Environmental science student Maddox Painter shoveled mulch at the Chattanooga Zoo as part of United Way’s Day of Caring. Photo by Angela Foster.
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students, faculty and staff spread out across the city on Friday, Sept. 18, to take part in United Way of Greater Chattanooga’s Day of Caring.
The annual event, United Way’s largest citywide volunteer day, brings together local businesses, nonprofits and community members to work on projects throughout Chattanooga.
This year, UTC volunteers served at numerous locations, including the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer, Chattanooga Area Food Bank, Chattanooga Zoo, City of Chattanooga Department of Parks and Outdoors, and The Momentum Network.
“When Mocs show up for Day of Caring, we are strengthening partnerships, creating meaningful learning experiences, supporting organizations that make our community stronger and demonstrating what it means for UTC to be an engaged university,” said Bryant Fairley, director of engagement in the UTC Division of Access and Engagement.
At the Chattanooga Zoo, a group of first-year UTC students spent the morning hauling mulch and landscaping alongside Sarah Farnsley and Callie Adams, senior lecturers in the Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science.
Freshmen Jasmine Solorzano, Maddox Painter and Harry Strickland said the zoo was familiar territory.
All three grew up in the Chattanooga area and visited the zoo throughout their childhoods. On Day of Caring, they got to experience it in a new way.
“I used to come here a lot when I was little, and it’s been quite a long time,” said Solorzano, an environmental science major and East Hamilton High School graduate. “Being able to help here is really, really cool.”
Solorzano had never heard of Day of Caring before her class signed up. The experience introduced her to another way she could get involved in her hometown.
“I thought it was a UTC-Chattanooga Zoo thing, but I was like, ‘Wait, this is something I could do in my free time if I wanted to,’” she said. “I think it’s really cool that they have this day because students can have the opportunity to be in the zoo and help around.”
The students came from A Moc’s First Year courses led by Farnsley and Adams. Farnsley leads a science and sustainability section, while Adams teaches a section called Science Majors Toolkit. They also serve as faculty advisers for Sustainable Mocs, a residential learning community for students interested in sustainability.
Farnsley said opportunities like Day of Caring can introduce students to service early in their time at UTC.
“We’re really trying to get students aware of service needs,” Farnsley said. “It’s fun to live together and do fun events, but also emphasize the importance of giving back when you can.”
Painter, an environmental science major and Soddy Daisy High School graduate, is interested in wildlife management and said conservation science is one career he is considering.
“I feel like this is one of the closest things I can get myself involved in to introduce myself to that field,” he said.
He added that he had volunteered at the zoo before. Day of Caring gave him a look at what it takes to maintain the space.
“When someone thinks volunteering at the zoo, they don’t think shoveling mulch,” Painter said with a laugh.
Strickland, an early childhood special education major from East Ridge, also knew the zoo well before arriving with his classmates.
“I’ve been to the zoo plenty of times in the past. I’m from here,” Strickland said. “So it’s cool to see behind the scenes.”
He said service can take many forms.
“Service really means just putting your best efforts into helping a cause of any sort,” Strickland said.
Students in Dr. Lori Waite’s First Year Experience class package food for the church’s homeless outreach program at Greater Emmanuel Apostolic Church.
A group led by Dr. Lori Waite, associate lecturer of sociology, packaged food for Greater Emmanuel Apostolic Church’s outreach program for people experiencing homelessness.
UTC’s participation in the Day of Caring events counted toward the 1886 Challenge, the University’s 140th-anniversary commitment to collectively contribute 18,860 hours of community service during the 2026-27 academic year.
Fairley said Day of Caring provides an opportunity for Mocs to contribute to that goal while working alongside organizations and volunteers throughout Chattanooga.
“These experiences create opportunities to listen, learn, collaborate and build partnerships that can extend well beyond a single day of service,” he said.
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Photo gallery by Angela Foster
