Central Iowa. “As the pandemic continues, we know it’s challenging for organizations to encourage and promote volunteering in the community. We also know, however, that volunteering can have some great employee engagement benefits, like feeling fulfilled at work, strengthening relationships, and building company loyalty.”

The volunteers were made up primarily of 25 corporate partners, Sellers said.

Based on the hours volunteered Tuesday, the Day of Action generated more than $64,000 in economic impact for nonprofits that participated.

“Volunteering is one way a person can create immediate impact in our community,” said Ramona Gaukel, volunteer engagement officer, United Way of Central Iowa. “And it is impact you can see and experience.”