Leadership and staff of the PA Chamber joined hundreds of volunteers from local businesses and organizations for the United Way Capital Region’s Annual Day of Caring and Stuff the Bus Initiative. The Chamber’s volunteers joined up with several other local volunteer teams to support clean-up and beautification projects in Harrisburg’s Allison Hill neighborhood. The projects were planned in conjunction with Wildheart Ministries’ Love the Hill initiative, which works to improve the community and lower crime.

The PA Chamber’s team cleared debris, trash and overgrown vegetation from several blocks in the neighborhood. Volunteers also landscaped and mowed sidewalk and common spaces.

“Today was definitely a great day with our team!  One of the highlights that impacted me was when our team came across a very overgrown memorial for someone who passed in 2017,” said Paula Beleck, benefit sales consultant with PCI Services. “As we were cleaning around the area a man drove by in a van and thanked us.  It definitely had me thinking of that person’s family and hopefully when people walk by and can now see it, and think of them.”

“It was a gratifying feeling to know that our group was making a small difference just by lending a hand,” said Tracie Rollins, member executive with the PA Chamber.

The PA Chamber also delivered more than 60 pounds of supplies to the United Way for its annual Stuff the Bus initiative, which delivers school supplies to students and classrooms throughout the region. Dozens of local companies and organizations supported the initiative this year, with total donations of 21,600 school supplies and more than $1,000 dollars in cash and gift cards, which will support students in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties.