Staff photo by Clay Schuldt Stacy Merkel and Nancy Grausam. Citizens Bank team members, complete lawn work on South Franklin as part of United Ways Day of Caring.

NEW ULM — The United Way Day of Caring started Friday and will continue Saturday with multiple teams of volunteers those in need helping with seasonal chores.

This is the 24th annual Day of Caring held in the Brown County area. Each year the United Way organizes a fall Day of Caring in October. Teams head to the homes of senior or disabled residents and help will fall maintenance. This usually includes yard work like raking leaves, washing windows and cleaning gutters or helping move items.

Many of the teams will be working on Saturday, but the Citizen’s Bank team got a jump start Friday afternoon. Multiple Citizen’s Bank volunteers visited homes on the south side of New Ulm to help with fall yard work.

Nancy Grausam helped trim hedges at a South Franklin Street home. Grausam said “I love outdoor projects and using the tools,” she said. “There is is also a need for this.”

As Grausam timed hedges Stacy Merkel ranked the yard and Beth Wendinger cut back plants before the freeze.

Merkel said the weather was perfect for yard work and was the right time before the freeze.

On 8th South Street, Sarah Seifert and Lisa Schneider cleaned up a property. Seifert was also please with the weather. She remembered previous Days of Caring in which it snowed. The previous October Day of Caring was canceled due to a snow storm.

Volunteers will head out again Saturday morning. A special kickoff breakfast is being held from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. by the New Ulm Hub Club at the Jefferson cafeteria. From there teams will head out into the community to complete their projects.

This year’s Day of caring is sponsored by Thrivent Financial, who in addition to volunteering also provided extra supplies for the teams.

The Day of Caring projects are chosen based on the homeowners’ ability. Teams provide maintenance for homeowners who because of age or disability require assistance with seasonal cleanup.