Opportunities From: United Way of Bartholomew County Volunteer Site

Join Turning Point's Not-Too-Extreme Makeover Team for the United Way Day of Service! 

We're looking for volunteers to roll up their sleeves and tackle a variety of projects that will make a big difference for survivors of domestic violence.

Projects include refreshing our walls with paint touch ups, transforming the Empower Store into a cozy Fall/Winter shopping experience, enhancing our curb appeal through landscaping projects, and restoring the showroom shine to our mobile advocacy vans.

We'll keep your energy up with our signature dirty soda bar—because every makeover crew deserves a few tasty perks!

Join us because every brushstroke, shovel of mulch, and bucket of soapy water helps create a place filled with HOPE, powered by ACTION, and designed for CHANGE.

United Way of Bartholomew County is excited to partner with Versiti to host a blood drive during Day of Service—and we’d love for you to be part of it!

By donating blood, you can double your impact for the day!

If you’re unable to participate in a traditional volunteer project, this is a meaningful and lifesaving way to give back to our community. Even better, the blood collected stays local—supporting patients at Columbus Regional Health.

As a thank-you, all blood donors will:

Schedule you're donation appointment here:
https://donateblood.versiti.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/11643248

Why it matters:

Your donation can truly save lives—right here in our community. Join us and make your Day of Service count in a powerful way!

Help give the Columbus Firemen's Cheer Fund building a fresh new look! Volunteers will paint a large interior wall, helping brighten the space for the volunteers who come and bring holiday cheer each year. No painting experience is necessary—just a willingness to lend a hand. We'll provide the paint, supplies, and instructions. Come ready to roll up your sleeves and make a visible impact in just a few hours!

Help United Way of Bartholomew County tackle some much-needed office organization at our Tax Office! Volunteers will assist with moving and removing furniture, rearranging office spaces, lifting and organizing file boxes, and helping prepare workspace for future needs.

This project involves physical labor, including lifting, carrying, and moving heavy items.

If you don't mind breaking a sweat and enjoy hands-on work, we'd love to have your help! Please wear comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes.

Volunteers must be able to climb stairs as our elevator is down.

DPW is seeking volunteers to help make our entrance into the city bright and beautiful! Volunteers will assist with with pulling weeds and spreading mulch at the Discover Columbus location on 46W. Volunteers will meet at the back parking lot of Burger King, and we will walk to the work site. DPW will provide gloves, safety glasses, water and bug spray.

Come help us weed and mulch in our educational native plant gardens around the Purdue Extension-Bartholomew County office. These plants were lovingly planted by a United Way Day of Caring Team several years ago and have filled our space with color and pollinators ever since. We are also planning a big clean out of our main storage area, and some participants will help us haul all our items out of the storage area to be cleaned and sorted. 

Help the Bartholomew County Historical Society spruce up the outside of our facility! This project includes applying a coat of clear sealer to our wheelchair ramp (it's already prepped and ready to go!) and giving our east-side garden some TLC by weeding, cleaning out overgrowth, and edging the beds.

It's a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, make an immediate impact, and leave our space looking fresh and welcoming for everyone who visits. No special skills are needed—just a willingness to pitch in and have fun!

Bartholomew County Humane Society is seeking volunteers to help us dig, pull, and clear out old landscaping as we prepare for an exciting new look!

This is the first step in refreshing our outdoor space, and we need plenty of helping paws to make it happen.

No experience is needed, just a positive attitude and a willingness to get a little dirty. Join us for some fun, teamwork, and the chance to help shape what's next!

Help protect and improve Children, Inc. Learning Center's building joining our Gutter Cleanup Crew! Volunteers will remove leaves and debris from the building's gutters and bag the material for easy disposal. This important project helps prevent water damage, keeps the property looking its best, and prepares the building for the changing seasons. It's a great opportunity to work outdoors, make an immediate impact, and help ensure the organization can continue serving our community. Every bag of debris removed makes a difference!

Help give the shed at Solid Waste Management a fresh look! Volunteers will assist with repairing wood on a storage shed and painting fences, the shed, and outdoor poles.

No special skills are required—just a willingness to roll up your sleeves and help. This project involves light to moderate physical activity, including standing, bending, and working outdoors.

Your efforts will make a lasting impact by helping keep our property safe, well-maintained, and welcoming.

Are you a passionate photographer looking for a way to give back to your community?

United Way of Bartholomew County is seeking volunteer photographers to capture the energy and impact of our Day of Service projects throughout the county!

Date: Thursday, September 10, 2026

Location: Various project sites across Bartholomew County (location assignments will be shared prior to the event)

Shifts Available: 7:45AM – 11:45AM • 11:45AM – 3:45 PM

Requirements:

Volunteer photographers should plan to spend at least 15 to 30 minutes at each site capturing a variety of images.

Your photos will help United Way tell the story of community impact and be used in marketing and communications materials showing the incredible difference volunteers make.

Just Friends Garden is seeking experienced volunteers to help assemble a new metal garden shed. The shed will provide secure storage for gardening tools, equipment, and supplies that support our community garden and its programs.

Your skills and time will make a lasting impact by helping create a safe, organized storage space that keeps Just Friends Garden running smoothly. Thank you for sharing your expertise with our community!

Just Friends Garden is seeking experienced volunteers to help assemble a new metal garden shed. The shed will provide secure storage for gardening tools, equipment, and supplies that support our community garden and its programs.

Your skills and time will make a lasting impact by helping create a safe, organized storage space that keeps Just Friends Garden running smoothly. Thank you for sharing your expertise with our community!

Help give downtown Columbus a fresh, clean look! Volunteers will work alongside City of Columbus Department of Public Works (DPW) crews to paint curbs throughout the downtown area, helping improve safety and the appearance of our community.

Volunteers should meet at 1350 Arcadia Drive to check in with the traffic crew before traveling together to the work sites.

DPW will provide all necessary safety equipment, bug spray, and water. Please wear comfortable clothing that can get dirty and closed-toe shoes for this outdoor project

Columbus Fellowship Club is teaming up to get our building and grounds ready for the changing season! Whether you enjoy working indoors or outside, there's a project for everyone. Volunteers will assist with painting and organizing indoor storage areas, or lend a hand outdoors with weeding, tree trimming, gutter cleaning, and other seasonal landscaping tasks. Join us for a fun day of teamwork while helping create a clean, welcoming space for everyone who visits the Fellowship Club.

Weed Wrangles are events that bring volunteers together to remove invasive plants that are negatively impacting our public spaces. During these events, community members learn to identify and control invasive plants which are causing harm to our native plant communities. We work to foster a collective effort to have a substantial positive impact for our native plants, pollinators, birds, and other wildlife.

During a Weed Wrangle Indiana® you will not only learn about plants, wildlife and how to manage invasive plants, but will also join a national effort to positively impact our communities.  And it’s fun! Each event is a rewarding opportunity to work together locally to celebrate and protect our cherished green spaces and natural areas! 

This Weed Wrangle will be at Mill Race Park.  We will park near the Basketball Courts.

Start the day by helping set up tables and chairs for the Day of Service volunteer lunch, ensuring everything is ready to welcome volunteers from across the community later in the day. Once the lunch area is set, the team will move to an office space that is being repurposed and work together to remove glued-down carpet squares.

This is a physically demanding project that requires plenty of sweat equity. Volunteers should be comfortable with repetitive lifting, kneeling, scraping, and pulling up carpet tiles. If you enjoy hands-on work and don't mind breaking a sweat while making a lasting impact, this is the project for you!

Roll up your sleeves and help transform an office space for its next purpose! Volunteers will spend the afternoon removing glued-down carpet squares from an office area that is being repurposed. This hands-on project requires teamwork, determination, and a willingness to put in some serious sweat equity.

After the carpet removal work is complete, volunteers will help take down tables and chairs from the Day of Service volunteer lunch area and assist with resetting the space.

This is a physically demanding project that involves kneeling, lifting, pulling, and repetitive work. Volunteers should come prepared to work hard, get a little dirty, and make a big impact through their efforts!

We're looking for volunteers to help clean the gutter on the north side of 311 Center St.

The job will involve:

This is a great opportunity for someone who doesn't mind a little outdoor work! (And if you have a pressure washer... even better!)

Love Chapel is seeking a few volunteers to help tame the jungle at our newly acquired lot at 361 Center St.!

The weeds have been growing fast, and we'd love some helping hands to get the lot back in shape.

Help the Propeller lounge a fresh new look! We're looking for volunteers with a keen eye for detail and a willingness to roll up their sleeves.

Whether you're a painting perfectionist or just enjoy helping out, we'd love to have you on the team. Come make a difference, meet some great people, and help create an even better space for our makers and the community!

Come join the Columbus Scottish Festival planning committee in the final push for Festival set up! The Columbus Scottish Festival is a 32 year tradition that started in by East High School and made it's way to the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds. 

The Festival planning committee is a strong group of volunteers but needs your help to get the Festival set up over the finish line! As a setup volunteer, you may be stringing bunting to create our Heavy Athletic fields or helping move bleachers into position under tents or folding the Festival brochures! There is something for every group at the Festival! 

The United Way Day of Service crew is always a welcome sight for committee members! We thank you for your help and many hands to make light work! 

Columbus Youth Camp is looking for volunteers to help clear and maintain the trails by removing debris and adding mulch. This is a fantastic opportunity to give back and support the camp's outdoor activities.

Bring your energy and enthusiasm to help keep the trails clear and accessible for everyone who enjoys the outdoor activities at camps.

Your efforts will directly support the camp's mission and ensure the trails are safe for all visitors. Join us and make a lasting impact in a beautiful natural space! 

Columbus Youth Camp is looking for volunteers to help clear and maintain the trails by removing debris and adding mulch. This is a fantastic opportunity to give back and support the camp's outdoor activities.

Bring your energy and enthusiasm to help keep the trails clear and accessible for everyone who enjoys the outdoor activities at camps.

Your efforts will directly support the camp's mission and ensure the trails are safe for all visitors. Join us and make a lasting impact in a beautiful natural space! 

Be part of the behind-the-scenes work that keeps Sans Souci running! Volunteers will assist with sorting donations, preparing merchandise, stocking the store, and organizing items for display. These efforts directly support our programs by turning donated goods into affordable resources and opportunities for our community.