Volunteer for Dinner in the Park 2026 with Union Station Homeless Services
For over 50 years, Union Station Homeless Services has celebrated Thanksgiving with those in need. Dinner in the Park brings the community together over celebratory meals with to-go meal distribution starting at 10 AM and onsite dining at 11 AM. Volunteer opportunities include food prep, serving hot meals, packaging boxes, and cleanup. Registration opens November 2.
Welcome & Support Day Center Participants at Downtown Women’s Center
The Downtown Women's Center's Day Center is the first point of contact for women and gender-diverse people coming through DWC’s doors. Help create a safe and welcoming space for folks seeking services in the community. For volunteers 18 or older.
Fight Hunger by “Gleaning” Food at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market with Food Forward
Recover produce, fight hunger, and build community at your local farmers market! Food forward "gleans"---meaning they collect fresh, surplus produce that would otherwise go to waste--and donate 100% to local hunger relief organizations. Join the Volunteer Glean Team to help them collect fruit and vegetable donations from vendors at the farmers market, and then box, sort, and weigh the donations. Volunteers should be comfortable carrying boxes of produce that may weigh up to 40 pounds, but can register to volunteer with someone who can help them lift if 40 pounds is too heavy. Volunteers don’t need to worry about bringing equipment or transporting the food. This opportunity is open to volunteers 12 years old and older, though children under 16 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Please check out the Volunteer FAQ page on our website to learn more about what to expect at volunteer events.
Volunteer as a Kitchen Assistant with Project Angel Food
Project Angel Food’s kitchen is 80% volunteer-driven. You don’t need to be great cook, all you need to do is simply take direction from their professionally trained chefs. You’ll join compassionate people in chopping vegetables, stirring sauces, mixing batter, baking cookies, and packaging the meals. They have shifts Sunday through Friday from 12:45 to 4pm. For the safety of all volunteers, staff and clients, all volunteers must have received a COVID-19 vaccination and be 14 years of age or older. Volunteers aged 14 or 15 years must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times. Volunteers aged 16 or 17 years must have a parent or guardian sign a liability waiver form.
Prepare & Serve Delicious Meals at Downtown Women’s Center
Downtown Women's Center’s Kitchen served over 260,000 meals in 2020 alone: their incredible Kitchen team serves three nutritious meals seven days a week and offers an important space for women and gender-diverse individuals to connect and to share a meal with each other. Kitchen volunteers help with meal preparation (e.g. chopping and measuring); help keep the kitchen clean and organized (e.g. wiping counters, organizing the food pantry and cabinets); and serve delicious meals to participants. Kitchen volunteering is a great fit for volunteers who like working in a team while also interacting with DWC participants. Volunteers must be 18 or older.
Teach Vital Computer Skills at Downtown Women’s Center
Provide one-on-one assistance with basic computer questions in DWC's Learning Center, helping equip folks with the skills necessary to prepare them for school, work, and more. For volunteers 18 and older.
Prep Meals with Hollywood Food Coalition
The Community Dinner serves unhoused and food insecure individuals in Hollywood. Hollywood Food Coalition use fresh and recycled food from all over LA to prepare a hot, delicious meal 7 days a week. Their Meal Prep shift utilizes volunteers to prepare for their dinner service. They serve anywhere from 150 to 350 meals a night. Their daily meal preparation is "creative cooking" -- you'll see what has been donated that day and from those ingredients create their meal -- no recipes included. Kitchen leads will be there to guide and support you throughout the shift.
Serve as a Positive Role-Model for At-Risk Youth at the Boys & Girls Club of Long Beach
Serve as a positive role-model for at-risk youth at the Boys & Girls Club of Long Beach. Time commitment is one hour per week at a Club site for 13 weeks. Club hours are generally 2:00 – 6:30 pm, Monday – Friday. Some Saturday opportunities are available.
Help Tutor Youth in Risk of Failing A Grade at Boys & the Girls Club of Long Beach
Youth benefit from having one-on-one attention from a caring, trained adult in a variety of academic subjects. Those at risk of failing a grade are offered intensive tutoring services Boys & Girls Club of Long Beach. Length of time commitment varies but is needed during the hours of 3:00 – 6:00 pm, Monday through Thursday.
Share a Hobby or Skill with the Youth at the Boys & Girls Club of Long Beach
Do you have a hobby or skill you would like to share with an enthusiastic group of youth at the Boys & Girls Club of Long Beach? Interest classes are offered Monday – Thursday from 4:00 – 6:00 pm.
Welcome & Support Residents at Downtown Women’s Center
Our Permanent Supportive Housing Program provides over 150 units of safe, affordable housing with no time limits as residents work towards personal stability. Resident Hosts provide a welcoming, supportive atmosphere in the residence lobby, buzzing folks in to the building, answering the phone, chatting with residents during downtime, and more. For volunteers 18 and older.
Spend Time Cleaning Up the Community with the Pico Union Project
Have some extra time in your day and looking for a good way to spend it? Join Pico Union Project in their weekly community cleanups to help beautify the area they spend in each day! Volunteers can come to the Pico Union Project any time between 9 am and 3 pm to help out on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Please note, volunteers must be 18 years of age or older, or accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Spend Your Thursday Morning Volunteering at the Vida Sana Farmers Market with Pico Union Project
Join Pico Union Project for their weekly Thursday Farmers Market featuring fresh produce, prepared food, and health services for hundreds of Pico Union Community families. Volunteers join at 9:00 to sort and distributing items and end the day with a festive lunch. Please note, volunteers must be 18 years of age or older, or accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Help Run Hope the Mission’s Thanksgiving Drumstick Dash 5K
Drumstick Dash LA is Hope the Missions 5K/10K Annual Turkey Run! It is one of their biggest fundraisers and they need the most hands on deck to ensure the event runs smoothly. At this event, runners are moving their feet so others can eat. All proceeds goes back to Hope the Mission to continue running programs and food services across their shelters.
They are in need of set up/break down help, photographers, medal handlers, swag area distributors, water distributors, etc.
They'd be so grateful to have you volunteer for this amazing event. Volunteers 13 and older please!
Welcome & Support Day Center Participants at Downtown Women’s Center
The Downtown Women's Center's Day Center is the first point of contact for women and gender-diverse people coming through DWC’s doors. Help create a safe and welcoming space for folks seeking services in the community. For volunteers 18 or older.
Welcome & Support Residents at Downtown Women’s Center
Our Permanent Supportive Housing Program provides over 150 units of safe, affordable housing with no time limits as residents work towards personal stability. Resident Hosts provide a welcoming, supportive atmosphere in the residence lobby, buzzing folks in to the building, answering the phone, chatting with residents during downtime, and more. For volunteers 18 and older.
Prepare & Serve Delicious Meals at Downtown Women’s Center
Downtown Women's Center’s Kitchen served over 260,000 meals in 2020 alone: their incredible Kitchen team serves three nutritious meals seven days a week and offers an important space for women and gender-diverse individuals to connect and to share a meal with each other. Kitchen volunteers help with meal preparation (e.g. chopping and measuring); help keep the kitchen clean and organized (e.g. wiping counters, organizing the food pantry and cabinets); and serve delicious meals to participants. Kitchen volunteering is a great fit for volunteers who like working in a team while also interacting with DWC participants. Volunteers must be 18 or older.
Sort & Organize Incoming Donations for the Downtown Women’s Center
Help the Downtown Women's Center's donations team organize donated goods like clothing, toiletries, and household goods. The more quickly they can get items sorted and organized, the sooner they can get them out to folks who need them! For volunteers 18 or older.
Welcome & Support Day Center Participants at Downtown Women’s Center
The Downtown Women's Center's Day Center is the first point of contact for women and gender-diverse people coming through DWC’s doors. Help create a safe and welcoming space for folks seeking services in the community. For volunteers 18 or older.
Prepare & Serve Delicious Meals at Downtown Women’s Center
Downtown Women's Center’s Kitchen served over 260,000 meals in 2020 alone: their incredible Kitchen team serves three nutritious meals seven days a week and offers an important space for women and gender-diverse individuals to connect and to share a meal with each other. Kitchen volunteers help with meal preparation (e.g. chopping and measuring); help keep the kitchen clean and organized (e.g. wiping counters, organizing the food pantry and cabinets); and serve delicious meals to participants. Kitchen volunteering is a great fit for volunteers who like working in a team while also interacting with DWC participants. Volunteers must be 18 or older.
Featured Projects
Relax and Make Art at Big Sunday’s Sun Days on Tuesdays
Big Sunday,
joshua@bigsunday.org,
(323) 549-9944
Come decorate Mosaic Suns with us! For the past few months, people enjoyed joining us to make beautiful, cheerful and unique mosaic suns to brighten up nonprofits around town. These cool projects are the brainchild of our old friend Cathy Weiss and will be led by Cathy and our own Big Sunday staff, Josh. We can use your help! You don’t need to be artistic – just sincere.
Make A Difference at Big Sunday’s AW@10 Event
Big Sunday,
passion@bigsunday.org,
(323) 549-9944
We’d love to have you join us for our Accessible Wednesday morning program, AW@10! Previously held biweekly as “2W@10,” these special events are held from 10:00am – 11:30am each Wednesday where we do fun activities to help local nonprofits. And what’s extra special about these Wednesday events? Our guests of honor are wonderful and fun volunteers with some developmental challenges who want to give back and help others, in groups and as individuals. The accessible activities we’ll do on Wednesdays are specifically designed with these guests in mind, so that everyone can participate and have fun volunteering – because we believe very strongly that absolutely everyone has something to give. People of ALL ability levels are invited to join us on Wednesdays! All we ask is that you show up ready to be part of a community of helpful people!
Make A Difference at Big Sunday’s TM@10 Event
Big Sunday,
nicolo@bigsunday.org,
(323) 549-9944
TM@10 (Thursday Morning @ 10) is not only one of our favorite programs, but it’s one of our most popular, too! We meet every Thursday morning, from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM. And we host hands-on projects to help local nonprofits. At TM@10 we’ve assembled birthday gifts for folks in shelters; written letters to soldiers stationed overseas; packed backpacks for ex-gang members starting college; made quilts for preemies; and about 1000 other things. Even better – and in classic Big Sunday fashion – it’s a great way for people to meet new people, work together, and enjoy some laughs while helping someone else.
Join Big Sunday for our Food Pantry and Food Fridays @ 10am
Big Sunday,
madison@bigsunday.org,
(323) 549-9944
Big Sunday has given away mountains of food over many years, but now we’re going to make it a weekly event. Our Food Pantry will be open year ‘round and will contain both perishable and non-perishable food. We’re also introducing Food Fridays. Every Friday morning we’ll be open from 10-11:30 to sort and pack food. We’ll also distribute to nonprofits and schools from all over town who will distribute the food to hungry and grateful people in their communities. All ages are welcome. Groups, too! We need volunteers, collectors, donors and sponsors.