Xcel Energy gears up for 4-days of 'Day of Service'
Registration is open for Xcel Energy's Day of Service, a very popular volunteer opportunity across Colorado. This year Day of Service will last four days from September 8th through the 11th, and there are nearly 40 projects to choose from.
"We all benefit from being able to provide service to our local communities, to local non-profits, and we benefit by being able to be together in service of our customers and communities," said Robert Kenney, President of Xcel Energy Colorado.
The energy utility started Day of Service in 2010 to honor the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. It started as a volunteer day for Xcel employees only, but then the utility opened up the projects to the entire Colorado community. Xcel employees work with nonprofit organizations across the state to set up volunteer projects. The projects range from landscaping work , to packing meals, to sorting donations, and more. The projects last for a few hours, and make a huge difference for the organizations that are involved.
"For more than a decade we've been bringing together our coworkers, contractors, retirees, family members, and customers to volunteer together at local nonprofits. It's one of our company's most treasured traditions, and it now takes place in all 8 states that we serve," Kenney explained.
As with most events, the pandemic dramatically impacted Day of Service. Xcel Energy experimented with extending the time period beyond one day, and developed some at-home/virtual projects. And as with most post-pandemic events, this year's event will be a hybrid of old and new. Organizers have spread the projects over four days instead of one, and included some at-home/virtual projects for those who feel more comfortable with that format. In the end, Day of Service is designed to build stronger communities through volunteering.
"We want this to be fun. We want people to be together and be connected to each other, particularly after having been apart for the last couple of years," Kenney said.
LINK: Sign up for a project during Xcel Energy's Day of Service
