Jill McDonald rakes sticks and dirt Monday at the swinging bridge in Butler's West End during the United Way of Butler County's Weeks of Caring campaign. Refurbishing the bridge is one of four projects companies will be working on during the next two weeks.

The United Way of Butler County's Weeks of Caring campaign began Monday with work on Butler's swinging bridge.

The United Way this year decided to expand its annual Day of Caring to two weeks so companies can better plan to release workers who want to volunteer for community projects, instead of having only one day to hit the mark.

Kathleen Treme, the United Way's labor liaison, said the organization picked four projects for volunteers to tackle: refurbishing the swinging bridge over Sullivan Creek in Butler; cleaning and updating cottages used by residents at the Mars Home for Youth in Mars; cleaning the church in Chicora used for the Butler Area Agency on Aging; and preparing a group home in Butler.

Treme said she doesn't have an exact count of the volunteers who have signed up, but the next two weeks will be packed with action.

Employees of USIS in Boyers were going to work on learning trails in Harrisville and at the YMCA's Armco Park in Slippery Rock Township, but those projects weren't ready to begin. So instead, the USIS group will work on preparing a group home on West New Castle Street in Butler.

"I think giving companies a choice on when to send out people is huge. Hopefully it means that more and more people will be able to volunteer their time," Treme said.