The United Way of the Ozarks is gearing up for one of its busiest times of the year, when countless community members come together to support area nonprofits.

The United Way of the Ozarks is hosting its 32nd annual Day of Caring on Thursday, June 13. The day-long event partners area nonprofits with local employees to complete necessary service projects at no cost. This year, around 42 nonprofits will benefit from Day of Caring.

Mary Sue Hoban, United Way of the Ozarks director of communication and engagement, said as of Tuesday, 1,430 volunteers have signed up to complete 121 projects. This is the highest number of volunteers since 2020 and about 400 volunteers higher than in 2023.

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As of Tuesday, this year’s benefiting nonprofits are:

• American Red Cross of Southern MIssouri

• Betty and Bobby Allison Ozarks Counseling Center

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks

• Boys & Girls Club of Springfield

• CASA of Southwest MIssouri

• Catholic Churches of Southern Missouri

• Child Adovacy Center

• Community Partnership of the Ozarks

• Convoy of Hope

• Council of Churches of the Ozarks

• Development Center of the Ozarks

• Dickerson Park Zoo

• The Discovery Center

• Dogwood Ranch in Rogersville

• Doula Foundation

• Drew Lewis Foundation

• Eden Animal Haven in Brighton

• Fair Grove Historical and Preservation Society

• FosterAdopt Connect

• Friends of the Garden

• Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland

• Greene County MU Extension

• Master Gardeners of the Ozarks

• Habitat for Humanity of Springfield

• Harmony House

• Humane Society of Southwest Missouri

• James River Basin Partnership

• KVC Missouri – Great Circle

• Maple Park Cemetery

• Ozarks Food Harvest

• Ozarks Literacy Council

• Pat Jones YMCA

• Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks

• Springfield Community Gardens

• Springfield-Greene County Library District

• Springfield-Greene County Park Board

• The Brook Wellness Center in Branson

• The Kitchen, Inc.

• The Tooth Truck

• The Victim Center

• United Way of the Ozarks

• Victory Mission

• Watershed Committee of the Ozarks

• Women’s Medical Respite

The list may change as Day of Caring approaches, Hoban said.

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Example projects include painting animal exhibit barns at Dickerson Park Zoo, helping build a new home for Habitat for Humanity, rebuilding a swinging bridge for Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland and organizing toy donations at Branson’s The Brook Wellness Center, Hoban said. Gardening, landscaping, cleaning and organizing supply drives are all popular projects.

Each year, Day of Caring kicks off with a free volunteer breakfast program at Hammons Field with pancakes provided by Village Inn. Missouri sports broadcaster Ned Reynolds and Springfield Cardinals Baseball and Community Ambassador Scott Bailes will emcee the morning program. The Queen City Ukulele Club and Grupo Latinoamericano will provide live entertainment. This program is solely intended for Day of Caring volunteers.

A bit of background on Day of Caring

United Way organizations across the world host day-long volunteerism events each June. The United Way of the Ozarks’ Day of Caring was established in 1992 by a handful of local community members.

Though the morning breakfast and program is now held at Hammons Field, when Day of Caring started, the morning kickoff was held at Phelps Grove Park. For the inaugural Day of Caring, about 150-200 volunteers participated, The Bank of Missouri President David Cook previously told the News-Leader.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. She has more than five years of journalism experience covering everything from Ozarks history to Springfield’s LGBTQIA+ community. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: United Way of the Ozarks prepares for 32nd Day of Caring on June 14