Needs From: United Way of Central Massachusetts

This project is for the Monday following Day of Action, September 15th. 

Worcester Housing has a variety of projects that need to be completed on Monday and we are looking for teams to complete them. 

Hadwen Arboretum Volunteer Day
Hosted by Clark University | UNITED WAY DAY OF ACTION

Date: Friday September 12th
Time: 9:00-12:00

Location: Hadwen Arboretum 215 Lovell Street Worcester MA 01603

Parking: Park on the left side of Lovell Drive. Please do NOT park in front of the main gate entrance

Meeting Point: At the main gate on Lovell Street, directly across from Lovell Drive

What To Expect:

Volunteers will be divided into groups and led by Clark University students, this session will be a hands-on day with tasks including: trail clearing and maintenance and removing invasive species.

What to Bring/Wear:

Closed-toe shoes or boots

Water Bottle

Sunscreen

Work gloves (optional - we’ll have extras)

Clothes you can get dirty

Long sleeves and pants (recommended for scratch protection)

Study these plants!

Poison ivy - Three leaves vine, can give rash if touched but it can be avoided: watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oyoDRHpQK0 How To Never Have A Serious Poison Ivy Rash Again.

Burning bush - Common invasive we will be removing during the sessions.

Bittersweet vine - Invasive vine that climbs and strangles trees, we will be removing these too.

Poison Ivy

Burning bush

Bittersweet vine

Why It Matters:
Hadwen Arboretum is a public green space stewarded by Clark University students, faculty, and community members. Your help keeps the trails safe, the forest healthy, and the native species growing for all to enjoy.

Questions? Contact: 

Owen Chase - ochase@clarku.edu 774-633-6940

Website: www.clarku.edu/arboretum Instagram: ClarkHadwenArboretum

Thank you for helping grow a greener Worcester!

This volunteer opportunity begins 9/11 and runs until 9/14. Please check link to sign up for a volunteer shift. 

Did you know that people who volunteer to help with the Family Festival have even more fun than Festival attendees? It's true - just ask any of the hundreds of volunteers who make our Festival a success.  Your help is needed for the many events we have going on during the weekend of September 12 - 14, 2025

We create short shifts (about 2 1/2 hours each) with the hope that they will better fit into the busy schedules we all have...but shorter shifts mean a greater number of shifts in order to staff the entire weekend. We are in great need for many more volunteers to help out this weekend and we are hoping that we can pull together as a parish family to fill these open spots!

Come be part of an unforgettable experience, meet new friends, and contribute to our community. You can register online below.   Sign up to volunteer today!

Visit https://stmarysparish.org/volunteer to see the different areas and times.

For the United Way, Day of Action Project SMOC would like to ask for help in cleaning and painting our shelters. 

This is for a women's shelter. Volunteers must be all female for this project.

For the United Way, Day of Action Project SMOC would like to ask for help in cleaning and painting our shelters. 

Help with general yardwork at the Knights of Columbus facility that is adjacent to the sports field

Volunteer with us at our Worcester ReStore processing donations, stocking shelves and helping customers.  Profits from our ReStore go towards building houses for those in need.  Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older.

The Benefit Street garden is most in-need of heavy-duty weeding around it's perimeter. It's fenced in and there are many invasive weeds, vines, etc. that grow up and along the fence. This is also true out front which is street-facing and visible by neighbors and passers-by.

The REC's address is: 42 Lagrange St, Rear, Worcester, MA. but for GPS purpose, you can enter 108 Beacon St, Worcester, MA. 

There will be a short walk to the garden which is located at: 19 Benefit St, Worcester, MA.

Painting and refreshing the Hector Reyes House.

Supplies will be provided. 

Join us in giving the railings at Lincoln Street a fresh, clean look with a new coat of paint. This project will help protect the railings from wear while improving the appearance of the space. Wear clothing you don’t mind getting paint on. Your help will keep Lincoln Street looking its best for the whole community.

Help us bring new life to the outdoor spaces at 425 with fresh plantings to create a welcoming environment for all to enjoy. Wear comfortable clothes that you don’t mind getting a little dirty. We’ll provide the plants, tools, gloves, and guidance. Your participation will make a lasting difference in brightening our community.

Join us for a morning of purpose and paint! We need a group of enthusiastic volunteers to help prime the YWCA’s wall on Francis McGrath Boulevard in preparation for a powerful new mural honoring Worcester women—past and present—who have shaped our community. No painting experience necessary—just a willingness to roll up your sleeves and help history come to life!

Join us as we work together to enhance the outdoor spaces at Wellington/Murray. We’ll be Planting and Painting the metal fence to restore its fresh appearance.   Please bring comfortable clothing that can get paint on it, and your community spirit. Your time and effort will help create a cleaner and more beautiful space for everyone to enjoy.

Help us make LPT an even more welcoming place for residents and visitors. Our projects for the day include planting and painting. We’ll provide: All supplies, including paint, brushes, gloves, and plants. You bring: Comfortable clothes that can get a little messy, and a willingness to help. Together, we can create a cleaner, brighter, and more inviting space for the whole community.

We need help raking mulch that has been displaced by rain and children playing, and cleaning up our playground space at our Granite Street child care center!

Our child care center needs help to clean out and reorganize our gym/stage space!

The outdoor ramp at one of Open Sky's residential homes is in need of painting. All supplies will be provided.

We're giving our trellises at Addison St. a fabulous makeover — and we need your artistic-ish touch! Whether you're a master painter or just really good at coloring inside the lines, we’d love your help. Come dressed in your best “oops-I-got-paint-on-this” outfit and we’ll provide everything else: paint, brushes, gloves.

We are looking for 15-20 volunteers to perform various enhancement projects at our Great Brook Valley outreach site including moving mulch, painting in faded lines for hopscotch and four square, and cleaning and reorganizing our three program rooms. 

Seeking a group of about 3 - 4 people to paint 1 room in our Residential Recovery Program. We will prep and provide all supplies. 

Located at 20 Cedar Street in Worcester, the YOU, Inc./Seven Hills Worcester Family Resource Center (FRC) offers evidence-based parent education groups, information and referral, case management, and other opportunities for children and families in need, including children who the courts recognize as “Children Requiring Assistance”,  or those considered to be at risk of this designation. These youth are having serious problems at home and at school, including running away, truancy, and experiencing sexual exploitation. The Family Resource Center offers a wide range of parent support groups, recreational activities, holiday celebrations, and parent-child activities.   The Carriage House, located adjacent to the FRC, houses a variety of programming for children and their families, including Grief Support activities.  As part of the Seven Hills’ integrated behavioral health system, Seven Hills offers individual and family therapy, group counseling, and public events to support families who have experienced grief and loss

Through the 2025 UWCM Day of Action, a team of volunteers will help to weed, mulch, plant flowers, and clean up the front entrance to the Family Resource Center and the memory garden at the Carriage House. Come in your work clothes to give this space a much-needed facelift for the many children and families that use it.

The Seven Hills ASPiRE! Workforce Readiness and Employment Programassists individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, brain injury, vision and mobility impairment, communication and behavioral challenges, to prepare for, obtain, and maintain their highest level of competitive employment.  The ASPiRE! Workforce Readiness and Employment service models include Community-Based Day Supports (CBDS), Group Supported Employment (GSE), Individual Supported Employment (ISE), Competitive Integrated Employment Services (CIES), and Statewide Employment Services (SES).

Supports and services offered within these models include soft-skills development, vocational assessments, career planning, resume development, interviewing skills, job-specific training and placement, on-site job coaching, functional money management skills, and benefits education and coordination. ASPiRE! Workforce Readiness and Employment Program sites are located in Hopedale, Worcester, and Devens and serve as HUBS for on-site and in-community activities. 

Additionally, the program provides participants with internship tracks in café management, community gardening, facilities maintenance, landscaping, and hospitality, which are provided through Seven Hills’ integrated community-based employment site at the historic Stearns Tavern located at 140 Mill Street in Worcester.  

Through the 2025 UWCM Day of Action, a team of volunteers will help to weed and clean up the community garden space at Stearns Tavern.  Come in your work clothes and enjoy working alongside ASPIRE participants to spruce up this beloved space.

We need your help to expand an urban garden and transform and under-utilized corner into a beautiful and fruitful space for education. At 18 Chestnut St, a dozen nonprofits serve Worcester residents in a collaborative hub. The former smoking-area is a remanent of a bygone era, and already our partner, Southeast Asian Coalition, has started the process to beautify this area with a garden. Continuing on their trajectory, Ascentria's raised-bed, urban garden space will be designed by our SNAP-Education team for longevity and will become an extended classroom where our clients including refugee families, teen parents, older adults, and individuals with addressing barriers can gather, learn, and grow together.

We’re looking for volunteers who want to get their hands dirty and help lay the groundwork for this project. Whether you’ve gardened for years or have never picked up a shovel, we welcome your support.

What You’ll Do:

Weed and clear the area to prepare the space for raised beds and future plantings

Help level the ground by hand, making it safer and more accessible

Lay landscape fabric to prevent future weed overgrowth

Assemble raised garden beds, including a donated, accessible tabletop-style bed that will allow clients with mobility challenges to garden comfortably

Bag and dispose of yard waste or assist with on-site composting (we’ll have a dumpster if needed)

Help create a welcoming, beautiful entryway for clients and community members visiting 18 Chestnut Street

What You’ll Be Part Of:

A project that builds community pride and connection

A new educational space for English learners, youth, and elders to grow vegetables and herbs

A model for inclusive, urban greening in the heart of Worcester

A garden that reflects the resilience and contributions of the diverse individuals Ascentria serves many of whom bring deep agricultural knowledge from their home countries

We are looking for two teams to help keep our spaces welcoming and practical for everyone who uses them. The first team would be helping clean out storage spaces, including an attic, at our family shelter. The second would help us clean up the outdoor space at our flagship neighborhood center at 36 Wall Street.

Volunteers will work alongside our knowledgeable Horticulture staff to assist with outdoor garden projects such as planting flowers, trees, and plants, weeding, sweeping, raking, dead-heading, potting, and pruning. All volunteers should bring a reusable water bottle (we have filling stations onsite) and wear closed-toed shoes and dress appropriately for the weather that day.

We are looking for volunteers to help us on the farm and in the garden to help us fight food insecurity and support Central Mass food pantries. Volunteers will mulch, spread compost, weed, harvest and prep fresh produce for distribution and other things as needed. We encourage volunteers to bring a lunch and enjoy the view after volunteering. 

Organize preschool curriculum paperwork

Clean up the Center’s outside playground and parking lot

We are looking to get weeding done at our parking lot vegetable garden. We are also looking to put down a tarp to prevent any further weeds. 

This free, family-friendly event celebrates the power of joyful play and its importance in early learning. It will take place on Saturday, September 13, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Elm Park in Worcester (rain date: Sunday, September 14).

Volunteer opportunities include helping with event setup and breakdown, assisting at activity stations, guiding families, and more. Available shifts are: 8:00–10:30 AM, 10:00 AM–12:30 PM, 12:30–3:00 PM, 2:00–4:30 PM, or all day. 

We’re happy to provide documentation of volunteer hours for students or anyone who may need it.

If interested, we ask that volunteers complete a short Volunteer Application by August 15.

Tidy up the grassy area and the garden. 

Join the Worcester Green Corps in cleaning and greening Worcester one piece of litter at a time! 

We will be meeting at University Park for a neighborhood cleanup, meet us at the corner of Gates and Main Street. We look forward to seeing you there!

Help us get the uniforms ready for our community-based programs - can be sewn on or ironed on using Badge Magic. 

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS & COMMUNITY GROUPS! 

Sully’s Veteran Food & Baby Pantry at Project New Hope Inc. is looking for dedicated volunteers and service groups to help us serve those who served.

We need extra hands to:

We need extra hands to:

For Day of Action (id: 13416)

Join Catholic Charities Worcester County for a day of service, compassion, and community at our Emergency Services Worcester Area Office! Volunteers will work together to support our neighbors in need by organizing and distributing essential items such as food, clothing, and hygiene products. Whether you're stocking shelves, assembling care packages, or welcoming guests, your time and effort will help bring hope and dignity to individuals and families facing crisis.

This is a meaningful opportunity to give back, connect with others, and make a lasting impact right here in Worcester County.

Important Information for Volunteers:

All volunteers are required to submit a completed CORI form, a copy of a government-issued photo ID, and a signed media release form prior to the volunteer date.

Forms should be emailed to Megan Dickie at mdickie@ccworc.org and must be clearly labeled as part of the United Way event.

Yanairys Cruz will be the on-site supervisor and will direct all volunteers on the day of the event.

Parking is available in the upper lot.

Please enter through the lower portion of the building where the pantry is located.

Volunteers should wear comfortable clothing and closed-toe footwear, as some tasks may require lifting or standing for extended periods.

Thank you for helping us serve with compassion and care!

Help us give the YWCA's confidential, emergency shelter a fresh, welcoming feel with seasonal cleaning and light home improvement projects. Volunteers will assist with interior painting, washing windows and floorboards, cleaning rugs, and hanging pictures. We’ll also organize the food pantry and supply closet, and, if weather allows, tackle some much-needed yard clean-up. Your support will help create a more comfortable and uplifting space for survivors and their families as they begin their journey toward healing.

Volunteers will meet at 8:30 AM at the YWCA, 1 Salem Square, and will carpool over to shelter location. 

We are looking to re-paint boards and clean up debris from the benches and around the rink.

During the day, the group will help with a variety of facility improvement projects including painting, yard work, and other tasks.