Over 1,000 volunteers serve community in annual CareFest event in Wheaton

More than 1,175 volunteers served in the community this week as part of an effort called CareFest.

With the theme of “Neighbors Serving Neighbors,” volunteers lead by Wheaton Bible Church and Iglesia del Pueblo spent more than 6,000 hours cleaning, painting, planting, landscaping, building, and repairing at more than 70 locations including homeless shelters, women’s shelters, counseling centers, youth and community centers, eighteen schools in three school districts, and at the homes of 29 families in need.

The work was supported by more than a dozen local businesses that donated funds, materials, or professional services.

“Our goal is to build bridges of love and compassion into the community. It is amazing to see so many people of diverse generations, skill sets, backgrounds, and passions come together for the good of our communities,” says Kyle Reschke, CareFest organizer and pastor of local and global missions for Wheaton Bible Church. “When you give your time, resources, and skills to serve others you are saying that they have value and worth. Our goal is to love our neighbors well — with no strings attached — we believe we exist as a Church to serve and be a blessing to every neighbor.”

Since 2005, CareFest has brought together volunteers of all ages from area churches and local businesses to donate their time, material, and talents to serve the community.

Volunteers have used hundreds of gallons of paint, planted more than 11,000 flowers, and spread over 5,500 cubic yards of mulch, enough to cover 25 football fields.

Altogether, CareFest volunteers and their sponsors have donated in excess of 70,000 hours of service impacting the lives of up to 26,000 people.

To find more information, including a list of the local businesses that sponsor CareFest, visit www.carefest.org.