Avista employees were elated to literally lend a hand on Thursday as they painted a mural in the basement of North Idaho CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates).

They slapped paint on their hands and pressed them onto the wall, using their handprints to fill the branches of a purple tree with colorful leaves.

"It just makes this office a brighter work environment to help us get through some days that can be a pretty dark place," said KJ Torgerson, CEO of North Idaho CASA, a nonprofit that provides support and services for victims of child abuse.

She said having the Avista crew on hand "is wonderful because it's indicative of how the CASA Kidz Closet is growing."

"We used to be a little closet," she said. "Now we're three full rooms of the basement, which means there's that many more basic needs and supplies for the children that we serve."

The volunteers also assembled shelves and helped wherever they could as a part of the United Way of North Idaho's ninth annual Day of Caring. More than 320 volunteers spread the love by participating in about 30 different projects in the community. They scrubbed, they painted, they weeded, they answered phones, they organized, they cleaned — and they did it all with smiles on their faces.

"This community is so amazing to me," said Avista customer service representative Melissa Pearson. "I'm from Arizona, and you don't get this feel from a big (place) like that. I just think it's so warm and loving, I have to be a part of it. It's so fulfilling and rewarding."

"I think it makes everyone's heart happy," said Avista’s United Way campaign chair Jeri DeGregorio. "I think it should happen more than once a year. I think it's important to be active in your community. We're all in this together, and I think this just helps show support for the community you live in."

During Day of Caring, volunteers from various businesses and agencies get out of the office and delve into community service. This year, participating teams included Rotary, Global Credit Union, Advanced Benefits, US Bank, St. Vincent de Paul and Panhandle Health, Hecla Mining, Mountain West Bank, Trindera Engineering, North Idaho College, Spokane Teachers Credit Union, Esterline, Bank CDA, Project SEARCH, Wells Fargo, Pediatric Stroke Warriors and Lake City Church.

The teams worked at locations such as Hospice of North Idaho, the Human Rights Education Institute, the Post Falls Senior Center, Community Action Partnership food bank, Emerge CDA, the Village at Orchard Ridge and more.

A US Bank team conducted yard work and painted kennels at Kootenai Humane Society in Hayden. Complaint tracking specialist Daniel Greenwood said it was great to be out helping those who can use the extra hands.

"It's definitely a great feeling to give back to the community and to the animals," he said. "It's definitely a good team-building experience. It gives the employees a good sense of pride to get out there and do that."

Mark Tucker, United Way of North Idaho's executive director, said the 2016 Day of Caring was definitely a success.

"We had a great crowd for the kickoff breakfast," he said. "We actually had to bring out more tables and chairs. There just seemed to be a lot more enthusiasm this year."

He said when it comes to serving the community, it's important to remember how the different organizations are impacted by the work, and how much it means to the individuals who are served by them.

"That really puts it into perspective," Tucker said, adding it only takes one person to make a big difference in someone's life.