Get Your Camp On at Alexandria’s Winter Camp
Alexandria House's winter camps need volunteers to help children (ages 5-12) with arts and crafts, field trips, cooking classes, music classes and more. Volunteers should be at least high school age.
Help Youngsters Succeed at Alexandra House’s After School Program
Alexandria House's after-school program needs volunteers to help students (grades K-5) with homework, reading activities, and enrichment projects. Volunteers should be at least high school age.
Support the Alexandria House Office Staff
Work alongside the main office staff at Alexandria House as an Administrative Volunteer to support the organization's ever-growing needs. In this vital role, you will assist with tasks such as data entry, reception, filing, and sorting, helping to expand the organization's capacity to serve the community.
Volunteer At Alexandria’s House Food Panty Distributing Fresh Produce & More to the Community
Volunteer on the front porch of Alexandria House to distribute fresh produce, ready-made meals, and shelf-stable grocery items to neighbors in the Mid-Wilshire/Koreatown neighborhood. Since this work takes place outdoors, please remember to dress appropriately for the weather while helping to address food insecurity in the community.
Watch Over Little Ones at Alexandria House’s Child Care Program
Volunteers support Alexandria House's child care staff in working with infants and toddlers ages 0-4 doing various activities from reading to outdoor play. Experience working with infants and toddlers is highly recommended.
Enjoy Music with the Community at Big Sunday’s 7th Music Night!
Come make the scene as talented singers, composers and musicians in the Big Sunday community strut their stuff. Each night we showcase all kinds of musical styles with performers from their 20’s – 70’s. Admission is free, but we ask folks to help those who are struggling by bringing new toys for the holidays. 18 & up only.
Be a Secret Santa for Door of Hope
As a Secret Santa, you’ll be sponsoring an entire family by purchasing two gifts for each family member based on their requests. Please leave the gifts unwrapped so the parents can wrap them.
Family selection will close on Friday, December 5, and the final day to drop off gifts at their community center is Monday, December 8.
Deck the Halls & Brighten Door of Hope’s Space
Spread cheer by helping decorate their shelters and Community Center during the first week of December. Email Melody at volunteer@doorofhope.us to join the fun.
As they get ready, their Christmas trees could use some new decorations—and they’d love your help making them sparkle. The link to their wishlist will be posted HERE by Friday, so stay tuned to join in the fun!
Volunteer at Door of Hope’s Christmas Festival
Create a joyful experience for families at their annual festival on Saturday, December 6 in Pasadena. Kids are welcome with an adult. To learn more and sign up for a shift HERE.
Decorate for the Holidays During Big Sunday’s Annual Holiday Decorating Week!
Each year we get asked to decorate all kinds of places – vets’ homes, clinics, shelters, group residences – in all kinds of ways for all the yearend holidays. Sometimes the residents join in, too! And sometimes even Santa stops by, too. If you or your group wants to spread some cheer this year, let us know and we’ll find a place for you.
Want to Cook for Others? Provide Breakfast to Residents with the Guest Chef Program at Ascencia
The Guest Chef Program is an incredible way for you to help their efforts, and is a tremendous savings to their operations on a day-to-day basis! Every day at Ascencia's shelter, volunteers prepare and serve hot meals for unhoused families and adults in their Emergency Housing program. For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, their "Guest Chefs" give their time and energy, generously donating food and a great deal of compassion with each plate. Their Guest Chef Teams will plan the menu, purchase, and prepare the ingredients, then cook and serve the meal to their shelter residents. Volunteers in their Guest Chef Program commit to preparing meals for approximately 40 shelter residents on a daily basis. Their Guest Chefs maintain a sanitary kitchen environment, complying with health regulations in the handling of food, including washing of hands and wearing gloves before preparing and serving food. You can help by bringing disposable plates, cups, napkins, forks, spoons, and knives. Don't have time to cook and prepare the meal? Many of their Guest Chefs pick up food from local restaurants! For breakfast, Ascencia needs volunteers to prepare morning-friendly meals like eggs, pancakes, bacon, or quiches, along with beverages such as milk or juice. Guest Chefs should plan to arrive around 5:00 am to ensure the meal is ready for the 6:00 am serving time.
Want to Cook for Others? Provide Lunch to Residents with the Guest Chef Program at Ascencia
The Guest Chef Program is an incredible way for you to help their efforts, and is a tremendous savings to their operations on a day-to-day basis! Every day at Ascencia's shelter, volunteers prepare and serve hot meals for unhoused families and adults in their Emergency Housing program. For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, their "Guest Chefs" give their time and energy, generously donating food and a great deal of compassion with each plate. Their Guest Chef Teams will plan the menu, purchase, and prepare the ingredients, then cook and serve the meal to their shelter residents. Volunteers in their Guest Chef Program commit to preparing meals for approximately 40 shelter residents on a daily basis. Their Guest Chefs maintain a sanitary kitchen environment, complying with health regulations in the handling of food, including washing of hands and wearing gloves before preparing and serving food. You can help by bringing disposable plates, cups, napkins, forks, spoons, and knives. Don't have time to cook and prepare the meal? Many of their Guest Chefs pick up food from local restaurants! For lunch, volunteers can prepare a hot meal or provide Brown Bag Lunches. Brown Bag Lunches must include a sandwich (with at least 10 vegetarian options), fruit, a snack, and a water bottle. The serving time for lunch is 11:00 am, with on-site cooking teams typically arriving around 10:00 am.
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.
Light The Night in LA with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
At The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night, folks gather as a community to celebrate, honor, and remember those touched by blood cancers. Friends, families, schools, corporate teams, and sponsors join together to bring light to the darkness of cancer. The funds raised by this community fund life saving research, advocacy and support for blood cancer patients and their families. Join them in the fight to cure cancer!
Help Serve Meals All Week at the Community Dinner with Hollywood Food Coalition
Hollywood Food Coalition’s Community Dinner is their signature and longest-running program. They serve nightly to anyone in need of a hot, nutritious meal. Their consistency builds trust with their guests, which helps connect them with further services. The Meal Service Shift begins at 5:30 pm in the kitchen at their Community Dinner program. They pack and serve their to-go meals at the kitchen every Monday through Friday. Kitchen leads will be there to guide and support you throughout the shift.Consider helping out with their Community Dinners on Mondays through Friday! Kids 10+ are welcome with adult accompaniment.
Want to Cook for Others? Provide Lunch to Residents with the Guest Chef Program at Ascencia
The Guest Chef Program is an incredible way for you to help their efforts, and is a tremendous savings to their operations on a day-to-day basis! Every day at Ascencia's shelter, volunteers prepare and serve hot meals for unhoused families and adults in their Emergency Housing program. For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, their "Guest Chefs" give their time and energy, generously donating food and a great deal of compassion with each plate. Their Guest Chef Teams will plan the menu, purchase, and prepare the ingredients, then cook and serve the meal to their shelter residents. Volunteers in their Guest Chef Program commit to preparing meals for approximately 40 shelter residents on a daily basis. Their Guest Chefs maintain a sanitary kitchen environment, complying with health regulations in the handling of food, including washing of hands and wearing gloves before preparing and serving food. You can help by bringing disposable plates, cups, napkins, forks, spoons, and knives. Don't have time to cook and prepare the meal? Many of their Guest Chefs pick up food from local restaurants! For lunch, volunteers can prepare a hot meal or provide Brown Bag Lunches. Brown Bag Lunches must include a sandwich (with at least 10 vegetarian options), fruit, a snack, and a water bottle. The serving time for lunch is 11:00 am, with on-site cooking teams typically arriving around 10:00 am.
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.
Help Serve Meals All Week at the Community Dinner with Hollywood Food Coalition
Hollywood Food Coalition’s Community Dinner is their signature and longest-running program. They serve nightly to anyone in need of a hot, nutritious meal. Their consistency builds trust with their guests, which helps connect them with further services. The Meal Service Shift begins at 5:30 pm in the kitchen at their Community Dinner program. They pack and serve their to-go meals at the kitchen every Monday through Friday. Kitchen leads will be there to guide and support you throughout the shift.Consider helping out with their Community Dinners on Mondays through Friday! Kids 10+ are welcome with adult accompaniment.
Want to Cook for Others? Provide Lunch to Residents with the Guest Chef Program at Ascencia
The Guest Chef Program is an incredible way for you to help their efforts, and is a tremendous savings to their operations on a day-to-day basis! Every day at Ascencia's shelter, volunteers prepare and serve hot meals for unhoused families and adults in their Emergency Housing program. For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, their "Guest Chefs" give their time and energy, generously donating food and a great deal of compassion with each plate. Their Guest Chef Teams will plan the menu, purchase, and prepare the ingredients, then cook and serve the meal to their shelter residents. Volunteers in their Guest Chef Program commit to preparing meals for approximately 40 shelter residents on a daily basis. Their Guest Chefs maintain a sanitary kitchen environment, complying with health regulations in the handling of food, including washing of hands and wearing gloves before preparing and serving food. You can help by bringing disposable plates, cups, napkins, forks, spoons, and knives. Don't have time to cook and prepare the meal? Many of their Guest Chefs pick up food from local restaurants! For lunch, volunteers can prepare a hot meal or provide Brown Bag Lunches. Brown Bag Lunches must include a sandwich (with at least 10 vegetarian options), fruit, a snack, and a water bottle. The serving time for lunch is 11:00 am, with on-site cooking teams typically arriving around 10:00 am.
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.
Featured Projects
Help Make Holiday Meal Baskets for the PATH Community
PATH (People Assisting the Homeless),
PATHvolunteers@epath.org,
(323) 644-2200
Help PATH meet their goal to assemble and distribute over 800 Holiday Meal Baskets to those in need. Help make sure that everyone in the community – housed and unhoused – can enjoy a special meal! By donating items to the food drive, you will help provide enough food to assemble “Holiday Meal Boxes” to help PATH teams enrich the holiday experience of members of the community. The relationships you help build with food donations can be vital in helping neighbors feel secure and supported. Email PATH at PATHVolunteers@epath.org to schedule a date/time to drop-off or shop the Amazon Link: https://a.co/hBgLUY7 and food will be delivered directly to PATH.
Give to the Crime Survivors Resource Center’s Thanksgiving Drive
Crime Survivors Resource Center,
info@crime survivors.org,
(844) 853-4673
Help make Thanksgiving Day a festive occation for families in need. Your donatoin will help Crime Survivors Resource Center purchase grocery store gift cards for all the fixins needed by families. There are many ways to help including sponsoring a family and hosting a corportate challange.
Host a Thanksgiving Food Drive For Families at Union Station Homeless Services
Union Station Homeless Services,
volunteer@unionstationhs.org,
(626) 240-0720
Make a difference this Thanksgiving and host a food drive in your community! Collect items like stuffing, mashed potatoes, Velveeta cheese, and more. USHS kindly request all items be dropped off one of the locations listed on their website no later than November 18th.
Help Host a Thanksgiving Celebration at PATH
PATH (People Assisting the Homeless),
PATHvolunteers@epath.org,
(323) 644-2200
Participate in an on-site volunteer activity to celebrate Thanksgiving with PATH residents. They are looking for individuals and/or groups who can donate some or all of the following items and help organize PATH Thanksgiving celebrations: Bring a Thanksgiving meal to serve to PATH residents ($1500-$3000), Bring Thanksgiving-inspired desserts (approx. $250-$275), Bring/play group games (Bingo, Uno, Trivia), Organize a raffle-prize giveaway. Date/Time: TBD based on site and group/individual availability. You can take a special role in making this Thanksgiving special for many members of the PATH Community. Please sign-up and reach out to learn more about this holiday opportunity! Email them at: PATHVolunteers@epath.org
Help Donate Turkeys For Families at Union Station Homeless Services
Union Station Homeless Services,
volunteer@unionstationhs.org,
(626) 240-0720
Help USHS collect 750 frozen turkeys for families in need this Thanksgiving! Drop off days will be Nov. 17th and 18th.
Take Photographs for A Place Called Home’s Thanksgiving Event
A Place Called Home,
volunteer@apch.org,
(323) 232-7653
Volunteer will serve as event photographer to capture photos in shot list provided by A Place Called Home. Volunteer will provide 6-8 edited select shots to APCH within 48 hours after the event, and will provide full take edited shots to APCH within 5 business days after the event. APCH will credit photography as desired in publications.
Help Setup, Facilitate and Breakdown A Place Called Homes Thanksgiving Distribution & Dinner Event
A Place Called Home,
volunteer@apch.org,
(323) 232-7653
Volunteers will support all aspects of event setup, facilitation and breakdown alongside the A Place Called Hometeam to help create a welcoming, festive environment as APCH welcomes hundreds of South Central families and neighbors to the APCH campus for their annual Thanksgiving event. In addition to celebrating community, this event provides hundreds of turkeys and grocery bags with all the Thanksgiving fixings for members of their South Central community. Please Note: Role may include moving, bending, walking, light-medium lifting and extended periods of standing. Please let the APCH team know if there is anything they can do to make this project more comfortable for you.
Join Us for Big Sunday’s Annual Thanksgiving Stuffing Event!
Big Sunday,
info@bigsunday.org,
3235499944
Each year we collect and pack big bags full of Thanksgiving dinner for thousands of people! We need folks to donate food, as well as pack everything up and distribute it. And yes, everyone is invited to join together for a community breakfast, too! A true festival of gratitude. We also need folks to lead food collections in their community!
Host a Winter Holiday Celebration at PATH
PATH (People Assisting the Homeless),
PATHvolunteers@epath.org,
(323) 644-2200
ueroHelp make the holiday season bright for PATH residents by hosting a Winter Holiday celebration at one of their sites! They are encouraging the community to get involved in celebrating this holiday season with those at PATH residences who may need an extra support and encouragement during this especially trying time. By hosting a holiday celebration, you have the opportunity to: Sponsor a meal/snack to provide for community celebration,Bring cookies and decorate them in holiday-inspired themes (approx. $250-$275), Bring Holiday decorations and decorate common room of PATH building, Host a holiday movie night and bring popcorn and treats for guests, Bring group games (Bingo, card games, trivia, etc.) to play with residents, Organize a raffle-prize giveaway. Date/Time: December 1st – December 12th – TBD based on site and group/individual availability. Please email them at PATHVolunteers@epath.org for available dates and locations if you are interested in bringing the holiday spirit to the community and ensuring that everyone – housed or unhoused – can enjoy a festive and cheerful holiday. Kids Welcome: Varys by site.