This fall, United Way of Salt Lake hosted the 32nd annual Day of Caring—the largest volunteerism event for United Ways across the country. Through Day of Caring, nearly 1,000 corporate and community volunteers roll up their sleeves and complete service projects at schools and nonprofit partners across the Wasatch Front. Twenty-seven service projects have been completed so far with most projects occurring on this year’s official Day of Caring, September 11. Fourteen more projects are scheduled to take place throughout September and October. Collectively, Day of Caring volunteers will complete over 2500 service hours! Projects vary based on school and community needs and include deep cleaning buildings, winterizing and maintaining landscapes, packing meal kits for afterschool programs, and more.
As one of our signature Year of Action events, Day of Caring is an integral part of United Way of Salt Lake’s work mobilizing people and resources so 100% of Utah kids and families can thrive. THANK YOU to all of the dedicated volunteers who came together to make a difference, to our wonderful school and nonprofit partners who hosted Day of Caring service projects, and to our generous Year of Action sponsors.
Below, we’ve highlighted three different Day of Caring projects to provide a glimpse of the incredible difference volunteers made in schools and communities this year.
Enterprise Mobility at Midvalley Elementary School
Volunteers from Enterprise Mobility got to work optimizing the “Paws Pantry” community closet at Midvalley Elementary School. This free resource provides students with food, hygiene products, school supplies, clothing, and more. Ten volunteers helped build, organize, inventory, and stock shelves to make the space more efficient and inviting. Thanks to these volunteers, students at Midvalley Elementary can more easily get their needs met.
“One of the Founding Values of our parent company, Enterprise Mobility, is to strengthen our communities one neighborhood at a time. The Day of Caring service projects provide us an opportunity to allow our employees to do just that.”
-Matt Berblinger, Director, Enterprise Fleet Management
Gardner Group at The Road Home – Connie Crosby Family Resource Center
More than a dozen volunteers from Gardner Group came together to paint a mural at the Connie Crosby Family Resource Center in Midvale, one of four resource centers operated by The Road Home. The resource center provides emergency shelter and meals for up to 300 people each night and offers on-site case management and other services. The mural, designed and drawn by artist Bill Louis, features sego lilies, cacti, and other native plants, providing a colorful and welcoming space at the resource center playground.
“For us, Day of Caring is about coming together as a team to give back in a hands-on way. It’s a chance to step away from the office, roll up our sleeves, and make a real difference side by side. We walk away feeling more connected to each other and to the community. At its core, Gardner Group believes in building community, and Day of Caring is a great way for us to live that out.”
-Brady Southwick, President, Gardner Group
Groundworks at Lincoln Elementary School
In addition to being a Day of Caring sponsor, Groundworks sent six volunteers to participate in a service project at Lincoln Elementary School. Volunteers worked together to build a new “buddy bench” for the playground. Thanks to these volunteers, Lincoln Elementary students have a designated place to sit when they are looking for a friend to play with.
“For us, it’s about showing up for the communities in which we serve. Helping causes like this gives our team the chance to step away from the day-to-day, connect with our neighbors, and feel part of something bigger. It isn’t just a one-off activity for us, it’s ingrained in our company culture. It’s who we are as a team and a reflection of the values we bring to our work every day.”
-Bayleigh Stelling, Marketing Manager, Groundworks
Although Day of Caring service projects are closed for 2025, there are many other ways to get involved with our work. If you are interested in finding volunteer opportunities for you and your company or community group, please contact our volunteer team at volunteer@uw.org.
Written by Jenna Fischer, Content Strategist
