More than 200 volunteers took time out of their day Thursday to get their hands dirty and support organizations throughout Warren County in need of a little help.

The United Way of West Central Mississippi hosted its 21st annual Day of Caring Thursday, and 225 volunteers participated in 18 projects throughout the community.

“It is the day of love,” said Heidi Burrell, United Way’s director of resource development. “If nothing else, 200 people get to touch another life and they get to see our agencies, talk to our directors and find out what the programs are and their services. It is not just open to United Way partners. It is also other not for profits in our community.”

Teams from Ameristar, Ergon, Walmart and more participated in the event. Workers helped to strip floors at the Salvation Army, complete projects at the community garden and spruce up the flowerbeds at Central Mississippi Prevention Services among the 18 sites.

“I have been involved in three or four days of caring and I have always had my little project to work on whether it was clean this or paint this,” United Way Board Chairman Tim Reeves said. “Now, to be able to go around and see the 18 locations we’ve got today and all the things that are being handled is awe inspiring. You know that you are making a positive impact on the community in one day. It shows what a mass of people with one mission and one goal can do.”

The annual event started with a kickoff at Vicksburg Mall Thursday morning before the teams set off to their locations to get to work and give back to the community. Burrell said they had a few less projects this year than last, but had more volunteers and a few new teams taking part in the event.

“We have been participating in the United Way for three years,” said Lynn Foley, Director of Sales and Marketing for Southern Hospitality Services, whose team worked at Central MS Prevention Services. “I have been with the company for nine years and it bothered me that we didn’t do more to give back to the community so we made a commitment a few years ago to do more.”

Foley’s team helped to clean the flowerbeds, trim bushes, lay new mulch and clean out a storage unit at the center during a few hours of work.

“It is phenomenal and this year the teams at all three of our hotels are so engaged about what United Way is about and giving back to our community,” she said.