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9 Volunteer Opportunities to Get Involved

Donating Canned Goods and Boxed Foods

Food donations are needed year round, but when the holidays hit, there is typically an increased need for these donations. Countless organizations accept canned goods and boxed foods, such as local homeless shelters and Second Harvest Food Bank, which has a multitude of locations throughout the country. Call your local homeless shelter to find out more or use your region's Second Harvest Food Bank locator.

Donating canned goods and boxed foods is a good way to clean out your pantry. But, be sure to check the expiration date first! 

Writing Letters and Cards

Drafting a letter to a stranger is one of the most heartwarming volunteer opportunities you’ll ever come across! There are many organizations that allow and, in many cases, provide you with the materials to pen a letter or decorate a card to those in nursing homes or hospice, children suffering severe illness, and to the men and women serving in the military, to name just a few. You can always reach out to your favorite local organization that works with or serves these populations for exact details on how to get involved.

If you don’t have a favorite local organization or just don’t know where to start, St. Jude offers the chance to send a free card to a patient online!

Donations With The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army offers a variety of individual and group volunteer opportunities, in addition to accepting donations. Because each local Salvation Army offers slightly different opportunities, you may want to call or view the website of your nearest Salvation Army using this location link. This is a great individual service opportunity or a fun way to catch up with a friend while volunteering for those in need!

Knitting or Crocheting for Animals in Need 

Season changes for us also mean season changes for our animals. Sadly, there will be many animals in need of warmth as the weather gets cooler. Knitting or crocheting for animals is a crafty way to give back to the animals that bring so much joy to our lives. Both The Snuggles Project and Comfort for Critters accept freshly knitted and crocheted blankets for animals in shelters to help bring them a sense of warmth, comfort, and the love every animal needs and deserves. 

Supporting Your Local Library

Your local library may offer opportunities such as clerical or administrative tasks, organizing shelves, assisting in events, and so much more! Because libraries are so diverse and there is no singular database, the best way for you to find out what volunteer opportunities your local library offers is to visit their website. The majority of libraries host a volunteer tab that provides opportunity details and contact information to make it easy for the public. However, you are still able to sign up as a social media ambassador in the meantime! 

Donating Halloween Candy

Halloween candy donations are a sweet way to treat a deserving stranger. Though it may be hard for some of us to part from our favorite Halloween candy, there are a few organizations who are looking for candy donors to support those they serve including, The Ronald McDonald House and Treats for Troops.

The Ronald McDonald House has many locations that accept candy donations to provide holiday joy to families coping with a child suffering from a medical crisis. Find your local chapter here to learn if that specific location accepts donations!

Treats for Troops is a nationwide organization based in San Antonio, Texas. The program’s mission is to accept extra Halloween candy at participating locations. You can find your nearest participating location here!

Hosting Your Own Fundraisers

Fun and easy ways to donate to your charity or cause of choice is to host a fundraiser! In many cases, hosting fundraisers is much easier than it sounds. Bake sales are a popular fundraiser and perfect for fall. You, or a group, can bake and decorate fall themed goodies, such as pumpkin spice muffins and spider-shaped cookies to sell in your yard just like you would for a yard sale. Or, reach out to a local community center. Community centers typically allow residents to rent out the center at low or no cost. 

Serving Food at Homeless Shelters 

Homeless shelters all across America are in constant need of volunteer support. Each shelter hosts its own lists of volunteer opportunities. Common opportunities that you may find at your local shelter(s) include: cooking lunch or dinner, clerical or administrative tasks, donation delivery or pick-up, creating snack care kits, and so much more!

Join Community Cleanups

Many cities host—or allow residents to host—community cleanups regularly. These cleanups can be held at a local park or other commonly used community area. There are multiple ways to discover cleanups in your area.

One easy way is to utilize the location finder, created by Earth Day. This tool centralizes community cleanups across the nation in one easy to navigate database. However, this database is not an exhaustive list of cleanup opportunities. To find more, search your city/county name and state along with community or park cleanup.

Fall can be an important time of the year, as it begins the holiday season where most of us start spending more time with those we cherish. But that also means fall is the perfect time to show care for our community through charity work and service opportunities.

Hopefully this list of ideas provided you ways to give back to your community. If you still do not know where to start, please visit VolunteerMatch.org and find opportunities nearest you!