28 September 2014

A heartfelt “thank you” to United Way of Pierce County and University of Washington, Tacoma, for an unforgettable “Day of Caring” at The Salvation Army in Tacoma, WA, on Friday, September 19.

The Day of Caring is a nationwide annual tradition of the United Way. In Pierce County, we were honored to have 30 students volunteer at The Salvation Army for this special event.

The goal of Day of Caring was to “bring people together to build a stronger community.” With the help of the volunteers, The Salvation Army was able to complete beautification projects that we otherwise wouldn’t have the time or manpower to complete.

     

A group of about 15 volunteers helped build recycling and compost centers throughout The Salvation Army campus -- the homeless shelter, food bank, and Corps building.

A second group of 15 volunteers built a labyrinth at the corner of South 11th Street and South Union Avenue (adjacent to the community garden). Before beginning their work, the students stood together on the site and talked about the history and meaning of labyrinths. Most of the volunteers were unfamiliar with the ancient history and sacred meaning of the labyrinth.

Monty Smith of the NW Leadership Foundation’s Sustainable Roots Program led the creation of the labyrinth. “Labyrinths have a long tradition across many cultures. Even today, labyrinths have different meanings to everyone,” he said.

     

Salvation Army employee Jameel Wiley looked forward to the completed labyrinth as a “holy place for us; you can step into it and relax your mind.”

By the end of the day, the volunteers had completed the labyrinth – nearly 40-feet in diameter. It is available to all members of the community who want to come and spend some time…to relax, pray, meditate, or clear their mind.