9.18.2026video
UVA Health Update | Sept. 18, 2026
9.18.2026
‘Incredibly Impactful!’: Hundreds of UVA Health Team Members Volunteer at 2026 United Way Day of Caring
"We're at our best when we come together in service of others!"
During the 2026 United Way of Greater Charlottesville Day of Caring on Wednesday, Sept. 16 — more than 55 UVA Health teams including 509 team members took part in a variety of projects at a wide range of locations in and around Charlottesville — supporting everything from camps, churches, community centers, food banks, outdoor recreation areas, schools, and more that in turn, support community members including children, families, seniors, people with special needs, and more. [View below the UVA Health teams' photo gallery!]
They're among 162 teams participating overall, including 2,300 volunteers in 133 projects this year at Day of Caring. UVA Health served as a Silver Sponsor of this year's event.
Tracy M. Downs, MD, FACS, Chief Community Engagement and Health Outcomes Officer, points out that the 35th annual 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.
Sentara and UVA served as this year's Presenting Sponsors. Read more about UVA teams' participation.
'Incredibly Impactful'
“This year’s Day of Caring is incredibly impactful thanks to the amazing volunteers — you all helped us pour an estimated $376,000 in time, labor, and materials into extremely deserving organizations throughout our region!" says Markiana Smith, Director of Community Engagement, United Way of Greater Charlottesville.
"In recent years, we’ve made it a priority to reach all corners of our community with Day of Caring’s impact, and UVA Health teams truly helped us accomplish this goal by completing projects in Madison and Fluvanna counties this year, too! We can’t thank you enough for taking the time to serve our community and give back.”
Community in Action
"After more than 20 years of supporting the United Way of Greater Charlottesville in various capacities, I continue to be inspired by what happens when people come together for the good of our community," says Jackie Martin, MPH, CDM, Director, Community Partnerships and Health Outcomes, UVA Health. "United Way reminds us we all have something to give—our time, our resources, our talents, or simply our willingness to help."
Martin says her favorite part of Day of Caring is seeing our community in action. "After all the planning, there is something powerful about watching thousands of people roll up their sleeves and work side-by-side to make a difference!"
Indeed — see the photo gallery of some of our UVA Health teams lending hands on Sept. 16:
Tiffany Nickell, Clinical Operations Project Coordinator, UPG Clinical Operations Administration, led her volunteer team — Tina Campbell, Henry Ham, Pavankumar Harikishna, Heather Moor, Amanda Murray, and Amanda Sebring — during a project at Agnor Elementary School. They paired barcode stickers with nearly 700 new books, so the books could to go into library circulation to inspire the next generation!
"Our 'A Team' looks forward to volunteering for United Way Day of Caring every year," says Nickell. "While this is the first time participating for a few of our team members, others have been involved for as many as 20 years! We truly value the opportunity to give back to our community in a meaningful way while also spending time together in person—something we especially appreciate in today’s increasingly virtual and remote work culture. One by one —we each shine a light, make a difference, and do our part to help make the world a better place!"
"These volunteer efforts create a clean, welcoming, and well-maintained environment that fosters school pride and provides an inviting space for students, staff, families, and visitors," hail school hosts.
All-Inclusive Prom
Deloris Mickens-Lee, Referral Authorization Specialist, Pre-Arrival Unit, UVA Health, led her volunteer team to set up and break down the 2nd Annual All-Inclusive Prom.
The event is hosted by WorkSource Enterprises, a nonprofit that since 1967, has been providing job training, employment, and support services to adults with disabilities.
The All-Inclusive Prom offers an opportunity for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to enjoy an evening of celebration and connection.
UVA Health volunteers decorated the venue, set up signs, served food and beverages, took photos, and more — supporting a welcoming and memorable experience for party-goers!
Jacqueline Roper, RN, led UVA Health University Medical Center's 5 Central volunteer team at Autism Sanctuary in Albemarle County. Team members included Katie Stec, Assistant Nurse Manger; Anthony Castro, Case Manager; Anjanetta Wells, Health Unit Coordinator; and RNs Julie Bowman, Aubrey Copson, Shelby Davidson, Emily Faris, Aileen Feola, Taylor Fitzsimmons, Kerry Hastings, Leigh Ann Lazenby, and Elizabeth Reinhard.
They gloved up and dug in! "We had a great time weeding the garden house so they could prepare for planting and working alongside staff and adults who enjoy and use the property for therapy and connection," shares Roper. "We were shown around the property and fed the cows. We also cleared some bushes and large branches along a fence in the back field. The staff is so welcoming and open about the program. It's a beautiful day to be outside and connect with community and coworkers in a new way!"
Since 2020, individuals with developmental disabilities have been connecting with nature, building community, and experiencing meaningful growth at the 85-acre working farm at Autism Sanctuary. "We look forward to partnering with our community to keep Autism Sanctuary a welcoming, accessible, and thriving environment," say the hosts.
The UVA School of Medicine Department of Genome Sciences team stood with shovels in hand next to Baker-Butler Elementary Schools' bear mascot as they volunteered!
Jennifer Dean, Associate Administrator, Department of Genome Sciences, UVA School of Medicine, led her volunteer team of Charles Farber, Chair, Department of Genome Sciences, along with Nicolas Amselle, Tony Herring, Lei Kang, Sasha Kuznetsov, Santosh Lamichhane, Larry Mesner, Yogi Raghav, and Ashley Turner in campus beautification efforts to maintain a clean and welcoming environment for students, staff, families, and visitors. Among their projects: you can see the results of some of their handiwork in before and after photos below of landscaping around two outdoor book nooks. They replaced mulch and rocks, and pulled weeds around the mini-libraries:
"This is our Department of Genome Science's favorite event of the year!" says Dean. "We not only get some quality team time together, we're also honored to help the greater Charlottesville community!"
This UVA Health Orthopedic Center Ivy Road (OCIR) team rolled up their sleeves for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Painting Project at 1207 Harris Street, Charlottesville. Volunteers took on outdoor painting projects to restore worn concrete parking slabs and other surfaces, to create a more welcoming environment for food bank visitors and staff — supporting the nonprofit's mission of providing food and hope to neighbors experiencing hunger.
It's a full circle labor of love for the OCIR team: “Coming together as a small group of our local nursing governance members to serve our community is extremely fulfilling," says Team Lead Tory Smith RN, MSN, CNL, Joint Replacement Care Coordinator, OCIR. "Supporting Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is especially meaningful, as many of the patients we see in clinic can and do benefit from its services."
Smith led team members Brooke Benatzky, Nurse Manger, Orange Floor; and RNs Jessica Chiarappa, Sarah Critzer, and Amberly Marria.
Shanel Tibbs, CPhT, Pharmacy Technician, Investigational Drug Services, UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center led a UVA Health Pharmacy team of Alesha Amos, Ajongako Atabong, Mary Belle, Wendy Breeden, Carolyn Casia. Tarah Cavaco, Su DeSilva, Karen Eutsler, Clarissa Fryer, Angel Garland, Clevesha Godfrey, Kayla Green, Niha Idrees, Jeff Sessler, Nicoliah Taylor. Dylan Taylor-Jennings Charlena Thompson, and Amanda Wolfe.
Smiles all around the table, as they put pen to paper and hand wrote nearly 250 heartfelt letters of encouragement to U.S. military service members!
"Our hope is that each letter brings a little extra comfort and joy to the men and women — brave American heroes — who receive care packages, thoughtfully prepared by the Blue Star Families of Central Virginia."
Jazlyn Sanchez-Avelar, UVA Health Patient and Family Resource Navigator at Blue Ridge Care Connection for Children; Haley A. Vicks, UVA Health Case Manager at the Blue Ridge Care Connection for Children; and Penni Crist, M.Ed., UVA Health Community Resource Coordinator at Virginia Hearing Aid Loaner Program and Blue Ridge Care Connection for Children spent their day creatively organizing an art room, aiming to inspire young minds!
Camp Holiday Trails (CHT) is a year-round nonprofit camp at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Since 1973, CHT has served more than 100,000 children with medical needs and their siblings, ages 6-17, from across the country. The camp traces its roots to UVA Health physicians. In the mid-1960s, Peter Houck, MD, Elsa Paulsen, MD, and Robert Selden, MD, launched their own camps to support special needs children through local schools, churches, and a hospital backyard. In 1973, with community support and 75 acres of land donated by local property owner David Goodwin, Holiday Trails, Inc. was founded.
UVA School of Medicine Dean’s Office and UVA Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology teamed up to visit Crozet Elementary School tackling weeding, clearing beds, and spreading fresh mulch in the garden and other outdoor projects to support students, teachers, and staff.
"Beyond the work itself, the morning offered colleagues an opportunity to connect outside of their usual roles, strengthen partnerships across UVA School of Medicine, and make a visible difference in the community we serve," says team lead Rachel Moneymaker, Director of Projects, Dean's Office, joined by UVA School of Medicine interim Dean Colin Derdeyn, MD; UVA Paul and Diane Manning Institute Chief Scientific Officer and Head Mark Esser, PhD; and Alex Briskey, Mary Hart, Dorothy “Dot” Kirby, Jeffrey Martens, Stephanie Ryan, Michelle Seitz, Jeremy Sibiski, and Marisa Vacca.
"UVA School of Medicine thanks Crozet Elementary School for welcoming our volunteers and to United Way of Greater Charlottesville for organizing a day that brings people together in service to the community!" adds Moneymaker.
Read more on UVA School of Medicine intranet.
The Nature Conservancy recently acquired new land adjacent to the existing preserve that needed some clean up. Volunteers, wearing thick gloves and closed-toe shoes for safety, collected and properly disposed of trash. Jessica Copeland, Chief of Staff, Department of Pediatrics, UVA School of Medicine, led the team in the great outdoors. They posted for an all-smiles photo and then a silly one!
Kevin Greenwood, Director, Health Information Technology Initiatives and Portfolio, led his HIT team of David Cheng, Benjamin Blohowiak, Joel Dusenberry, Matthew Kragle, Amy McManamay, Jessica Rogers, and Sal Vasta in sprucing up Journey Middle School in Albemarle County. "We spent a beautiful day helping them on a school beautification project," he describes.
"Our team painted outdoor benches, decorative paw prints [Go Journey Jaguars!], and refreshed bathroom walls in school colors. It's very rewarding for our team to help them out, and the faculty and students thanked us multiple times. It's also a great bonding experience for HIT for three years in a row!" says Greenwood.
Maura Green, PMP, Senior Advisor, Health Information Technology (HIT), UVA Health, led a team of volunteers who also took part in a painting project, this one outside Murray Elementary School in Albemarle County Public Schools. "Volunteering is a meaningful way to strengthen the bonds of our team through shared service and common purpose," she explains. "Our Day of Caring project allows us to bring a teacher's vision to life for her students — representing an investment in childhood, learning, and the teachers who inspire our next generation while reinforcing the incredible role that schools and educators play in shaping our future!"
The team also included HIT's Nickie Herring, Senior New Hire Specialist; Lydia Lunnen, Executive Assistant; Hilly Zeman, Senior Executive Assistant; and UVA Health Strategic Marketing and Communication's Margot Cornelius, who covers HIT for Internal Communication. The team painted hopscotch courts in three locations including the playground — creating a new way at Murray Elementary School for students to have fun, be active, and make new friends! No word yet on whether the paint dried in time for the UVA Health team to hop, skip, and jump their way through the colorful patterns!
At Rockfish Valley Community Center in Afton, Virginia — UVA Health University Medical Center Associate Chief Officer Rachel Nauman, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Ambulatory, led her volunteer team of Ambulatory and Service Line leaders including Associate Chief Blake Herring, Oncology; Assistant Chief Frank Abreu, Patient Access; Chief of Staff Sarah Souter, Ambulatory Operations and Service Lines; and Associate Chief Laura Thielemann, Heart and Vascular Institute.
Their assignment: perking up the playground! But the team's hardworking altruism also served another purpose: bringing them even closer together.
"There's something special about stepping away from our daily work to serve side-by-side in the community we call home," describes Nauman. "Spending the day together at Rockfish Valley Community Center — a place created to foster connection, belonging, and opportunity — strengthens our own team bond and reminds us our purpose reaches far beyond the walls of our health system. We are at our best when we come together in service of others!"
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 the phenomenal Day of Caring since 1992!
