Needs From: United Way of Northeast Florida

Eastside's Business District along A. Philip Randolph Blvd in its heyday in the 1940s. Be a part of a transformative day of service Out East!

This MLK Day of Service, join the resident-led Melanin Collaborative Group (MCG) as they continue revitalization efforts in Jacksonville’s historic Eastside. MCG is a community-rooted nonprofit known for uplifting local entrepreneurs, hosting the Jax Melanin Market, and bringing neighbors together through volunteer-driven projects and events.

Building on the progress made during past MLK service days, volunteers will help refresh and enhance beautification efforts throughout the district — including landscaping around street trees, clearing walkways, and adding simple improvements that boost curb appeal and neighborhood pride.

Your time and teamwork help strengthen this vibrant community and support the small businesses, families, and residents who call Out East home.

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Help bring new life and energy to Jacksonville’s historic Eastside! Join the Historic Eastside CDC as they work to strengthen the A. Philip Randolph corridor by installing new bike racks throughout this important community space. A trusted, resident-focused nonprofit, Historic Eastside CDC leads efforts to preserve neighborhood heritage, support local businesses, and create safe, welcoming public areas for everyone.

Bike racks help young people, seniors, and anyone without a car move around more easily and safely. They also support a more people-friendly streetscape — encouraging foot traffic, boosting nearby shops, and building a corridor where neighbors can gather, shop, and connect.

If you enjoy hands-on, outdoor projects where you can use tools and see real results by the end of your shift, this is a rewarding way to spend your MLK Day of Service.
Sign up to help build a more vibrant and accessible Eastside for all.

Join us this MLK Day of Service as we support a longtime Eastside leader and respected senior in the community who has spent years serving his neighbors through weekly community feedings and essential-needs support as leader of his church. His commitment reflects the same values Dr. King championed — compassion, service, and strengthening community from within.

As his personal home also serves as the storage and staging space for this work, from food items to paper goods to the basic necessities he gives to the community, we want to help him continue this important work by:

Organizing items into labeled binsAssembling and installing shelving to improve safety and accessClean and refresh living and storage spacesPrepare and refresh a vegetable garden Pressure wash the drivewayAssist with light home-improvement tasks

This project is about uplifting someone who continually uplifts others. By creating a safer, more functional space, we’re helping sustain the work that feeds and supports Eastside families every week.

Join us in supporting Northside Community Involvement (NCI), a nonprofit that strengthens Northwest Jacksonville through youth programs, family support, and transitional housing.

For this MLK Day of Service, volunteers will help update the exterior of a women’s transitional shelter by painting and assisting with light repairs as NCI replaces the building’s siding.

Your service will help create a safer, more welcoming environment for women working toward stability.

Volunteer at Urban Geo-Ponics in support of The Farmacy Project, a creative and empowering program for boys ages 8–17 in Northwest Jacksonville. The Farmacy Project blends physical fitness, anti-bullying tools, agricultural education, arts, mentorship, and hands-on learning to build confidence, leadership skills, and healthy habits.

This MLK Day of Service, volunteers will help strengthen the spaces that make this program possible by building new garden beds, constructing a greenhouse, and creating an enclosure for the outdoor gym area. Your work will help create a safer, more functional, and more inspiring environment for the youth who learn and grow here every day.

By serving at The Farmacy Project, you’re helping cultivate a place where young people can discover their strengths, explore new skills, and envision bright futures.

Join us in supporting Pastor Dinkins of The Worship Center, home of the original Daily Manna ServingCenter — a lifeline for families seeking meals, support, and connection. Daily Manna Serving Center #2 will build on that legacy by offering new opportunities, skills training, and community space.

For this portion of the project, volunteers will help with landscaping beautification to create a safe, welcoming setting for community use.

Your service will help create a clean, accessible exterior for a space designed to expand opportunity, connection, and support for neighbors across the community.

Bringing a group? Daily Manna #2 has four different projects taking place on-site, so everyone can volunteer together

Support Pastor Dinkins of The Worship Center, where the original Daily Manna Serving Center has long served as a lifeline for families seeking meals, support, and connection. Daily Manna Serving Center #2 will build on that legacy by offering new opportunities, skills training, and community space

This volunteer opportunity focuses on pressure washing, deep cleaning, and organizing the warehouse area to prepare the facility for upcoming renovations and programming.

Your work will help create a clean, functional environment that will soon support families, returning citizens, and neighbors seeking new opportunities.

Join us in strengthening our community through dignity, service, and opportunity for all.

Bringing a group? Daily Manna #2 has four different projects taking place on-site, so everyone can volunteer together

Join us in supporting Pastor Dinkins of The Worship Center, home of the original Daily Manna Serving Center — a lifeline for families seeking meals, support, and connection. Daily Manna Serving Center #2 will build on that legacy by offering new opportunities, skills training, and community space

Volunteers will help paint the exterior of the building, giving it a bright, welcoming appearance for the community. Tasks include prepping surfaces, priming, and painting.

Your service will help transform the building into an inviting hub where neighbors can gather, learn, and grow.

Honor Dr. King’s legacy by helping bring a vital community resource to life.

Bringing a group? Daily Manna #2 has four different projects taking place on-site, so everyone can volunteer together

Support Pastor Dinkins of The Worship Center, home to the original Daily Manna Serving Center — a trusted space where families have long found meals, support, and connection. Daily Manna Serving Center #2 will build on that legacy by creating new opportunities for learning, empowerment, and community engagement.

This volunteer role focuses on interior painting to refresh and prepare rooms that will soon host community gatherings, computer access, and hands-on training programs.

Your work will help create a welcoming, safe, and uplifting environment for everyone who enters this space.

Join us in building a stronger community through dignity and opportunity for all.

Bringing a group? Daily Manna #2 has four different projects taking place on-site, so everyone can volunteer together

This MLK Day of Service, join United Way of Northeast Florida, the Schell Sweet Community Resource Center and the Center for Sustainable Agriculture Excellence and Conservation (CSAEC), as we bring nutritious food directly to seniors and neighbors in Jacksonville’s New Town community — an area where food insecurity continues to rise, especially among older adults and working families.

These community partners reflect Dr. King’s belief in strengthening community and ensuring every neighbor has access to opportunity and support. The Schell Sweet Community Resource Center, located on the Edward Waters University campus, has long served as a hub for seniors through health programs, nutrition support, lifelong learning, and community connection. CSAEC expands access to fresh, locally grown food in underserved areas and partners with communities to reduce food insecurity.

Volunteers will unload, sort, and distribute food to seniors and local residents, helping ensure our neighbors have consistent access to healthy meals and the dignity of reliable nourishment. It’s a meaningful way to honor Dr. King’s legacy in a community with deep history and resilience.

United Way is proud to partner with Destined for a Change, an organization dedicated to uplifting families and strengthening neighborhoods through hands-on outreach and community support. They understand how neighborhood blight can deeply affect residents — lowering property values, creating safety concerns, reducing quality of life, and eroding community pride.

For MLK Day of Service, Destined for a Change is leading a revitalization effort throughout the Phoenix area — including 8th & Florida Avenue, Pacetti to Franklin Street, Phoenix Avenue, 9th & 10th Streets, and Winthrop Street.

Volunteers are needed to help remove litter, trim overgrowth, sweep sidewalks, and clear debris to improve safety and restore curb appeal. Beautifying these streets isn’t just about appearance; it’s about creating a cleaner, safer environment that strengthens dignity, pride, and connection among neighbors.

Your hands can help Phoenix reclaim its shine.

United Way is proud to partner with Destined for a Change, an organization dedicated to uplifting families and strengthening neighborhoods through hands-on outreach and community support. As part of their vision to expand local food access and create welcoming green spaces, they’re leading a Community Garden Restoration project for MLK Day of Service.

Volunteers are needed to help prepare and revitalize the garden by assembling eight metal raised beds, filling them with wood chips and soil, and planting seasonal vegetables, fruits, and pollinator-friendly plants. Additional tasks include cleaning pathways and refreshing the garden layout to make it safer, more accessible, and ready for community use.

This work helps promote fresh food access, environmental learning, and community pride — one garden bed at a time.

United Way partner Groundwork Jacksonville is dedicated to creating cleaner, greener, and healthier neighborhoods through environmental restoration and community engagement. This MLK Day of Service, they’re partnering with Grace Baptist Church in the Phoenix area to help bring a brand-new community garden to life.

Volunteers are needed to help prepare the garden space, assemble raised beds, fill them with soil, plant seasonal vegetables and pollinator plants, and clear pathways to make the area safe and welcoming for local families. This new garden will promote fresh-food access, hands-on learning, and neighborhood pride for the surrounding community.

United Way is proud to partner with Destined for a Change, Feeding Northeast Florida, and beloved Eastside community champion Honey Holzendorf to bring a much-needed food distribution to the Phoenix neighborhood for MLK Day of Service.

Volunteers are needed to set up distribution tables, pack, manage lines, assist neighbors with receiving groceries, and help hand out special “Love Packages” containing hygiene items and handwritten notes of encouragement for families and seniors. This site will serve as a welcoming pickup location, offering nourishment, care, and hope to households experiencing basic-needs challenges.

Your service can help Phoenix families feel supported and seen during a time when it matters most.

United Way is proud to partner with Destined for a Change, an organization dedicated to uplifting families and strengthening neighborhoods through hands-on outreach and community support. This MLK Day of Service, they are helping an elderly or disabled neighbor by repairing and reinforcing an existing handicap ramp, ensuring safe and accessible entry into the home.

If you are comfortable using basic tools like drills, saws, or hammers, you’ll be a great fit for this project. Tasks may include stabilizing ramp sections, replacing damaged boards, securing handrails, and adding fresh paint for protection and visibility.

Your hands can help restore safety, independence, and peace of mind for a Phoenix neighbor

United Way partner Groundwork Jacksonville is dedicated to creating cleaner, greener, and healthier neighborhoods through environmental restoration and community engagement. They understand how neglected parks and public spaces can impact a community — reducing safety, discouraging use, and diminishing pride, especially for young people who rely on them the most.

For MLK Day of Service, GroundWork Jax is leading a revitalization effort at Kooker Park in the Phoenix neighborhood. This park is a vital gathering place for local youth and families, and restoring it helps ensure they have a safe, welcoming space to play, learn, and connect.

Volunteers are needed to help remove litter, clear overgrowth, tidy pathways, and support a variety of other on-site improvements that enhance safety and restore the park’s vibrancy. Park beautification is more than a cleanup — it strengthens dignity, pride, and connection throughout the community.

 

C.R.O.W.N. stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.

Natural hair care items are frequently overlooked when toiletry items are donated. Not all hair and skincare products meet the unique needs of the natural hair community, and many homeless service providers have difficulty providing these necessary items. Many students from struggling families within our school system have a great need for these seldom-donated products as well. 

This is one of our DIY (Do it Yourself Volunteer Projects). DIY Volunteering allows families and groups of all ages and sizes to participate in flexible and meaningful community service opportunities from the comfort of their own homes or offices. DIY projects can be combined with social events, business meetings, celebrations, and more. You or your team will host a drive or purchase the supplies, complete the project, and drop off the completed project to the appropriate location. You may log your hours through the self-log feature of your profile after registering for the event and completing your project. Once you have responded to this need United Way of Northeast Florida will contact you within 48 hours. 

Kits will be dispersed to our community network to be distributed to students or through other non-profit partner agencies that serve the homeless or veteran populations. 

Please download a guide with a list of suggested items HERE or check out our Amazon wish list HERE. If you would like to hold a drive, you can find some helpful tips HERE.

If you need community service hours, we will verify one half-hour plus one hour for every two kits with cards created. 

For questions, please contact us HERE.

 

 

 

Many children within Clay County do not have regular access to food. As you can imagine, this instability has an impact on their health and academic success. Snack packs will alleviate some of their discomfort and worry that negatively affects their learning, social interactions, and ability to enjoy life as a child should. 

Packs can be completed in three easy steps:

1) Decorate a blank paper bag. A bright, colorful bag can really cheer up a child of any age! 

2) Stuff the bag with the following items (all items should be easy to open, non-perishable, and should need a microwave at most to cook):

Shelf-stable milk, chocolate milk, or 100% juice Easy Mac, Tuna Salad or chicken salad kit Kashi bar, Kind or another granola bar Popcorn/Chip Bag Applesauce or fruit cup Napkin Fork/spoon

3) Create a positive, motivational card for the child and place it in each bag.

4) When you have completed the project and are ready to donate your bags, please contact volunteer@uwnefl.org.

Volunteer Hours

For those that require service hours, one half-hour (for travel) plus one hour for every two complete snack packs with card will be given for one participant. 

 

 

 

Personal Care Kits is one of our (DIY) Do it Yourself Volunteer Projects. DIY Volunteering allows families and groups of all ages and sizes to participate in flexible and meaningful community service opportunities from the comfort of their own homes or offices. DIY projects can be combined with social events, business meetings, celebrations, and more. You or your team will host a drive or purchase the supplies, complete the project, and drop off the completed project to the appropriate location. You may log your hours through the self-log feature of your profile after registering for the event and completing your project. Once you have responded to this need United Way of Northeast Florida will contact you within 48 hours. 

Personal Care Kits

Purchasing items or hosting a drive and assembling personal care kits are a critical way volunteers can address a real community need individually or as a group, family, school or neighborhood. Kits will be dispersed to our community network to be distributed to students or through other non-profit partner agencies who serve the homeless or veteran population. 

Please download a guide with a list of suggested items HERE.

HINT: You may create kid-friendly kits by adding in a small toy or activity and/or kid-themed items. 

For anyone collecting hours, we will verify one half-hour plus one hour for every two kits with card created. These hours are capped at 10.5 hours for one participant. 

Please contact us HERE to arrange a donation time at the recipient organization. 

  

Happy Bottoms Diaper Drive is one of our (DIY) Do it Yourself Volunteer Projects. DIY Volunteering allows families and groups of all ages and sizes to participate in flexible and meaningful community service opportunities from the comfort of their own homes or offices. DIY projects can be combined with social events, business meetings, celebrations, and more. You or your team will host a drive or purchase the supplies, complete the project, and drop off the completed project to the appropriate location. You may log your hours through the self-log feature of your profile after registering for the event and completing your project. 

Happy Bottoms Diaper Drive

Diapers, wipes, and diaper cream are essential items for families with young children — but they’re also costly, and not covered by assistance programs like SNAP. By donating these items, you’re helping parents meet a critical basic need and ensuring babies in our community stay clean, healthy, and comfortable.

We welcome donations of diapers in all sizes (especially sizes 3–6), along with wipes and diaper cream. All items will be distributed to families in need through our trusted community partners.

Hour Verification:
Participants may earn:

·         0.5 hours for coordinating and dropping off donations, plus

·         1 additional hour for each complete “diaper care kit” donated:

o    1 pack of diapers

o    2 packs of wipes

o    1 tube of diaper cream
(Hours are awarded to one participant per kit.)

Your contribution directly supports local parents and children. Thank you for helping families in Northeast Florida thrive!

For any questions, please contact us HERE.

 

Senior Care Packs include items that seniors may find useful to make their daily life easier. These kits are distributed to the elderly who need extra assistance. Bags should be reusable shopping bags, totes, or drawstring backpacks.

Packs should include a combination of (but not limited to) the following items:

Hand sanitizer Toothbrush and holder Toothpaste Washcloth Soap and holder Shampoo Body wash Comb or brush Facial tissues Lip balm Lotion Jar gripper Magnifying glass Magazines Activity books (crosswords, sudoku, etc.) Notepads Pens Sugar-free candy Box of tea Non-slip socks Encouragement card

Assembling these kits involves a few simple steps. First, create a card of encouragement to put inside the bag; write a positive message or decorate with an inspirational image. We recommend using cardstock so that it won't bend in the bag during transport. Then, one of each item and the card should be placed in the bag. 

For anyone collecting hours, we will verify one half-hour  for travel plus one volunteer hour for every three bags of at least eight items each, capped at 5.5 hours for one participant.

Contact our project coordinator here to coordinate drop-offs or ask questions.

 

 

 

Increasingly, many children in grades kindergarten to high school, are in households that struggle financially and do not have regular access to food and basic hygiene products. Feminine products are ineligible for coverage under food stamps and SNAP benefits, contributing to what is called “period poverty”. In the US, nearly 1 in 5 girls have missed school because they lack access to feminine hygiene products, which leads to embarrassment and lack of self-esteem. Furthermore, if a girl has to stay home every time she has her period, she will fall behind her classmates by 145 days. Consistent school absences lead to a drop in grades and performance, which will have lasting repercussions in these students’ lives. By providing these items, these girls will have one less thing to worry about and be able to focus on what is really important – their education!

Suggested Items for each sack Deodorant maxi pads tampons pantiliners personal wipesmini-bottle of hand sanitizer Decorated card with encouraging words

Please contact us HERE to arrange a donation time at the recipient organization.