United Way of Mat-Su Week of Caring
What is Week of Caring?
Originally a single “Day of Caring”, this annual Valley-wide volunteer effort was expanded to an entire week several years ago, in order to accommodate more projects and a wider schedule. Week of Caring brings United Way of Mat-Su’s expertise in volunteer recruitment and coordination to benefit our fellow nonprofits. Nonprofits from around the Mat-Su are encouraged to submit any spring projects they may need help with, so that UWMS can recruit and deploy volunteers to ensure that those projects get done.
Applications for both nonprofit projects and volunteers to help complete them are now OPEN!
2026 Dates: Monday, May 11 – Friday, May 15
Mat-Su based nonprofits are invited to submit spring projects to United Way of Mat-Su for consideration. Our 2026 Week of Caring Volunteer Extravaganza will take place daily during the week of May 11-14. We are working to confirm a variety of spring projects with nonprofit sites around the Valley. Week of Caring volunteers provide a much-needed boost for these projects, ensuring that work is completed that may otherwise go undone.
Mat-Su nonprofits are encouraged to submit projects for consideration in placing volunteers. Please be aware that, should there be fewer than three volunteers available, projects may be postponed until such time as adequate coverage can be guaranteed. All projects are welcome, but WOC volunteers are particularly fond of outdoor, hands-on, and interactive projects that create a tangible, lasting impact on their community. Examples include playground cleanups, painting a building exterior, planting gardens, or small, manageable repairs.
To get started, please fill out the interest form below. We will use this information to help use our volunteer “sorting hat”, assigning each volunteer or group to the project that fits their needs and goals best.
WOC Nonprofit Project Application
Volunteers are needed to make these projects a success!
If you’re looking for a way to give back, look no further! Annually, Week of Caring volunteers provide over 400 hours of labor over this five-day period. That’s 400 hours of much-needed assistance offered to local nonprofits!
Week of Caring volunteers can expect personalized project coordination, tasty snacks, tours of their chosen project sites, team-building and the chance to spend a day contributing to lasting improvements to sites around the Mat-Su.
Business employee groups are encouraged to participate, as well as community groups and families. Projects are designed to be manageable for all, and accommodations can be made for accessibility and other needs. Typically, volunteers are expected to remain on-site for up to 5 hours, but shifts are also available if needed. Most WOC projects take place outdoors, so be prepared for the weather, bring sturdy footwear and a water bottle. Transportation to and from sites is not provided; volunteers are to provide their own transportation.
There are lots of different projects to choose from. While we are still finalizing details for most, you can use the form below to tell us what you’re interested in, and we will begin working to assign volunteers accordingly.
