HUNDREDS VOLUNTEER FOR DAY OF CARING
Baytown, TX — October 2, 2026
By Matt Hollis
Accountants left their spreadsheets, plant workers left their units and parents brought their children Thursday as roughly 500 volunteers spread across Baytown, Highlands and Chambers County for United Way’s 2026 Days of Caring.
The annual day of service matched volunteers with 45 service projects at 21 local agencies, from painting and pressure washing to playground repairs, tending garden beds and making hygiene kits.
The day was made thanks to sponsorships from ONEOK, the Baytown Lions Club and ExxonMobil.
“Days of Caring is a powerful reminder that we all have something to give,” said Kaci Peña Agosto, CEO of United Way of Greater Baytown Area and Chambers County. “Whether someone volunteers their time, shares their expertise, provides resources or simply shows up to help, every contribution matters. When our community comes together, the impact reaches far beyond one day.”
Speaking to volunteers that morning, Peña Agosto called the event one of her favorite days of the year because people can show they care “with our hands, with a little bit of sweat.”
The United Way office got a new coat of paint thanks to ONEOK accountants Bobby Kiesewetter and Caitlyn Smith.
Kiesewetter said he came “to help the community” and noted that not everyone is as fortunate as the volunteers.
Smith said it was her first time to participate in Days of Caring.
“It’s a privilege to get to take a day from our normal work behind a computer screen to get out here in the community, engage with folks and help make things better,” Smith said.
ONEOK project controls supervisor Megan Hammons brought her two sons. She has volunteered before, but this was their first Days of Caring.
“Service is just a really big part of who I am, and I brought them because I want to make sure that they know that it’s important,” Hammons said.
Elsewhere, ONEOK employees turned donated shirts into no-sew tote bags for food pantries and clothing donations and assembled hygiene kits with notes of encouragement.
Angie Wells, ONEOK community relations coordinator for Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Arizona, said this was her third year.
“It’s just fun to be able to give back with co-workers and have people from all over the company and all over the community get together to serve,” Wells said.
ExxonMobil crews took on several sites.
At Church Women United Child Care Center, about 15 volunteers rebuilt a rock creek so it would drain and refreshed playground mulch.
Wesley Hallof, ExxonMobil emergency response and preparedness supervisor for the Baytown area, said he has joined Days of Caring for about eight years, often at VFW Post 912.
“It’s a pride and joy that the Baytown area loves to do,” he said.
At Hearts and Hands of Baytown, ExxonMobil’s Preston Bomchill helped plant flowers and herbs. A readiness coordinator on the plant’s expansion project, he said this was his fifth Days of Caring and his first time at the nonprofit.
“It’s a fun chance to get to socialize with co-workers, but also do good in the community,” Bomchill said.
Hearts and Hands Executive Director Nikki Rincon said her organization had six projects Thursday, including a garden, parking-lot work, deep cleaning, painting and packing food boxes for its doorstep delivery program, Paula’s Pantry homeless outreach and day bags. The organization has taken part in Days of Caring since it was founded in 2014.
“It’s amazing to have so much work done in such a short period of time,” Rincon said. “The impact is just huge.”
Chevron Phillips Chemical volunteers painted and deep-cleaned at the same site. Process Optimization Manager Bri Danzeisen and Analyzer Technician Brad LaFrentz said the work was a chance to build camaraderie and give back.
At the Eddie V. Gray Wetlands Education Center, Kim Hamm, mechanical manager at ExxonMobil’s Mont Belvieu Plastics Plant, helped decorate for Spooktacular, coming Oct. 24. She estimated she has participated in Days of Caring about 20 times.
“It’s an amazing experience being able to give back to the community, hands on — and not only just giving our dollars, but giving our time,” Hamm said. “We rely on the community to support us, and so being able to give back just represents our commitment.”
Other projects included school pantries, a nature center sealing job, garden bed clean-up and shelter work by Covestro, Lee College and additional ExxonMobil and Chevron Phillips crews.
United Way Day, which had been scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, has been rescheduled to Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to noon and will include tricks and treats.