HARTFORD, Conn. -- With paint brushes, brooms and a lot of heart, a group of Hartford Project 2009 volunteers worked Tuesday to help nonprofit groups and other agencies stay on top of day-to-day tasks.

"We were picking up trash earlier and people were like, 'Thank you,'" said Dave Saunders, of Tolland. "So, it's really awesome."

Through the program, groups from churches to local agencies can turn to the volunteers for help with a multitude of tasks.

"It's very rewarding in the end, knowing it's for a community that needs it," Tolland resident Veronica Trudel said.

This is the second year volunteers have tackled chores at Connecticut's Community for Addiction Recovery, a nonprofit that helps recovering addicts stay on the right path.

Director Laurie Fresher said the volunteers spent the day in the organization's basement sorting items in preparation for a fundraising event. She said that before the volunteers came in, it was difficult to get around in the basement because of the clutter.

"We have banners from walks gone by, and T-shirts," Fresher said.

Now, she said, everything is organized. She said the volunteers came just in time to help the organization prepare for its main annual fundraiser: a walk in Bushnell Park.

Fresher said having the volunteers come in to help with the chores allows her to focus on other work in the office, including outreach efforts.