Kansas University freshman Stephanie Jian typically uses her Saturday mornings to catch up on sleep after a grueling week of school.

But Saturday, Jian plans to be knee-deep in dirt as she and 10 other KU Young Democrats plant, mulch and work the grounds at New York School.

Jian and the Young Democrats are 11 of 300 confirmed volunteers for Roger Hill Volunteer Center’s eighth annual Day of Caring.

“Day of Caring is an opportunity for the community to see the need in our nonprofit agencies, but, moreover, it gives them a connection to volunteering,” said Tracey Howell, director of the Volunteer Center.

Day of Caring is a nationwide push for community volunteer service and offers dozens of volunteer opportunities all day.

This year, volunteer projects range from painting the gates for the horses at Pathways Animal Assisted Therapy to hosting a trivia game for residents of the Brandon Woods at Alvamar retirement community.

“My hope is that community members will become long-time volunteers through the people they meet and through the experiences they have,” Howell said.

Although the number of volunteers is up from the 250 volunteers who participated last year, Howell said she still needs about 50 volunteers to ensure all projects will have enough people. If she can’t get enough volunteers for the projects, Howell said, some work will have to be canceled. She said more volunteers are needed, in particular for outdoor service projects.