UR Community Cares

Explore Our Programs

Welcome to UR Community Cares.

We connect compassionate volunteers with older adults and people with disabilities who need support, helping to strengthen communities and improve lives across Connecticut. Whether you need help or want to assist a neighbor, we make it easy to get involved.

Through our programs, you can create meaningful change right in your own community. Every act of kindness helps build a stronger, more connected, and more inclusive network of care.

At UR Community Cares, we believe that supporting one another is the foundation of a healthy community. Join us in helping Connecticut residents remain independent, engaged, and connected.

2025 Annual Report

Click here to read the report

2025 Annual Report

VOLUNTEER IN ANY OF OUR PROGRAMS

Volunteer in one of our programs, volunteer behind the scenes, or donate to help us grow!

Programs and services offered by UR Community Cares. Our goal is to support older adults, caregivers, and community members by providing helpful resources, education, and opportunities to stay connected.

Some of the programs we offer include:

  • UR Community Tech Center includes technology classes to help people feel more confident using smartphones, tablets, and other devices, and One-on-one tech support for personalized help with everyday technology needs through volunteer support
  • UR Vision Resources offers a low vision support group in Manchester and performs presentations about available resources and products, distributes a directory specific to blind and low vision people, Braille classes on an ongoing basis
  • Neighbors Helping Neighbors connects volunteers to older adults and people with physical disabilities in need of help
  • UR Hearing Resources provides educational information for people who are hard of hearing, deafblind, and deaf 
  • Cycling Without Age Manchester gives free rides to people unable to walk into the park, trails, events, etc.
  • Community partnerships and educational events designed to support older adults and their families

If you or someone you know would like to learn more or sign up for a program or volunteer, please reach out to UR Community Cares through our website; click Sign Up at the top of the page.

We would be happy to discuss your needs and help connect you with the right program or service.

CLICK ON A PROGRAM FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Tech Center; Donna speaking to the class attendees. Call 860-430-4557 or check out our tech group classes: https://calendly.com/urcommunitycares
UR Community Tech Center
Cycling Without Age Manchester program.
Cycling Without Age Manchester
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
UR Vision Resources program has a Vision Station with screen readers, smart glasses, magnifiers, etc.
UR Vision Resources

Memory in Motion – Oct. 3rd 9 AM- 12 PM

UR Community Cares is proud to partner with the Alzheimer’s Association Connecticut Chapter to present Memory in Motion, a unique community bike and walk event celebrating accessibility, inclusion, healthy living, and the power of creating meaningful memories together.

The free event will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. along the Cheney Rail Trail in Manchester. Participants are encouraged to park at Center Springs Park, VAZ House Cafe, or Little Theater of Manchester and enjoy a walk or bike ride of 1 to 3 miles, choosing a distance that best fits their abilities and comfort level.

Memory in Motion Oct 3rd walk/bike event 9am-12pm

Move Beyond Sight – Oct. 15th 3-5 PM

Move Beyond Sight: A Movement Challenge — Walking Together for Equality

UR Community Cares partners with the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut and CT State Community College Manchester to host a community walk supporting accessibility and inclusion for individuals who are blind or have low vision.

Thursday, October 15, 2026 | 3:00 – 5:00 PM
CT State Community College Manchester — AST 1st Floor Rotunda, 60 Bidwell Street, Manchester (Park in West Lot)

Join us as we explore campus, build connections, and raise funds for the National Federation of the Blind, Connecticut Chapter. The walk coincides with Blind Americans Equality Day, a national observance honoring the rights and contributions of blind Americans. Resource tables and sponsorship opportunities available.

Support the mission:
nfb.org/contribute/c2c

Get involved: Contact Michelle Puzzo at info@urcommunitycares.org or 860-430-4557
Learn more:
www.urcommunitycares.org

Mark your calendar and walk with us for equality.

Move Beyond Sight
Register on Eventbrite
The town of Manchester logo

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We gratefully thank the following organizations for their support of UR Community Cares and their investment in older adults and people with disabilities across Connecticut.

If your town or state would like to partner with us to support your residents, please call us at 860-430-4557.

Hartford Foundation

Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
Connecticut Community Foundation

Our Story

In 2019, physical therapist Michelle Puzzo saw a gap that couldn’t be ignored. Many of her patients needed help at home but couldn’t afford paid assistance and didn’t qualify for state programs. She realized that with the right connections, caring neighbors could volunteer their time to help older adults and people with disabilities right in their own community.

Drawing on her medical background, Michelle understood the challenges people face as they begin to experience declining physical or cognitive abilities and she decided to take action. Her solution was innovative for its time: create a digital platform to match those in need with local volunteers eager to lend a hand.

What began as one woman’s vision has grown into a community-driven nonprofit supported by:

  • Pro bono professionals
  • Trainees from MaturityWorks and the American Job Center
  • Interns
  • A dedicated and growing Board of Directors and advisors

Today, UR Community Cares continues to expand its programs, build partnerships, and bring neighbors together, proving that when communities connect, everyone thrives.

Click here to read our Featured article in UConn Magazine’s Summer Edition 2025

UR Community Cares article in the UConn magazine summer edition.

Watch Our Latest TV Programs

UR Community Reach is our latest program produced at Cox Community TV in Manchester, which can be watched by clicking this link: COX Public Access Channel 15 – Manchester

UR Community Cares TV programs produced at Valley Shore Community TV in Westbrook can be watched by clicking this link: Valley Shore Community Television (cablecast.tv)

If you would like to be featured on our program, please get in touch with us at 860-430-4557.

2026 Graffiti Battle Recap

Latest Updates

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    In Honor of 108 Years of Love, Grit, and Grace

    Today would have been my grandmother’s 108th birthday. She lived to be 99, which somehow still does not feel like enough time for a woman who seemed larger than time itself. She was filled with vinegar and love, the kind of woman who could give you a look sharp enough to straighten your spine and,…

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  • The Tale of the Teacher, the Thief, and the Triumph of the Carrots

    The Tale of the Teacher, the Thief, and the Triumph of the Carrots

    The Crossing Guard, the Carrots, and the Attempted Vegetable Heist UR Community Cares planted carrots in the new Manchester community gardens the way all great community adventures begin: with optimism, a packet of seeds, and a crossing guard who used to be a teacher, which meant he was perfectly qualified to keep both children and…

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