Contact: Dr. Donna M. Simon (304) 766-3363 dsimon@wvstateu.edu

INSTITUTE, W.Va. – West Virginia State University (WVSU) will be giving back to residents of the Kanawha Valley on Saturday, April 27, during the university’s first Cares Day.
The event will bring together WVSU alumni, faculty, staff and students who will fan out across Kanawha and Putnam Counties to perform volunteer work on a variety of projects.
“It will be a day of community service to give back to the area,” said Joe Oden, assistant vice president of Enrollment and Student Affairs. “We view this as a chance to say thank you for the community’s support.”
Volunteers are still being sought to participate in Cares Day, and all current and former Yellow Jackets are welcome to lend a hand, Oden said.
A registration form for volunteers is available online at . Registration is required and the deadline to register to be a volunteer is April 17. Volunteers will receive a free t-shirt.
Oden said that he is hoping to have 300 volunteers to help out on Cares Day.
Volunteers will be working on a variety of projects throughout the area, including roadside clean-up, painting, tree trimming, digging or window washing. Other types of projects could involve working with youth, literacy education, serving meals or office work.
Oden said individuals and groups in the community can submit job sites for consideration as part of Cares Day. The application to submit a job site for consideration can also be found at
The deadline to submit a job site for consideration is April 17.
“We have already received applications for nearly 20 sites from throughout Kanawha and Putnam counties,” Oden said. “We will try to accommodate as many sites as we can on Cares Day.”
In addition to the website, registration forms for volunteers and applications for site consideration can be picked up on the WVSU campus in room 103 of the Wilson University Union or in room 130 of Ferrell Hall.
For more information, contact Oden at (304) 766-3140 or