Wednesday was not just another day at the office for some community-minded workers from the River Cities area.

Employees from nine organizations participated in the United Way's Day of Caring including BASF Corporation, Cabell Huntington Hospital, Fifth Third Bank and Liebert Corporation. Volunteers performed a variety of tasks from spring-cleaning to sorting and bagging Christmas toys for disadvantaged children in the area, according to a United Way press release.

Five people from Liebert volunteered at the Ironton City Mission Church and City Welfare Mission as part of the Day of Caring, while four others rustproofed a fence at Cammack Children's Center in Huntington, W.Va. The Ironton group painted one of the mission's large gathering rooms where services and dinners are offered to people in need.

"It's such a blessing," the Rev. Jim Cremeans, pastor and director of the mission said. "This is the second time they've come and painted. Liebert has been a big help. They've always supported us with the food and toy drives at Christmas and offered monetary support. They're just a really good supporter of us."

Liebert employee Debbie Mays explained that she and her fellow workers volunteer every year with the United Way. They go wherever needed and do what they can to help make improvements in the area. The mission requested help this year, so United Way dispatched Liebert to the location.

"There are a lot of people who come here to this church and we're just trying to make it (the facility) a little nicer for them," Mays, a quality auditor from Ironton, said.

For the Liebert volunteers, the time was well spent.

"What I get out of it is knowing that I am helping my neighbors and my community by giving back and making it a better place for them," Bobbie Jackson, a materials and tool crib worker from Ironton, said.

For Cremeans, the help was invaluable.

"It (painting) has been a big help to us," Cremeans said. "We don't have the people to do it and it just means a great deal. They brightened it (the room) up. They changed the color and they're working on finishing the hallway now."

The mission provides food, shelter, clothing and furniture to people in the River Cities area. Last year, it served Thanksgiving dinner for 450 and prepares noon meals Monday through Friday for anyone in need, Cremeans said. Every Christmas, it sponsors a toy drive benefiting more than 1,000 children. For more information, call 532-5041.