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Celebrating the Impact of the 2025 Day of Caring

Celebrating the Impact of the 2025 Day of Caring

Sep 30, 2025

By Admin

Thanks to volunteers, project hosts, sponsors, and more, the 2025 Day of Caring was the most impactful it has been in over a decade.

Last week, we hosted the 34th Annual United Way Laurence E. Richardson Day of Caring. Thanks to the volunteers, project hosts, sponsors, and more, the 2025 Day of Caring was the most impactful the event has been in over a decade.

What started in 1992 with 50 volunteers, willing to take the day off to serve others in the community, has evolved into a series of activities that celebrate volunteerism and provide direct, urgent support to over 100 organizations throughout our region. This year’s event has grown even larger in impact through the leadership of our inaugural Host Committee, comprising individuals across the philanthropic, corporate, and social impact community. United Way is deeply appreciative for the support of our Presenting Sponsors, University of Virginia and Sentara, along with 16 other sponsoring organizations. 

Click here to see all the photos from this year’s event!

MORE THAN A SINGLE DAY OF SERVICE

United Way of Greater Charlottesville is helping our community thrive with an approach that is centered on innovation. Our organization is at the center of addressing the most pressing issues facing local families through in-house programs, and by providing a forum to bring together organizations, leaders, advocates, and volunteers to shape community change. Since its founding, Day of Caring has engaged over 46,000 volunteers to complete more than 5,000 projects benefiting nonprofits, schools, and faith-based communities throughout Central Virginia – totaling more than $5.3M in estimated value of service. This year, more than 2,100 registered Day of Caring volunteers completed 115 projects at nearly 100 local organizations including nonprofits, public schools, faith organizations, and more. The estimated value of this service is more than $365,000, including donated materials and supplies. 

Ravi Cooper, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Charlottesville, stated, “The value of the service donated in one day is inspiring–that value is being poured right into our community, by community members themselves. It’s truly heartening to witness the impact we are able to make as a community when we connect and work together.” She also touched on the breadth of Day of Caring both in terms of geography and time. “Every year, we hear stories from Day of Caring and how it helped create lasting partnerships between nonprofits and local organizations from every corner of our region. It has been the catalyst for more volunteerism, community programs, and even monetary support. The imprint that Day of Caring leaves on the Greater Charlottesville community really cannot be understated.” 

MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS AND NEEDED SUPPORT

Despite it being the second year in a row with rainy weather (which luckily cleared up mid-morning), many of the local volunteer service projects still happened, with a few being rescheduled for a later date. For many local organizations, Day of Caring provides vital support—accomplishing projects that otherwise wouldn’t fit in the budget, while connecting with community members in meaningful ways and building relationships that will last. The diversity of projects truly allows any community member who wants to be involved to participate: they’re held indoors and outdoors; remotely and on-site at local organizations; and they range in scale from simple tasks to skilled volunteer work, from solo projects to teams of 100. Harry Stillerman, Vice President of External Affairs and Advancement at Piedmont Virginia Community College–a repeat Day of Caring project host–noted Day of Caring’s impact on his organization. “It has allowed us to form deeper connections with people in the community. We’ve been really excited for people to come and see the impact our programs are making and has even led to financial gifts to support the work we’re doing.” 

Ed Basham, Volunteer Team Leader for Atlantic Union Bank said: “Volunteering with United Way of Greater Charlottesville’s annual Day of Caring is an outstanding way to meet and support local nonprofits, while spending a day working with coworkers outside of our day-to-day environment.” For sponsors, Day of Caring is also a chance to give back to the community which many organizations serve directly. In addition to being Presenting Sponsors, both UVA and Sentara have Volunteer Teams who went out to improve our community through hands-on service projects. This year, UVA had 96 Volunteer Teams helping at projects including WorkSource Enterprises’s All Inclusive Prom and The Nature Conservancy in Virginia’s Watershed Cleanup at Meadow Creek.  

Michele Carroll, Vice President of Operations at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital, also commented on how Sentara employees value working at an organization that understands the value in giving back. “Volunteering and giving back to our community is a key part of our mission at Sentara, and our team members have told us how they appreciate the opportunity to interact with community members and organizations in this way. Day of Caring opens doors for them to get involved in the community and form connections that extend beyond just one day. It really is incredible to see the impact on Day of Caring.” 

ENGAGING MORE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH NEW EVENTS

This year’s Day of Caring events also included some new additions. We celebrated our community’s spirit of volunteerism at the Kickoff Breakfast by announcing the Caring for Community Awards. Additionally, as a long-time community convener, United Way partnered with TELUS Digital to offer thought leadership and tactical supports to nonprofit leaders through the “A.I. for the Social Impact Sector” workshop as part of the 2025 Day of Caring catalog.

Finally, we also held the Day of Caring Volunteer Awards & Reception, where we highlighted the key community issues being addressed directly through the 2025 Day of Caring, including housing/homelessness, elder care, and environmental sustainability. At this event, we also named the 2025 Day of Caring MVP and MVP Runners-Up–as nominated by their peers, in addition to several other inaugural awards:

  • 2025 Day of Caring MVP: Jason Espinoza, Hourigan Volunteer Team at Camp Albemarle
  • 2025 Day of Caring MVP Runner-Up: Dawn Johnson, UVA Department of Radiology Volunteer Team at Bethany Seventh-Day Adventist Church
  • 2025 Day of Caring MVP Runner-Up: Maurice Walker, UVA Office of Community Engagement & Equal Opportunity Volunteer Team at WorkSource Enterprises
  • 2025 Day of Caring Community Champion: Virginia Credit Union Volunteer Team at Agnor Elementary School
  • 2025 Day of Caring Impact in Habitat Restoration: Atlantic Union Bank Volunteer Team & Brown Advisory Volunteer Team at Rivanna Solid Waste Authority
  • 2025 Day of Caring Social Impact Innovator: TELUS Digital
  • 2025 Day of Caring Advancing Community Through the Arts: Piedmont Virginia Community College Volunteer Team at Live Arts
  • 2025 Day of Caring Holistic Community Support: Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital Volunteer Team at Jefferson Area Board for Aging
  • 2025 Day of Caring Most Urgent Community Impact: Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Central Virginia Volunteer Team at The Salvation Army Charlottesville Corps
  • 2025 Day of Caring Conserving Historic Treasures: Apex Clean Energy Volunteer Team at Historic Germanna
  • 2025 Day of Caring Most Volunteer Teams Promoting Community Wellness: UVA Health

Click here to see photos from the Day of Caring Volunteer Awards & Reception!

THANK YOU!

Thank you to all who made the 2025 Day of Caring so impactful, including Volunteer Teams, Service Project Hosts, the 2025 Day of Caring Host Committee, and of course our 2025 Day of Caring sponsoring organizations: 

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