Building a Stronger Community, Together
Washington County's Largest Single-Day Volunteer Effort
Join us on September 17, 2026
35th Annual Day of Caring - September 17, 2026
What is The Day of Caring?
The Day of Caring is Washington County, MD's largest annual single-day community service effort. With the sponsorship of local businesses, individuals, and partners, as well as the mobilization of around 1,000 volunteers, our community rallies together to create positive change during this event.
United Way of Washington County facilitates Day of Caring projects designed to serve our community's most vulnerable residents including those residents who are disabled or low-income, and our veterans and elder population. Many nonprofit organizations are also supported through this event - allowing them to continue focusing on their missions within our community. Day of Caring projects aim to improve the safety, mobility, access, organization, cleanliness, maintenance, and beautification of residential and nonprofit properties. All of these are done at no expense to our property owners or partner agencies.
Last year's Day of Caring allowed more than 1,000 volunteers to impact our community through 90+ service projects, collection drives, senior support, and the delivery of important health information.
Looking for a meaningful team bonding experience? Want to give back to the community? Contact us to learn more about how to incorporate Day of Caring into your organization's community involvement plan.
Join us for our breakfast kickoff rally!
Come join us and start the Day of Caring off with our high energy pep rally style breakfast on September 17, 2026, at 7 am! Enjoy coffee and breakfast with your team before you head out for a day of giving back to our community! We will have giveaways, photo opps, and of course, a great time networking with other volunteer teams from across the county!
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APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!
Day of Caring is an annual day of service that takes place on the third Thursday of September. This year's event will be held on Thursday, September 17, 2026. United Way of Washington County invites businesses, organizations, and individuals across the county to come together in completing various projects that benefit the community. This is our county's single largest day of service, with over 1,000 volunteers completing over 90 service projects last year! 
Whether you are an organization, team, or individual, we invite you to serve with us! If you are interested, please complete a VOLUNTEER APPLICATION or click the volunteer application button.
Deadline for volunteers to apply is Friday, August 14, 2026. T-shirt/Lunch order forms must be submitted by 5 PM, Friday, August 14, 2026. Team Leaders, please submit one order for your entire team.
NOW ACCEPTING RESIDENTIAL PROJECT APPLICATIONS!
Through Day of Caring, eligible residents may receive assistance from volunteer teams ready to lend a hand with outdoor and light home-improvement projects. This is a great opportunity to get support with tasks that may be difficult to complete on your own.
Projects may include:
- Yardwork and basic landscaping
- Exterior cleaning and minor repairs
- Painting (exterior or limited interior spaces)
- General outdoor maintenance and beautification
Requests can be submitted by clicking the “Residential Project Application” button below and completing the online form. After your application is received, United Way staff and volunteers will contact you to schedule a brief site review. This helps us understand the scope of work, ensure the project is appropriate for the event, and match your project with the best-suited volunteer team. All projects must be safe, clearly defined, and completed within six hours. Work is provided by volunteers and is not guaranteed beyond the Day of Caring event.
Please be reminded of the following: 
- Applicant must be the property owner OR obtain written permission from the property owner for minor improvements.
- Major structural work, such as roofing, replacing windows and/or doors, masonry work, and extensive ladder work, cannot be performed.
- Projects involving mold remediation, lead-based paint removal, and large amounts of trash/debris removal will not be performed due to safety concerns for volunteers.
- All work performed must be completed within six hours.
- Applicant must read and sign the Agreement and Terms of Residential Project statement prior to submission of their application.
- Deadline for application submission is July 31, 2026.
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION PROJECT APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN!
Day of Caring offers local nonprofits the opportunity to receive hands-on support from teams of dedicated volunteers ready to make a meaningful impact—all in a single day. This is a great way to tackle projects that often fall outside of your staff’s day-to-day capacity.
Volunteer teams can assist with a variety of projects, including:
- Cleaning and organizing program or storage spaces
- Landscaping, yardwork, and outdoor beautification
- Painting and light maintenance projects
- Assembling materials or preparing supplies for programs
- Other hands-on tasks that improve your space and support your mission
Day of Caring is designed to help your organization enhance its environment, operate more efficiently, and better serve the community—all while engaging new supporters who are passionate about giving back.
Please be reminded of the following: 
- All work performed must be completed within six hours.
- If you are providing lunch for your volunteers, you must let us know on your application.
- Projects involving mold remediation, lead-based paint removal, and large amounts of trash/debris removal will not be performed due to safety concerns for volunteers.
- Major structural work, such as roofing, replacing windows and/or doors, masonry work, and any extension ladder work, cannot be performed.
- Deadline for application submission is July 31, 2026.
Volunteer Team Leader Resources
Team Leaders, please have each of your volunteers complete the UWWC Day of Caring Volunteer Release here: https://bit.ly/3LykxJc
Team Leader UWWC Day of Caring T-shirt and Lunch Order Form
Please use the below links to submit all forms after the event