For Patti Weiss, participating in the “Day of Caring” means putting on her dancing shoes.

Weiss was among the more than 50 Duquesne Light employee volunteers who took part in the annual community service project on Monday, Sept. 10, at five sites. She spent the day at the Weinberg Village Assisted Living facility in Squirrel Hill. Activities included a carnival in the morning and an afternoon “sock hop” for residents and clients.

“Dancing is kind of the thing to do when you’re there on the Day of Caring,” Weiss said. “The residents really like it. You walk up and ask them to dance – and it makes them beam. They can’t thank you enough.”

Weiss has been a Day of Caring volunteer at Weinberg Village for the past few years. “People there are very nice,” she said. “When you’ve been there more than once, you get to know some of them, and they remember you. So, it’s an ongoing relationship.”

Duquesne Light’s Ervena Myers felt the same camaraderie between volunteers and participants during a game day for stroke survivors sponsored by Health Hope Network at the FunFest entertainment center in Harmar. “There was a stroke victim who was there with her husband and they said, ‘I remember playing Scrabble with you last year,’” Myers said. “The people coming into the game room were so excited. It was like – ‘let’s get started.’ They were full of energy and lively. They were a lot of fun.”

Besides FunFest and Weinberg Village, Duquesne Light volunteers served meals at Intersection community center in McKeesport, weeded flowerbeds at the Bradley Center in Robinson Township, and were involved in painting, cleaning and landscaping at Circle C Youth and Family Services in Bellevue.

The Day of Caring serves as the traditional kickoff to the annual United Way campaign. Morgan O’Brien, Duquesne Light president and chief executive officer, is chairing the 2007 campaign for the United Way of Allegheny County.

Following are photographs taken of Duquesne Light’s Day of Caring volunteers: