860Cares (formerly known as Year of Caring) mobilizes the community to make a difference in the lives of children and families. We are your local United Way and focus on connecting people in our community to causes they care about and helping businesses reach their goals around philanthropic giving; employee engagement; and community involvement.
Event Calendar
Summer
• Stuff the Bus
• United Way 860Cares
• United Way Day of Action
Fall
• United Way 860Cares
• United Way Readers
• Jumpstart’s Read for the Record
• Eversource Hartford Marathon
• 9/11 Days of Service
Winter
• United Way 860Cares
• VITA
• United Way Season of Giving
• Read Across America Day
• United Way Readers
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
Spring
• United Way 860Cares
• Impact Teams
• National Volunteer Month
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Workplace Benefits
United Way 860Cares projects connect people and workplaces from all over the region that care about creating opportunities for children and families to succeed in school, work and life.
• Enhance your profile while improving on our community’s greatest challenges.
• Engage employee volunteers to created impact in local communities.
• Achieve your workplace’s community goals by customizing your volunteer projects
• Bond and improve employee morale by working together, sharing time and talents
Your Workplace Can Help Make a Difference This Year
United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut mobilizes the community to make a difference in the lives of children and families. We are your local United Way and focus on connecting people in our community to causes they care about and helping businesses reach their goals around philanthropic giving, employee engagement and community involvement.
We are experts in creating unique and meaningful volunteer opportunities that encourage team building and collaboration, while helping employees connect to the communities in which they work. While we may be a local organization invested in central and northeastern Connecticut, we have access to a powerful global network, making it easy to create consistency across your markets. Join us today!
Help Care for your Community
Since 1992, volunteers from area workplaces have shared their time and talents by engaging in one-time projects at various community locations such as schools and parks in central and northeastern Connecticut, as well as virtual projects. Volunteers bond and employee morale is boosted, while improving on our community’s greatest challenges and involving your employees in making a difference. Customized projects are available to help achieve your workplace’s community goals.
Upcoming 860Cares Dates
- April 24, 2024
- April 25, 2024
- April 26, 2024
- May 1, 2024
- May 2, 2024
- May 3, 2024
More dates available upon request
*Dates can be customized upon request by workplace*
Group Volunteer Opportunities
Organize an In-Person Group Volunteer Opportunity
Interested in volunteering in-person as a team out in the community? Please fill out this form to get started on your event today. Group Volunteer Project Request Form
Kit Projects (In-Person or Virtual)
United Way partners with workplaces to offer employees the opportunity to make a difference without leaving the office by bringing projects to you. These projects offer a valuable team building opportunity while making an impact for local individuals, children, and families. Examples include literacy kits, STEM kits, weekend meal kits, homeless outreach kits, toiletry kits, and more. *Costs are associated with these projects*
VIRTUAL Read Aloud
Sign-up to participate in a LIVE virtual read aloud with individual students from a local school.
Making Choices Poverty Simulation (In-Person or Virtual)
This activity prompts participants to make tough choices on childcare, housing, transportation, and career based on the monthly budget of a family struggling to make ends meet.
Food for Thought (In-Person or Virtual)
A challenge that offers a real-life, week-long food budget that demonstrates the importance of access to affordable and healthy food
For questions or more information, please contact Phil Blonski at pblonski@unitedwayinc.org
Individual Volunteer Opportunities
United Way Readers
You are invited to become a weekly United Way Reader and volunteer to provide 1-on-1 virtual reading support to K-3 students across our region. *Virtual and In-Person options available. *
Please contact John Prescod at jprescod@unitedwayinc.org
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
Join us this tax season as a United Way VITA volunteer and help families in our region get the tax savings and refunds they’ve earned. *Virtual and In-Person options available. *
Please contact Taniqua Huguley at thuguley@unitedwayinc.org
