9.29.2025video
UVA Health Update | Sept. 29, 2025
9.29.2025
UVA Health Sets a Record for Lending Hands: 2025 United Way Day of Caring, and Awards
"Volunteers, they are, with hearts so bright,
Giving their time, day and night,
To help others, in need and strife,
And bring hope, to each life."*
United Way of Greater Charlottesville is honoring UVA Health with the 2025 Day of Caring Most Volunteer Teams Promoting Community Wellness Award.
United Way of Greater Charlottesville President and CEO Ravi Cooper presented UVA Health Chief Community Engagement and Health Outcomes Officer Tracy M. Downs, MD, FACS with the award at the inaugural Day of Caring Volunteer Awards and Reception Sept. 25, 2025 at The Center at Belevdere auditorium.
Dr. Downs pointed out during the acceptance speech that Day of Caring supports UVA Health’s:
- Mission of transforming health and inspiring hope.
- Unifying vision to transform care, research, education, and engagement with the diverse communities we serve.
- Strategic plan initiative of philanthropy and resource stewardship.
- Strategic plan goal of cultivating healthy communities and belonging for all — positively impacting health outcomes through community engagement.
He also recited a poem entitled "The Selfless Souls," (excerpt above*) that, as he described, "beautifully captures the spirt of volunteering, written by an anonymous contributor and featured in a curated collection of poems celebrating volunteers."
Adds Cooper: “Through Day of Caring — especially this year, via the expanded impact our Host Committee has helped realize — United Way is better able to advance our mission to help all families in our community thrive. With the support of community partners, together, we are able to better address the most pressing issues facing our community.“
Jackie Martin, MPH, CDM, Director, Community Partnerships and Health Outcomes, organized UVA Health teams for Day of Caring for a third year; overall, working with United Way for more than 20 years through a previous role. "I'm personally proud to see so many UVA Health team members participate in Day of Caring," she beams. "It shows how much we care for the community! Our large numbers led to lots of impact that day."
More than 2,100 volunteers from Charlottesville and six surrounding counties completed 115 projects — providing an estimated $365,000 in value of service to our community in just one day! Sentara and the University of Virginia served as this year's Presenting Sponsors.
“It was an honor to serve as inaugural Co-Chair of the United Way Day of Caring Host Committee. I was heartened by the strong commitment from colleagues across UVA to serving and supporting our local community!" shares Kevin G. McDonald, JD, EdD, UVA Vice President for Community Engagement and Equal Opportunity, who also serves as a United Way of Greater Charlottesville Board Member. Read more about UVA teams' participation.
'The Power of Community'
More than 40 UVA Health teams comprised of 500+ team members took part in projects at a wide range of locations in and around Charlottesville — supporting local animal rescues, camps, churches, schools, wellness initiatives to service members, seniors, children, and many more. See the photo gallery of some of our UVA Health teams rolling up their sleeves and lending hands:
Christina Love, Senior Access Associate, and President, Employee Recognition Engagement Committee, led 50 members of the Access team at the Hydraulic Road office in this project to write 433 letters in cards to accompany care packages for deployed military service members — "a small, yet heartfelt, gesture to show our gratitude for their immense sacrifices. It was incredibly rewarding to extend our thoughts and prayers to those who bravely serve to protect our safety and uphold our freedom," she shares. "Being a part of this initiative reminded us of the power of community and the importance of giving back to those who give so much.”
She adds, "This is an inspiring example of UVA Health’s tradition of service and continued participation in the Annual Day of Caring."
Writing letters at their office also fit in with their busy schedules. "While many of the volunteer projects available were 'boots on the ground' activities, the nature of our work here — especially with UVA Health Schedulers — makes it challenging for team members to step away from the phones. This project was the perfect fit, enabling everyone in our office to participate — regardless of role.
UVA Health Pharmacy team members, led by Shanel Tibbs, and guided by hosts Anne Majewski and Helen Plaisance, collectively spent four hours transferring strawberry plants, planting mustard seeds, refreshing raised gardens, and staining an outdoor stage. All food grown there is donated to a local food bank.
“The core volunteers at Trinity Episcopal Church truly are committed to cultivating native species and promoting food sustainability," says Tibbs. "We are grateful to be able to help support their efforts.”
UVA Health Pharmacy volunteers also included Timony Couturier, Karen Eutsler, Claire Hynson, Niha Idrees, Kristine Smith, and Amanda Wolfe:
UVA Health Epic Revenue Cycle team members Christian Dice, Jen Fuchs, Crissy Knight, Lucas Londeree, Steve Mays, and Willa Neale wiped walls in the wellness area — and in the childcare center, sanitized toys and the play area, and organized toys.
“One small act of kindness can change a person's day or outlook," says Knight, who led the team. "This year, we were able to bring a smile to many faces at the YMCA by assisting them with several projects. It felt very rewarding leaving the facility’s child care clean and organized — knowing we made a difference.”
UVA School of Nursing Facilities Coordinator Becky Bowers has planned UVA School of Nursing’s involvement in Day of Caring for 32 years! This year, she led her volunteers to clean the garden — weeding, pruning, chopping trees, and hauling brush. “I am very humbled and blessed to be able to work with such fantastic UVA School of Nursing volunteers and nonprofit agencies throughout the years for the Laurence E. Richardson Day of Caring," she says. "I feel that without the volunteers, many of the nonprofit organizations in our community and surrounding counties would not be able to serve as many clients — because they would have to use their financial resources to pay for professionals to complete the work that volunteers can do."
She adds, "The work may not be perfect like a professional's, but my team and I put our whole heart and soul into whatever we're doing — working together as a team and enjoying each other while serving others! It's always rewarding to be able to help others, even when I may not have the skill sets needed for the job. I am so proud of the faculty and staff as well as the brother of a team member who joins us each year — whether for an in-person or virtual project."
Bower says she began representing UVA School of Nursing in the Day of Caring by herself for several years — and now the aculty and staff volunteer team is at least 50 strong! "I will always cherish the memories and the colleagues I've gotten to know better through the years while doing Day of Caring projects together," she reminisces.
This year's team included Souad Benloukil, Elle Blevins, Mary Burton, Susan Goins-Eplee, Linda Hanson, Ivy Hinton, Ashley Hurst, Ji-Yoon Kim, Christine Kueter, James Nisley, Ginger Richardson, Richard Ridge, Sterling Robinson, John Teahan, Vickie Southall, Deidre Vandross, and Jaimee Zawierucha:
They may return to stain the accessible ramp built by CHS students around the garden for those who use wheelchairs and have a penchant for gardening.
(In other projects, UVA School of Nursing team members also sewed holiday stockings for UVA Health Volunteer Services for patients who will be in the hospital during the holidays. The volunteers also conducted a letter writing campaign for military personnel through Blue Star Families of Central Virginia.)
Kevin Greenwood, Director, HIT Initiatives & Portfolio, HIT, led a team of UVA Health volunteers in set building and painting at Live Arts. He’s volunteered almost a dozen times for United Way at a previous organization. This was the first time for Greenwood and his team volunteering as a UVA Health team member for United Way Day of Caring. The project took off, as they helped build the set for the first production in the 2025-26 season: "Airline Highway," which launches in October:
UVA Health Imaging team members, organized by Julie Morris, RT (R), spent six hours supporting one of three days of the free festival that's focused on promoting mental, physical, and financial wellness in the community through local organizations, resource providers, and entertainment — empowering individuals and families.
“We were honored to participate," says Morris. "Just as we provide imaging services that play a vital role in our patients’ overall health, we are proud to have contributed to a three-day event that promotes and provides community support and resources for mental, physical, and financial wellness. Partnering in this way allows us to extend our mission of caring beyond the walls of our clinics and strengthening the health and well-being of the community we serve."
Volunteers helped set up — and later, break down — tents, tables, chairs, decorations, and signage. They also staffed the registration and welcome tables — greeting attendees, providing event maps, and answering basic questions; helped organizations set up booths, ensuring materials were stocked and accessible; supported interactive sessions, workshops, and games; kept areas clean; provided hospitality, offering water and snacks; and more.
Volunteers included: Kristi Parkhurst, Laurie Birchfield, Sheryl Morris, Frances Di Gregorio, and Julie Donathan:
Thank you to all UVA Health and UVA team members who volunteered, everyone else who took part, and United Way of Greater Charlottesville for organizing Day of Caring since 1992!
