Opportunities From: Center for Community Engagement

Come experience the spiritual joy of getting your hands deep into the dirt. We will be planting and mulching around the perimeter of the garden, planting pots interspersed around the garden, weeding and creating the last leg of our brick pathway and weeding anywhere needed. We will send you home with plants and lettuce for your salad.

Bi-Okoto Drum & Dance Theatre invites University of Cincinnati staff and faculty to participate in a hands-on Community Service Day focused on beautification, organization, and support of our cultural arts space.

Volunteers will assist with indoor and outdoor projects including painting, general cleaning, organizing program materials, and basic data collection to help strengthen our operations. Activities may include preparing spaces for youth programs, refreshing learning environments, maintaining outdoor areas, and supporting administrative organization.

This service opportunity directly contributes to creating a safe, welcoming, and inspiring environment for the hundreds of youth and families we serve through our arts and cultural programming.

It is a great opportunity to give back to the community, work as a team, and support a local nonprofit dedicated to cultural education and youth development.

No prior experience is required—just a willingness to help, collaborate, and make a positive impact.

Join us for a creative, hands-on volunteer experience supporting global health programs. Volunteers will work in small teams to design outreach and educational materials that help communicate real community impact.

Activities will include:

A brief introduction of the organization will be provided at the start, followed by guided group activities. No prior experience is needed, just creativity and a willingness to contribute. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their laptops, as some activities will involve content creation and design work.

This is a great opportunity to use your ideas and skills to support meaningful global work and community-driven initiatives.

Join us for a creative, hands-on volunteer experience supporting global health programs. Volunteers will work in small teams to design outreach and educational materials that help communicate real community impact.

Activities will include:

A brief introduction of the organization will be provided at the start, followed by guided group activities. No prior experience is needed, just creativity and a willingness to contribute. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their laptops, as some activities will involve content creation and design work.

This is a great opportunity to use your ideas and skills to support meaningful global work and community-driven initiatives.

Madi’s House is refreshing our outdoor space, and we’re inviting volunteers to help transform our storage shed with a bold, camo‑inspired design that reflects our brand identity. Volunteers will paint the camo pattern using guided outlines.

Volunteers will visit Cincinnati Public Schools elementary classrooms to read to students and support a positive, engaging literacy experience.

Volunteers will visit Cincinnati Public Schools elementary classrooms to read to students and complete an activity with 4th grade students to support a positive, engaging literacy experience.

Volunteers will visit Cincinnati Public Schools elementary classrooms to read to students and complete an activity with 4th grade students to support a positive, engaging literacy experience.

Volunteers will visit Cincinnati Public Schools elementary classrooms to read to students and complete an activity with 4th grade students to support a positive, engaging literacy experience.

Volunteers will visit Cincinnati Public Schools elementary classrooms to read to students and complete an activity with 4th grade students to support a positive, engaging literacy experience.

Volunteers will visit Cincinnati Public Schools elementary classrooms to read to students and complete an activity with 4th grade students to support a positive, engaging literacy experience.

Volunteers will visit Cincinnati Public Schools elementary classrooms to read to students and complete an activity with 4th grade students to support a positive, engaging literacy experience.

Volunteers will visit Cincinnati Public Schools elementary classrooms to read to students and complete an activity with 4th grade students to support a positive, engaging literacy experience.

Help us plant beds along Vine St and 13th St to beautify Over-The-Rhine! Volunteers will work with 3CDC and Over-The-Rhine Community Housing (OTRCH) to freshen up some landscape beds in high traffic areas of OTR. We'll be weeding, planting, and mulching to create a more pleasant experience for passersby! 3CDC partners with organizations like OTRCH throughout Cincinnati's urban core to create safe, clean & beautiful public spaces for Cincinnatians and visitors to enjoy.

Several opportunities will be available on this date such as repair and building fencing, painting fences, yard work such as mowing, weeding, trimming etc.  Cleaning-dusting arena and stall areas, wiping down surfaces.  

Join the Grail to remove invasive plants so our beneficial native plants and wildlife can flourish. By volunteering with us, you’ll not only contribute to the health of our ecosystem but also enhance the beauty of over 70 acres of land enjoyed by visitors and hikers.

The group will take a short hike to our work site then learn to identify different species of plants. We’ll pull invasive plants such as garlic mustard and wintercreeper and use loppers and hand saws to cut down honeysuckle.

Tools and work gloves will be provided.

Join us for the 2nd Annual River Clean-Up at Lost Bridge in North Bend! In partnership with Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), Edible Ohio Valley Schoolhouse is bringing together volunteers to help protect and restore one of our region’s most vital natural resources.

Participants will work to remove litter and debris from the riverbank, helping improve water quality and protect local ecosystems. This hands-on service project is a meaningful way to make an immediate impact while connecting with others who care about environmental stewardship.

At Edible, we believe that a thriving local food system depends on clean air, healthy soil, and—critically—clean water. Supporting efforts like this river clean-up is essential to ensuring that our farms, foodways, and communities can flourish for generations to come.

Spend a day on the farm! After meeting our animals and taking a tour of the work we do in the world volunteers will help us:

1) Move some neglected planting beds to border our boardwalk, so folks with accessibility issues will have easier access to harvesting strawberries, nasturtiums, and other edibles. Once these boxes have been. moved, we will fill them with soil and plant them with flowers and edibles. 

2) Finish the blackberry arbor which will not only train our blackberry vines to climb, but also create a shady sit spot in the garden for visitors. 

3) Remove invasive bindweed and replace it with clover, a low-growing pollinator that adds nitrogen to the soil, improving soil health, and feeds the bees all summer. 

4) Deconstruct a rock wall and move these materials for use in a later project. 

5) Move and process large wood donations to create firewood, hugelkulture beds, and other projects. 

9am-12pm

We will be cleaning up our garden in anticipation for the growing season. Tasks include picking up trash, spreading mulch, pulling weeds and clearing debris. Wear closed toe shoes, pants and long sleeve shirt. Street parking is available. There are no bathrooms on site, public restroom is available at the Walnut Hills Library (3 blocks away)

Possum Strous, possum@walnuthillsrf.org, 513-580-8311

St. Vincent de Paul Northern Kentucky's thrift stores, through sales of donated items, generate 70% of the funding for our assistance programs. As a thrift store, the more stock and variety we have on the sales floor, the more sales we will have and more funding that is generated to help our neighbors in need. UC Serves volunteers will assist primarily in retail production - tagging and hanging donated clothing (each Z-rack = $500 of potential revenue) and/or pairing donated shoes (each bin of shoes = $600 of potential revenue). Work may also include running racks of product out to the sales floor and making it available for sale, or organization/color blocking of clothing on the sales floor to create a better shopping experience for our customers.

Carpooling recommended. Park as far back as possible in lot to avoid being blocked in by customers. Bathrooms available on site.

Nati Elite Inc. will be preparing for a GO Day community outreach event in partnership with Crossroads Church taking place the following day. Volunteers will assist with assembling resource kits, organizing event materials, and preparing registration and setup items to ensure a smooth and impactful experience for youth and families

Parking Instructions:
Parking is available behind the building off McMillan Street. Volunteers should enter through the athletic entrance, which will serve as the meeting location.

Notable Landmarks Near Project Site:
Hughes High School is located directly across from the University of Cincinnati on Clifton Avenue.

Bathroom Information:
Restrooms are available inside the building.

Additional Details for Volunteers

Wear closed-toe shoes

Bring a water bottle

Project will take place indoors

Light lifting may be required (under 15 lbs)

No prior experience needed

Come help us spruce up our playground! Some tasks include mulching, staining/painting equipment, carrying sand, and washing materials. 

Please join us as we start a community garden! Volunteers are needed in four areas:

Team 1: Garden Beds (digging/laying landscape cloth/edgers, assemble garden beds, wood chips/soil, plant starters)

Team 2: Pollinator Spiral  (digging/laying landscape cloth/edgers, build spiral, wood chips/soil)

Team 3: Berm (digging/laying landscape cloth/edgers, fill berm with soil)

Team 4: Shrubs  (digging/laying landscape cloth/edgers, wood chips/soil)

We would love to have volunteers come out and help with some spring cleaning and connecting with our residents at our homes. Currently we have the option for all day available but this could vary closer to the date.

Lift bags of mulch and dump them in the playground areas. Then spread the mulch to create an even layer. 

Join us for a hands-on service project focused on clearing out a basement space and removing an existing fence. Volunteers will assist with organizing, lifting, and disposing of materials to help create a safer and more usable environment. This project is ideal for individuals comfortable with physical work and looking to make a tangible impact in a single day.

Join us right down the hill from UC's main campus and help our mission by providing food security to households in your own community. 

During your volunteering shift in Saint Vincent de Paul's Choice Food Pantry, you will be assisting individuals who are shopping through our pantry, restocking our shelves, sorting donations, and more. Please come prepared with a grateful heart, walking shoes, and weather appropriate attire as you will be traversing in and out of the building. 

Join us right down the hill from UC's main campus and help our mission by providing food security to households in your own community. 

During your volunteering shift in Saint Vincent de Paul's Choice Food Pantry, you will be assisting individuals who are shopping through our pantry, restocking our shelves, sorting donations, and more. Please come prepared with a grateful heart, walking shoes, and weather appropriate attire as you will be traversing in and out of the building. 

St. Vincent de Paul Northern Kentucky's two choice pantries serve over 500 families (over 1600 neighbors) a month. Donation drives slow down during the summer months, but one last spring drive helps us get through - Stamp Out Hunger with our local postal letter carriers. This year's event takes place the week before UC Serves. Volunteers will sort through food donations from this event, which will later stock the two choice pantries. If volunteers get through all donations and time remains, they will then assist with some cleaning activities within one of the choice pantries. All work is inside.

Carpooling is recommended. Park as far back into the lot as possible to avoid getting blocked in by customers.

On-site bathrooms available. Items such as jackets and bags can be placed in our conference room/Advancement Office.

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The Bearcats Pantry and Resource Center is hosting a community garden day! Help us weed beds, plant summer crops, and complete other necessary garden tasks that will help the garden feed the UC community! Tools will be provided butut bring your own gloves if you want to wear them. 

Parking Instructions: Ample Free parking will be available inside of the park. If members of your staff are volunteering together, we encourage you to carpool. 

Notable Landmarks Near Project Site: Follow the service road and go through the gates that are parked with "UC Fishwick", you can go either left or right around the building, but you will end up in a parking lot behind the main building. Park and go around the machine storage shed to the garden - the large fenced in area with "UC Garden" signs. 

Bathroom Information: Bathrooms available onsite. 

Overview of BLOC Ministries/ Ola Immigrant Welcome Center

We are an urban faith-based ministry serving the needs of the Cincinnati area immigrant population. Our mission is to create prosperous communities where immigrants are welcomed, embraced, and empowered.

Join us for UC Serves at Ola Immigrant Welcome Center as we come together to care for our space and prepare for our upcoming community festival! Volunteers will help with weeding, spreading mulch, and improving curb appeal through general outdoor beautification. We’ll also be cleaning and organizing indoor spaces to get everything ready. It’s a great opportunity to make a tangible impact and serve alongside others as we prepare to welcome the community the following day.

Parking onsite and restrooms available

Please dress for the weather and bring your own water bottle

Pregnancy Center West will be hosting a Celebrating Moms initiative where participants will write cards congratulating our moms who have recently given birth. These cards will go directly into the baby bags given to our moms during their new baby visit :)

Feel free to bring any baby items you would like to give our moms and we'll make sure they're also put in the baby bag

Gorman Heritage Farm would love your help in their sustainable Market Garden with spring garden chores. Working in our gardens can include, but is not exclusive to weeding, bed prep, harvesting, planting and turning compost piles. 

THE MISSION OF GORMAN HERITAGE FARM:
To cultivate a healthy community through farm-based education and experiences about food, sustainable agriculture, and the natural world.
VISION
Cultivate an informed, involved community dedicated to Building Healthy Futures.
VALUES
The values of Gorman Heritage Farm include self-reliance, stewardship, service, fun, experiential learning, and meaningful labor.

Volunteers will help set up for the YMCA Rally Day where over 300 camp councelors and lifeguards will gather for training and inspiration as they look forward to engaging over 1,000 campers this summer.   Volunteers will set up rooms, clean up the pool deck, plant flower, assemble supplies and training materials.  Volunteers will work inside and outside as we prepare for the exciting day.  

Trulight Ministries is a faith-based nonprofit in Zanesville, Ohio that serves individuals experiencing
homelessness and those in need within our community. We provide free meals, access to showers and
laundry, and a safe, welcoming environment for individuals seeking support and hope.
For UC Serves 2026, volunteers will have the opportunity to serve directly alongside our team in both
outreach and facility improvement efforts. The project will begin with volunteers helping prepare and
serve a hot breakfast to members of the homeless community from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM. This hands-on
experience allows students to engage meaningfully with those we serve while meeting a critical daily
need.
Following breakfast service, volunteers will assist with cleaning and organizing the dining area and
sanctuary to help maintain a clean and welcoming space for ongoing ministry activities.
The final portion of the project will focus on beautification efforts within the facility. Volunteers will help
paint and refresh selected interior walls, contributing to a more uplifting and comfortable environment
for all who enter our doors.
This project offers a unique opportunity to combine direct service with practical improvements that will
have a lasting impact on our community.

Volunteers will Behringer-Crawford Museum help make NaturePlay, BMC’s outdoor educational space, ready for families to enjoy all summer long. NaturePlay is a free and gated handicapped-accessible green space where children and their families can play, discover, and engage in heritage and natural history. BCM brings history to life by engaging students in hands-on learning experiences. Immersive educational programs, enable students to connect with the culture, arts, and heritage of our region, bringing the rich history of the Ohio River Valley into the classroom.   Lessons come alive with programs in outdoor programs like the urban archaeological "Dig Up the Past", where students participate in a collaborative effort to uncover traces of "past cities" using authentic artifacts, tools, and archeological techniques. Students are challenged to use their critical thinking skills to discuss what life would have been like many years ago. BCM’s one-of-a-kind educational opportunities ignite a passion for learning while granting students a comprehension understanding of the subject matter.   Each year, BCM expands its outdoor programs and events, attracting visitors from around the tri-state. Over the past decade, an estimated 15,606 students have taken part in Behringer-Crawford’s educational programs. These programs reflect the increasing importance of history and cultural arts in educating the region's youth. BCM’s programs promote student success and nurture critical thinking and creativity that have a lasting impact on student’s lives in the classroom and beyond.

Join us for a hands-on day of neighborhood stewardship at Incline Run, a pedestrian pathway in Cincinnati’s historic Price Hill Incline District. Incline Run is a unique, quiet greenspace connecting the East and Lower Price Hill neighborhoods. Our goal is simple: refresh and beautify Incline Run this spring.

Volunteers will spend the day helping to:

• Remove overgrown weeds and invasive plants

• Pick up litter along the pathway

• Plant new greenery in our artistic planters along the trail

This project is perfect for anyone who enjoys being outdoors, getting their hands dirty, and making a visible difference in a beloved public space. We'll provide tools, gloves, and lunch for volunteers that day. Whether you stay for an hour or the whole day, your help will make a real impact on this unique hillside pathway.

Project Lead: Ashley Feist, Price Hill Will 

Project Lead Contact: Ashley@pricehillwill.org, 513-824-1215 (both calls and texts are welcome)

Parking Instructions: 

Use 2570 Maryland Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45204 in your GPS to reach the Incline Run entrance.
Because Incline Run is a pedestrian pathway built from a closed section of Maryland Avenue, vehicles cannot drive onto the trail itself.
The easiest place to park is along the upper section of Maryland Avenue or nearby streets in the Incline District, including:
-Maryland Avenue (north of the trail entrance)
-Mt. Hope Avenue
-nearby side streets
From there, it is a short walk downhill to the Incline Run entrance.

Notable Landmarks Near Project Site: The project site is located near East Price Hills Incline District, the intersection of State Avenue and River Road, and minutes from Downtown Cincinnati.

Bathroom Information: There are no restroom facilities directly on site at Incline Run. Volunteers should plan to take breaks at nearby shops or Price Hill Will offices, 3301 Price Ave. Rides will be provided to non-drivers.

Help us get our green spaces ready for spring and summer planting.  We have some tools but if you want to bring gloves and weeding tools that would be great!

Help us to prepare our campus for the upcoming 2026 Summer Camp season! We are looking for volunteers to assist with various projects, including:

- Setting up several metal frames with light weight vinyl top canopies

- Potentially string trim around a large pond

- Other landscaping, painting, power washing, and cleaning projects as needed

Volunteer Help Needed at Roll Hill School

Roll Hill School is seeking volunteers to assist with an important organizational project in our main office.

We need help sorting and filing older cumulative (CUM) student records from both Roll Hill School and Ethel Taylor School. The goal is to organize and combine these records into one system to make them easier to locate and maintain.

Volunteer Tasks May Include:

Sorting older student files

Filing cumulative records

Organizing paperwork by year or student name

Assisting office staff with record organization

Your help will allow our staff to keep student records properly organized and accessible.

Location: Roll Hill School

We will gather in the garden and prep the beds, and put our hands in the dirt as we plant all of the seedlings that will be ready to go! There will be a few other projects, as well as general cleanup and beautification, to get the garden going for the year.

Team will clean up the football practice grounds. It requires cutting and weeding.

We want to get an early start on cleaning our neighborhood flowerbeds and green space areas. This is a great time to start. We are hoping for a large turn out to help us beautify our flowerbeds and green spaces. Please come join us.

Join us in the community garden and get your hands dirty while helping our space bloom! As a volunteer, you’ll plant, water, and care for flowers, vegetables, and herbs, harvest fresh produce for our programs and local families, and help create a vibrant, welcoming outdoor space for everyone to enjoy. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just love being outside, it’s a rewarding way to connect with the community, make new friends, and watch your efforts grow right before your eyes.

Hello Volunteers,

Description:

Join us for the 2026 Wasson Way Morning Trail Clean-Up! This event will take place on May 15, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. We can meet on the trail at Burch Avenue near Rookwood’s Whole Foods.

Volunteers will be weeding and mulching all trees on from Madison Rd. to Montgomery Rd.

Wasson Way is a vibrant urban linear greenway trail that spans twelve neighborhoods on the eastern side of Cincinnati, connecting neighborhoods, schools, and recreation areas. Our vision is to transform Wasson Way into a world-class urban greenway that serves as a hub for community activity.

Event Details:

Parking Instructions:

Park on Birch Avenue, nearby streets, or Rookwood Commons. Please consider carpooling.

Notable Landmarks Near Project Site:

Signs will be posted to guide you.

Bathroom Information:

Public bathrooms will be available.

Event Activities:

The event will focus on mulching and removing weeds around trees planted between Madison Road and Montgomery Avenue. Tools and gloves will be provided for volunteers.

What to Bring:

We appreciate your willingness to support our community.

Thank you,

Ralph
(513) 218-8562

All volunteers must be registered via the Freestore Foodbank website in addition to the UC portal before entering the building for a volunteer shift. Please use the following link to complete your mandatory waiver and register to participate in this event: https://vhub.at/ucserves

The Bea Taylor Market is a choice food pantry offering clients free food according to family composition, nutritional needs, cooking availability, and tastes. Client choices are augmented by fresh produce, pre-selected meals, and personal hygiene products. Homeless clients receive special boxes with foods that can be consumed without heating.

Volunteer Task: Volunteers will stock shelves, assist customers during their shopping experience, staff the check-in and checkout counters, assist customers to their vehicle with their groceries and load into the vehicle, and perform simple maintenance activities to keep the market clean and customer friendly.

Parking: Park in any of our free spaces on-site. When you arrive, enter through the main entrance of the building (the doors under the WELCOME sign).

Dress Code: Opened-toe, flip flops, and sandals are not permitted. Shirts must have sleeves; t-shirts and short-sleeved shirts are acceptable. Tank tops and sleeve-less shirts are not permitted. Well-fitted clothes to ensure safe movement around machinery and equipment; jeans or shorts can be worn.

Bathroom: Public restrooms available in the facility.

Volunteers will help to inventory the school's technology resources of cabinets and work areas.

Join us for a hands-on volunteer day helping Pets In Need improve our annex house and clinic spaces! Volunteers will assist with a variety of tasks to keep our spaces welcoming, organized, and safe for the pets and families we serve.

Activities may include:

QCPP partners with Cardinal Land Conservancy, Adventure Crew, and the Civic Garden Center on a newly acquired outdoor campus that we are all working to convert to a great outdoor education space, less than a mile from UC's campus. We will have several outdoor projects going by May 15th, and will need help with invasive plant removal, potentially raised garden bed building, and maybe we will be far enough along to actually be planting. Consider it all to be outside work, gardening/landscaping opportunities designed to enhance our new campus.

We have plenty of parking between our two properties, and bathroom access, though that is a bit of a walk (across the street to our nearest building). 

The Cincinnati ToolBank is looking for help to beautify it's outdoor area! Volunteers will paint our fence along the boundary of our parking lot, complete light landscaping, spread mulch, and plant flowers.

CHA will be hosting a Field Day at school on May 15 to promote physical activity, teamwork, & fun school spirit through engaging games, relays, & outdoor activities. Volunteers will be assisting with various outdoor activities & games.

Join PWC’s annual spring volunteer event and use your home repair skills to provide important home maintenance services to low-income seniors and people with disabilities in our community! Recruit a group of friends and family or organize a team from your company, school or faith-based group and spend time helping your neighbors.

Repair Affair is one of PWC's annual volunteer events. Form a small group of volunteers with home repair skills and make a concrete difference in the lives of our low-income neighbors by: Installing handrails, repairing drywall, fixing leaky plumbing, repairing damaged walkways and steps, performing other home maintenance for our clients

Volunteering at Elementary School's Field Day running stations and helping set up and clean up materials. Field day is from 9-2 but please plan to come at 8 to go over expectations of each station.

Every summer, Clermont College's community garden tended by faculty, staff, and students grows, harvests, and donates fresh produce to local food banks. Over the past five years we have donated over 1000 lbs of food throughout our region. 

Help us prepare this year's garden beds and plant our 2026 crop! We will be installing plant trellis for squash, new garden beds, and planting this year's garden plants into fresh soil.

After lunch we will head up to the Clermont campus forest plot to clear invasive honeysuckle and transplant prairie plants.

Hospice of Cincinnati (HOC) would greatly appreciate the UC Serves team helping us with the following items on your service day

Lori Asmus 
lori_asmus@trihealth.com 
513-246-9168
Inpatient Care Center is the second building on the property. Please park in the furthest spot to allow spaces for hospice visitors. 

You will be taking our dogs on Field Trips!! This a great way to give our dogs a break from their kennel and let them have real life experiences. 

You will sign a waiver; we will bring you a dog with their backpack and a list of fun places to go around town. 

More than 1 person can take a dog on a Field Trip, but we do ask that only 1 dog goes with you. 

We need help preparing for our school's annual festival.  Volunteers will pop and bag popcorn, make and bag cotton candy and similar tasks. The Academy of World Languages is proud to host our annual International Festival on Saturday, May 16, 2026 from 10 AM - 1 PM. Our International Festival celebrates our world language program and students’ cultural heritage. We enroll pre K – 8th grade students city-wide, from over 40 different countries in our World Language and English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program. Our International Festival showcases our students demonstrating their acquired language abilities in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian and English plus food, basket raffles, games and performances from around the world.

Join us in the Dater Montessori Nature Center for an afternoon of hosting students and their teachers at outdoor education stations to learn about wetlands, meadowlands, trees and vegetable gardening. Lots of fun!

We are remodeling our garden to make it more user friendly. We are adding more seating for classes and events. We are also adding an area for a farmers market. come Join us. Have some fun and hear about our mission and our journey. 

Our mission is to celebrate, preserve, and promote the brewing culture, heritage, and economy of the historic Brewery District and Cincinnati region. Every spring, we like to clean up our neighborhood brewing history trail signs, re-mulch areas, pick-up trash, and do some light repairs to signage. This year we will meet up at our "Hop On" trail sign, located on the east side of Findlay Market, along Race Street.

We are back for year 6 of Woodford Academy's epic field day. This year the theme is a carnival. We are in need of help running the various stations that the students will rotate to. The day runs from 9:30-3:30PM. We do plan a lunch break for volunteers from 12-12:45 where we provide lunch and drinks. The event is both inside and outside this year but if it rains the activities may move inside, those details will be shared out prior to the day. Many UC serves volunteers have come back to help year after year and we love having them!