Celebrating the Fifth Anniversary of Anteaters in Service Day
Anteaters in Service Day 2025
Anteaters around the country participated in in Anteaters in Service Day on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, joining forces with fellow UC Irvine alumni to make a real difference in our communities. This wasn’t just any day—it was a celebration of our collective power to create a brilliant future together. No matter where you are or how connected you feel to UC Irvine, your contribution counted. UCI Alumni continue to show the world the incredible impact that comes from being part of such an innovative and vibrant Anteater community.
2025 Anteaters in Service Day Highlights
Anteaters contributed over 300 hours of volunteer service at locations across the U.S.:
- Anteaters volunteered at the Second Harvest Foodbank in Orange County preparing 7,000 lbs. of oranges for distribution.
- At Dreams for Schools, alumni made a remarkable impact by completing 1,789 hands-on STEM project kits. This work helped strengthen Dreams of Schools ability to deliver engaging K-12 STEM programs and hands-on learning experiences, empowering the next generation to thrive as innovators.
- Alumni volunteers came together at LA Food Bank to assemble 1,120 food kits and distribute over 32,000 lbs. of fresh produce, ensuring that families and individuals across Los Angeles County have access to nutritious meals and the resources to eat better.
- Together, dedicated San Diego-area UCI alumni made a meaningful difference at the San Diego Humane Society shelter. 132 dogs enjoyed special meatball treats in their kennels, 250 community members received adoption packets filled with vital health and wellness resources, 78 cats have fresh, clean letter boxes, a full day’s worth of laundry was folded to keep the Adoptions Center running smoothly. Their time and care brought comfort, joy and support to both animals and people in the community.
- Dedicated alumni volunteers in Nashville walked their own shelter dog 2 miles and agreed to meet up quarterly to walk them together. Each volunteer took pictures of 20 available shelter dogs and shared them on their social media, reaching 5,000+ people.
Why should you join?
Because together, we can achieve greatness. Whether you’re near or far, young or old, your efforts amplify our Anteater pride and help establish a strong network in your community. It’s fun, it’s impactful and it’s a fantastic way to connect with fellow alumni. All are invited to make a difference with us- bring your fellow alumni, friends, family and community members! Browse our projects below and register for the one that best fits your group.
So, what are you waiting for? Mark your calendars, roll up your sleeves and let’s make the next Anteaters in Service Day the best one yet. Let’s unite, serve and shine with Anteater pride! 💛💙 #AnteatersInServiceDay #UCIPride #UCIAlumni
Check out photos to see the impact Anteaters made!
Get Anteaters in Service Day gear!
CHOOSE YOUR SERVICE DAY PROJECT
IRVINE
PROJECT: Volunteers will help with a variety of projects, including processing nutritious fruits and vegetable that are then sent out to our community partner network.
ADDRESS: 8014 Marine Way, Irvine, CA, 92618
TIME: 9–11 a.m. PT
SANTA ANA
PROJECT: Volunteers will be building STEM Kits for students that are participating in our programs.
ADDRESS: 550 N. Parkcenter Dr. Suit 102, Santa Ana, CA 92705
TIME: 9 a.m.–12 p.m. PT
SAN DIEGO
TIME: 1-3 p.m. PT
LOS ANGELES
PROJECT: Volunteers will assemble food packages.
ADDRESS: 2300 Pellissier Place, City of Industry, CA 90601
TIME: 9 a.m.–1 p.m. PT
SAN JOSE
PROJECT: Volunteers will be supporting the Historic Orchard Revitalization by helping with the continued maintenance of the site.
ADDRESS: 425 Seymour Street, San Jose, CA 95110
TIME: 9–11:30 a.m. PT
PORTLAND
PROJECT: Volunteer to be a part of the Hawthorne Boulevard monthly trash clean up.
ADDRESS: 1428 Southeast 36th Avenue, Portland, OR 97214
TIME: 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m. PT
NASHVILLE
PROJECT: Join us in making a difference in the lives of shelter dogs by volunteering as a dog walker!
ADDRESS: 5125 Harding Place, Nashville, TN 37211
TIME: 9-11 a.m. CT
WASHINGTON, D.C.
PROJECT: Volunteers will be divided up into small groups and each group will assist with a different activity or tend to a different section of the garden.
ADDRESS: Virginia Highland Park, 1600 South Hayes Street, Arlington, VA 22202
TIME: 8:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. ET
DONATE BLOOD
PROJECT: Every drop counts. Save a life this Service Day by making an appointment to donate blood. Your donation during the week of Sept. 8-13 will count towards our Anteaters in Service Day goal!
Be sure to list Anteaters in Service Day (AISD) as the reason you are donating blood when registering.
ADDRESS: UC Irvine Campus | UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, CA
YOUR ACT OF SERVICE
PROJECT: Share with us how you’re showcasing your UC Irvine pride by tagging us on Instagram: @ucialumni and your post may be featured on our feed.
ADDRESS: Anywhere in the world.
TIME: All day Sept. 13, 2025
- UCI Health Blood Drive saw 48 donors and collected 35 units of blood
- OC Rescue Mission saw 40 volunteers and produced 2100 food boxes
- Rock Creek Conservancy volunteers collected almost 100 pounds of trash
- Stone Soup PDX saw 9 volunteers who made 100 meals
- Dreams for School saw 19 volunteers and created supply and material boxes for 80 kids
FAQS
What do you mean by service?
There are so many ways to have an impact and serve your community, whether that be volunteering at your neighborhood food bank, cleaning up your local park, holding a beach clean-up or donation sorting.
Who can participate?
Anteaters in Service Day is for everyone – students, staff, faculty, community members, alumni and their families! There may be age restrictions for projects, which will be noted in the project description. Most projects are family friendly and our community partners welcome all to serve.
What details are needed to organize a new service project?
When submitting for approval, please include general information such as project name, community partner or non-profit name, location, start time, end time, sponsoring chapter or individual, project description, project capacity, organization website, staff contact and lead on project’s contact information, and what the volunteers should wear.
What should volunteers wear for service projects?
Wear clothes appropriate for your type of service project. We recommend comfortable, weather appropriate clothing. If you are unsure, don’t hesitate to contact us at alumni@uci.edu for more details. Also, be sure to sport some Anteater spirit gear to show your alumni pride!
