United Way of Tucson supports the community during 'Days of Caring' volunteer event

United Way of Tucson is giving back with its annual Days of Caring volunteer event.

The non-profit says days of caring will be on Oct. 24th and Oct. 25th, with more than 1000 volunteers at over 100 local organizations.

Including right here at the community food bank.

Guadalupe Longoria has a son she needs to feed, and says that the support given to her by the Community Food Bank is what helps her care for her family.

"I’m very fortunate to be able to come with my Son, and sometimes at the end of the month,we don’t have a lot of food," Longoria said. "A lot of people could rely on food stamps, but we can’t. So for us people who sometimes work, but it’s not enough for like our paycheck. It’s a wonderful opportunity that we’re here to support our families at the end of the month."

That support is what United Way volunteer Aiden Kuzak says inspires him to volunteer.

"I really wanted to volunteer, especially at a service place such as this, because it does a lot of good," Kuzak says. "A lot of these people buy on the patients and the food that comes in here in order to make it buy through the week."

Kuzak is one of over one thousand volunteers participating in United Way of Tucson’s annual Days of Caring event.

Melissa D’Auria, Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer of United Way Tucson, says that the Community Food Bank is just one of the local organizations involved in Days of Caring.

"We reach out to the community, to nonprofits, schools, and different organizations to submit projects that they need volunteers for," D'Auria said. "We’re taking all of our partners, bringing them together, and we’re working towards the goal of improving the community."

While United Way supports Many different organizations, D'Auria says that federal funding has caused changes this year.

"As we know, federal funding has been cut," D'Auria says. "This year, we have had fewer projects with some agencies, such as the food bank. A lot of nonprofits are hurting right now."

However, United Way says they are pushing forward with more volunteer events on October 25th.

For a full list of volunteer events, you can click here.