Volunteer Sedona will be starting 2025 with its inaugural Weekend of Service, which will run from Thursday, Jan. 16, through Monday, Jan. 20. The event coincides with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and is intended to echo King’s legacy of community service by connecting nine local organizations with volunteers to help with projects.
“It honors Dr. King’s legacy of service, community of love, and all of those things are what VolunteerSedona is based on,” VolunteerSedona founder Spring Graf said. “We just want to honor the man and the idea with action, not just to talk about it, but to do something about it, and to encourage other people to do something about it.”
“We only launched on Sept. 20, and last month, between Dec. 1 and 31, [we had] 757 unique visitors to VolunteerSedona.com … so the word is starting to get out,” Graf said.
The service projects offered as part of the weekend will be:
▪ Thursday, Jan. 16: Cleanup of Posse Grounds Park, 10 a.m. to noon. Volunteers should bring work gloves for this project.
▪ Thursday, Jan. 16: Bedroll weaving for the homeless with the Sedona Area Homeless Alliance at the Community Library Sedona, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
▪ Friday, Jan. 17: Food packing at Manzanita Outreach’s warehouse at 406 S. Sixth St. in Cottonwood, 9 a.m.
▪ Friday, Jan. 17: Trail cleanup with the Oak Creek Watershed Council at Sunset Park in Sedona and Carroll Canyon, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Volunteers should bring water and should wear long pants, long sleeves and closed-toed shoes.
▪ Saturday, Jan. 18: Yard work for seniors with Verde Valley Habitat for Humanity in Cottonwood and West Sedona, 9 a.m. to noon. Participants should bring water and work gloves and wear closed-toed shoes.
▪ Saturday, Jan. 18: Making stuffed animals and blankets with Words & Warmth at both branches of Community Library Sedona, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. “Every blanket, scarf, stuffed animal, or hat is homemade and brand new — a rare kindness that provides dignity to those who desperately need to feel loved,” the group’s website states. “Each item is tagged with an inspirational message to lift the spirits of recipients.”
▪ Sunday, Jan. 19: Making blankets for animals and maintenance projects at the Humane Society of Sedona with Words & Warmth, noon to 3 p.m.
▪ Sunday, Jan. 19: Brush removal for Keep Sedona Beautiful’s offices, 12:30 to 3 p.m. Volunteers should have sturdy footwear and a long-sleeved shirt and are invited to bring rakes.
The final day of the Weekend of Service will include the Friends of the Verde River’s annual MLK Work Day for river restoration. Signup locations are available in Camp Verde, Cottonwood and Sedona.
“Last year, over 150 volunteers joined forces across the Verde River Watershed, dedicating more than 500 hours to restoration projects and cleanups,” the Friends of the Verde River wrote on their website. “Their efforts resulted in the removal of hundreds of pounds of litter, the planting of over 1,000 native trees and shrubs and the restoration of critical riparian habitats.”
This year’s projects will include invasive plant and trail maintenance at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood, Rockin’ River Ranch State Park and Clear Creek Fishing Site in the Camp Verde area and the Arizona Cypress Trailhead off Boynton Pass Road in the Sedona area.
“This is a beta test to do a 2026 volunteer festival, so it will be a week-long volunteer event,” Graf said. “The point is to not only provide service to nonprofits, but also to bring in visitors during low season and make a festival around it.”
Signups for these events can be completed at volunteersedona.com.
