People say, in a cold tone of voice, "I couldn't care less." (Often they can't even get the double negative right.)

It's a fine thing when people do care. Around here, they care about much, including other folks.

That's what the annual Day of Caring of the Missouri Slope Areawide United Way is all about: It's involvement with the community; it's caring about people and good causes.

Bismarck-Mandan is the better for it.

The Day of Caring in August 2007 brought out about 400 volunteers, most of whom took a day off work, paid or not. They tackled 19 projects around the larger community.

Let's exceed both numbers this summer.

The local United Way is in the process of determining the project list for the Aug. 13 Day of Caring. Projects are to benefit United Way member agencies - top priority - and other social welfare organizations, civic agencies (such as schools or parks), private non-profit organizations (such as the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation), private individuals (the elderly coming first, then people with disabilities and military families), and finally, faith-based organizations.

There should be no shortage of work opportunities to benefit that number of worthy recipients.

The work itself will lend itself to every degree of skill and physical fitness of the volunteers:There will be painting, repairing, remodeling, moving, building, planting, cleaning and clearing (no, not tables, brush and weeds).

The laudable fact is that it's not hard to find people who care in the two cities and surrounding countryside.

For many good reasons, such as liability control, projects under the umbrella of the United Way Day of Caring have to be studied by a committee that recommends a final list to be approved by the MSA United Way board of directors.

Timeliness prompts this editorial. To give the United Way's selection committee time for careful consideration of projects, there is an April 18 deadline for proposals, far in advance of the Aug. 13 date.

There is, however, nothing to stop a local business from recruiting its own dream team of employees in numbers sufficient to take on one of United Way-approved projects and get it done. That's understanding the need could arise for volunteers to be open to assignment if there's an imbalance of people-power for various projects.

It's a thing of beauty: Everyone wins.

Organizations and private residents get work done for them, needing only to supply materials and equipment for their projects, as appropriate. Volunteers may find themselves able to skip a workout at the gym or fitness center because their muscles have all the exercise they can handle - accomplishing something real and not just reps on some machine.

Finally, there's the satisfaction of caring, of making a difference in life.

The MSA United Way can be reached at 255-3601.