U.M. Army Volunteers Help Those in Need

A team of high-spirited middle school children were busy Wednesday in the backyard of Pola Toleda’s Bloomfield home, clearing branches and putting up a garden trestle for her roses.

Pola Toleda was delighted with her work crew.

“I didn’t expect so many,” Toledo said, laughing. The kids, volunteers organized through the United Park Methodist Church, were doing work and other chores that Toledo has had trouble with since she underwent heart surgery in February.

But while Toledo was happy to have the work done, she described having them on her property using words like “fun” and “play.”

The team was one of dozens that have been hard at work in Bloomfield this week as part of a non-profit youth mission organization helping needy Bloomfield residents with household repairs and other chores.

With supervision and assistance from Bloomfield Director of Health Kare Lore and social worker Stephanie De Santi, the United Methodist Action Reach-out Mission by Youth (aka the U.M. Army) has sent out volunteer work crews to over 60 Bloomfield homes.

The Bloomfield Department of Health and Human Services steered volunteers to they Bloomfield most in need of help. Human Services Supervisor Paula Piekes said that while the work was often critical, the relationships forged were of equal importance. 

“Its not just about rebuilding steps or repainting a room that’s chipping,” Bloomfield Health Services director Paula Piekes said. “It’s about people caring about you. People may not have the safety net that some people in the community might have. That’s the beauty of it.”