Weekend of Service Unleashed: Join the Movement!

Volunteer Sedona is launching its inaugural Weekend of Service from January 16 to January 20, 2025. This event aligns with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and aims to honor King’s legacy by mobilizing community volunteers to assist nine local organizations.

Spring Graf, the founder of Volunteer Sedona, emphasized the importance of action. “We just want to honor the man and the idea with action, not just to talk about it,” she stated, encouraging others to participate in community service.

Inspired by their volunteering experience with Hungry Heroes Hawaii after the 2023 Maui wildfires, Spring and Fred Graf created Volunteer Sedona to address the lack of a centralized volunteer resource in the area. “We only launched on Sept. 20, and last month, we had 757 unique visitors to VolunteerSedona.com,” Graf shared, noting growing interest in their initiative.

The Weekend of Service will feature a variety of projects:

• January 16: Cleanup at Posse Grounds Park from 10 a.m. to noon. Participants should bring work gloves.
• January 16: Bedroll weaving for the homeless with the Sedona Area Homeless Alliance at the Community Library Sedona from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• January 17: Food packing at Manzanita Outreach’s warehouse in Cottonwood at 9 a.m.
• January 17: Trail cleanup with the Oak Creek Watershed Council at Sunset Park, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Volunteers should wear long pants, long sleeves, and closed-toed shoes.
• January 18: Yard work for seniors organized by Verde Valley Habitat for Humanity in Cottonwood and West Sedona, 9 a.m. to noon. Participants should bring water and work gloves.
• January 18: Making stuffed animals and blankets for those in need at Community Library Sedona from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each item comes with an inspirational message.
• January 19: Blanket making for animals and maintenance projects at the Humane Society of Sedona from noon to 3 p.m.
• January 19: Brush removal for Keep Sedona Beautiful at their offices from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Volunteers are encouraged to bring sturdy footwear and rakes.

The event will conclude with the Friends of the Verde River’s annual MLK Work Day focused on river restoration. Volunteers last year contributed over 500 hours to cleanups and habitat restoration, planting more than 1,000 native trees and shrubs.

This year’s projects will include maintaining trails and removing invasive plants at various local parks. Graf mentioned that this initiative serves as a pilot for a larger volunteer festival planned for 2026, highlighting the potential to engage both locals and visitors during the off-season.

Interested participants can sign up for events at volunteersedona.com.