DAYS OF CARING

Each year, United Way mobilizes hundreds of people across Lane County to volunteer with local nonprofits. Organizations benefit from hard-working volunteers, and volunteers get to enjoy coming together to make a tangible impact in their community! 

Days of Caring is moving from fall to spring! Our next Days of Caring will take place April 16-17, 2027. More information coming soon.

Why Did the Dates Change? 

• Nonprofit Partners: We have heard from our nonprofit partners over the years that spring is often a more convenient – and impactful – time to host volunteer events like Days of Caring. The weather is typically nicer and the timing aligns well for many with the heavy lift of summer project planning, making it an especially great time for volunteers to help with projects like gardening, clean-ups, program prep, and more. 

• Schools and Universities: We’ve also heard from local schools and universities that spring is a much more accessible window to engage students in service. Most university students are not on campus yet when we’ve traditionally hosted Days of Caring in September, and many more high school students are seeking to complete service hours in the spring, as their school year begins to conclude, than the fall when the year has just begun. 

• Volunteer Availability: We’ve also heard from volunteers themselves that spring is a great time to volunteer. Thanks to National Volunteer Month, volunteerism is in the news in April and many individuals and families are starting to get outside again after a long winter, looking for both indoor and outdoor opportunities to get involved. Some families have also reported having less time available for service in September due to beginning-of-the-school-year activities and the start of fall sports. 

What Does That Mean for Me / My Organization? 

Volunteers: 

• Please save the dates for Days of Caring 2027, which will take place on Friday, April 16 and Saturday, April 17. Please note that this means we will *not* be hosting Days of Caring in September 2026. 

• Looking for a new volunteer role or project before next spring? Check out the opportunities posted to our volunteer engagement hub at www.volunteeruwlane.org. Nonprofit organizations and agencies across our communities share open and upcoming volunteer projects here every month. Take a look and discover your next opportunity to take action here in Lane County! 

Organizations: 

• Please save the dates for Days of Caring 2027, which will take place on Friday, April 16 and Saturday, April 17. Please note that this means we will *not* be hosting Days of Caring in September 2026. 

• Start brainstorming projects for April! We hope this shift will provide even more time for you and your team to identify projects and opportunities for volunteers to have an impact during our next Days of Caring, including any projects that weren’t a good fit for September but might work well in April.

• Looking for volunteers in the meantime? Consider posting your volunteer opportunities and projects to our volunteer engagement hub at www.volunteeruwlane.org. This is a powerful, free way to get the word out to potential volunteers across Lane County! 

Days of Caring 2025:

From September 25-26, 2025, over 700 volunteers came together to take action in our local communities, making an impact across 50+ projects, 30+ non-profits and 5 cities and towns. Together, you volunteered over 2,800 hours, serving thousands of families. 

THANK YOU 2025 DAYS OF CARING VOLUNTEERS! 

View the 2025 Days of Caring Video

Read the 2025 Days of Caring Blog

You can learn more about volunteer opportunities at United Way of Lane County's Volunteer Portal.

For questions, or to be added to the volunteer newsletter list, please contact us at volunteer@unitedwaylane.org.