On Saturday, Sept. 28, United Way of Santa Barbara County will hold its 22nd Annual Day of Caring, an opportunity to give back to the local community.

Throughout the day, volunteers will help more than 40 local nonprofit organizations, schools and churches throughout the county of Santa Barbara.


The Day of Caring will start with a breakfast rally at 8 a.m. at the Page Youth Center in Goleta.

Volunteers of all ages will proceed from the breakfast to community service assignments in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Goleta and Santa Ynez for a wide range of important projects, including gardening at Casa Esperanza, making adobe bricks for the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, cleaning dog shelters at D.A.W.G. and tree planting at San Marcos High School.

With last year’s volunteer hours estimated to be worth $275,000 in services to the community, the Day of Caring continues to have a significant impact on the Santa Barbara community and is a testament to the spirit of local volunteerism.

To receive a free T-shirt, you must register before Aug. 30. Students qualify for four hours of community service.

To volunteer, click here or call 805.965.8591. Click here for a full list of sites.

  — Kerstin Padilla is the Day of Caring event manager for United Way of Santa Barbara County.