1,300 volunteers offer helping hands; United Way yearly Day of Caring.

• Position: LOCAL NEWS

Byline: Linda Bock

WORCESTER - More than 1,300 volunteers worked on a variety of projects in the Worcester area yesterday as part of United Way of Central Massachusetts' annual Day of Caring.

Tim Garvin, president and CEO of United Way, said he planned to visit 19 work sites throughout the day. His first stop was the Worcester Senior Center on Providence Street, where he thanked Reliant Medical Group volunteers who discussed a wide variety of health-related topics with seniors.

Across the street, Victoria Waterman, CEO of Girls Inc., worked alongside eight volunteers from UNUM.

"We're doing fall outdoor sprucing up and beautifying the grounds," Ms. Waterman said.

The UNUM contingent of volunteers was the largest participating in the Day of Caring.

Over at the Garden at Crompton Park, UNUM volunteers were to button up the community garden for the winter, mow grass and do outdoor maintenance projects.

The YWCA at 1 Salem Square looked great after a small army of volunteers from Novo Nordisk spent the morning mowing, weeding, hedge-trimming, sweeping and picking up trash. Novo Nordisk is this year's Day of Caring sponsor.

Meanwhile, volunteers from...