Volunteer Group Service Project Suggestions for Great Hostel Give Back
The following are suggestions for local nonprofits that are located in the community surrounding each of our hostels. As a GHGB leader, you will need to contact the nonprofit to confirm if they can accept your group based on your group size, age of group members and desired volunteer dates.
BOSTON | CHICAGO | LOS ANGELES/SANTA MONICA | NEW YORK CITY | SAN DIEGO | SAN FRANCISCO | SACRAMENTO | POINT MONTARA | PIGEON POINT/PESCADERO
Questions? Email volunteer@hiusa.org
Nonprofit: Community Servings
About Nonprofit: Community Servings is a not-for-profit food and nutrition program providing services throughout Massachusetts and in Rhode Island to individuals and families living with critical and chronic illnesses. We give our clients, their dependent family members and caregivers appealing, nutritious meals, and send the message to those in greatest need that someone cares. Our goals are to help our clients maintain their health and dignity and preserve the integrity of their families through culturally appropriate, home-delivered meals, nutrition education, and other community programs.
Type of Service Offered: Kitchen – meal prep and serving.
Underage Volunteers: Volunteers must be 13+ with chaperones
Website: www.servings.org
Contact Email: sterlik@servings.org
Nonprofit: Cradles to Crayons
About Nonprofit: Cradles to Crayons is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive – at home, at school and at play. We supply these items free of charge by engaging and connecting communities .
Type of Service Offered: Bike repair, stripping down bikes for parts, cleaning, organizing
Underage Volunteers: Volunteers must be 5+ with chaperones
Website: https://www.cradlestocrayons.org/chicago/
Contact Email: admin@cradlestocrayons.org
Nonprofit: Bikes Not Bombs
About Nonprofit: Bikes Not Bombs uses the bicycle as a vehicle for social change to achieve economic mobility for Black and other marginalized people in Boston and the Global South.
Type of Service Offered: Bike repair, stripping bikes for parts, organizing parts, general cleaning
Underage Volunteers: Volunteers must be 16+ with chaperones
Website: https://bikesnotbombs.org/volunteer/
Contact Email: julia@bikesnotbombs.org
Nonprofit: Boston Harbor Islands
About Nonprofit: Help preserve and protect the natural and cultural resources of the Boston Harbor Islands so that visitors can enjoy these special places for generations to come!.
Type of Service Offered: Outdoor – Parks & Recreation.
Underage Volunteers: Unknown—contact agency directly
Website: www.bostonharborislands.org/volunteer
Contact Email: volunteers@bostonharbornow.com
Nonprofit: Greater Boston Food Bank
About Nonprofit: Volunteers at The Greater Boston Food Bank play a critical role in helping to end hunger. Now, more than ever, we need your support to help us sort and package food for distribution to hungry families across Eastern Massachusetts.
Type of Service Offered: Food Bank
Underage Volunteers: 16+ with chaperones
Website: https://www.gbfb.org/get-involved/volunteer/group-volunteering/
Contact Email: development@gbfb.org
CHICAGO, IL
Nonprofit: Crossroads Community Outreach
About Nonprofit: Crossroads Community Outreach is a 501c3 non-profit that does street outreach to assist the unsheltered homeless.
Type of Service Offered: Meal prep/service/clean-up, Food pantry organizing and/or food distribution, clothing donation sorting and organizing.
Underage Volunteers: 12+ must be accompanied by adults
Website: https://www.ccolife.org/
Contact Email: volunteers@ccolife.org
Nonprofit: The Greater Chicago Food Depository
About Nonprofit: The Greater Chicago Food Depository is a 501c3 non-profit that does street outreach to assist the unsheltered homeless.
Type of Service Offered: Meal prep/service/clean-up, Food pantry organizing and/or food distribution, clothing donation sorting and organizing.
Underage Volunteers: Yes, one adult chaperone for every 6 to 8 youth
Website: https://www.ccolife.org/
Contact Email: volunteers@ccolife.org
Nonprofit: Cradles to Crayons Chicago
About Nonprofit: Cradles to Crayons is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive – at home, at school and at play. We supply these items free of charge by engaging and connecting communities.
Type of Service Offered: Meal prep/service/clean-up, Food pantry organizing and/or food distribution, clothing donation sorting and organizing.
Underage Volunteers: Yes, one adult chaperone for every 6 to 8 youth
Website: https://www.ccolife.org/
Contact Email: volunteers@ccolife.org
Nonprofit: The Recyclery
About Nonprofit: Volunteers fix bikes to donate, teach mechanics, and contribute to our mission.
Type of Service Offered: Volunteers fix bikes to donate, teach mechanics, and contribute to our mission
Underage Volunteers: Yes, one adult chaperone for every 6 to 8 youth
Website: https://www.therecyclery.org/volunteer/start-volunteering/
Contact Email: volunteer@therecyclery.org
LOS ANGELES/SANTA MONICA, CA
Nonprofit: Heal the Bay
About Nonprofit: Heal the Bay is Southern California’s water watchdog. Our staff scientists, policy analysts, community organizers, and educators are experts in their fields, working on reducing water pollution, protecting fragile coastal and watershed habitats, and improving water infrastructure throughout greater Los Angeles
Type of Service Offered: Heal the Bay Ocean Clean Up (Every 3rd Saturday of the Month) & Wednesday Warriors (Every Wednesday morning)
Underage Volunteers: Wednesday Warriors: Maybe - check with volunteer coordinator. Beach Clean up: yes
Website: info@healthebay.org
Contact Email: https://healthebay.org/
Nonprofit: Venice Family Clinic
About Nonprofit: To improve the health of people and communities through accessible, quality care.
Type of Service Offered: The Free Food Market Program's primary goal is to provide fresh fruit and veggies to people in need. This volunteer opportunity is ideal for anyone interested in public health, patient and community interaction, and community outreach
Underage Volunteers: Must be 15+ with chaperones
Website: https://venicefamilyclinic.org/
Contact Email: VFCVolunteer@mednet.ucla.edu
Nonprofit: Wags & Walks
About Nonprofit: We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a dedicated community of dog lovers working to reduce euthanasia in local shelters and increase awareness of rescue dogs being wonderful pets.
Type of Service Offered: Walking, feeding and interacting with puppies as they wait to be adopted.
Underage Volunteers: We welcome parents to volunteer with children at a 1:1 ratio while teens ages 16+ are invited to volunteer on their own after attending an orientation with a parent.
Website: https://www.wagsandwalks.org/volunteer-la
Contact Email: https://www.wagsandwalks.org/contact
NEW YORK CITY, NY
Nonprofit: Material for the Arts
About Nonprofit: Materials for the Arts collects unneeded items from businesses and individuals, and makes these donations available for free to its recipients: nonprofit organizations with arts programming, government agencies, and public schools. The MFTA warehouse is operated by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs with additional support from the City's Departments of Sanitation and of Education. Friends of Materials for the Arts, in collaboration with the City of New York and the creative community, is the nonprofit strategic partner that guides and supports educational programming, warehouse operations, and other initiatives of Materials for the Arts.
Type of Service Offered: Volunteers at MFTA directly serve New York City's artistic and educational communities by performing tasks in the warehouse. A great way for creative-minded people to show they care about the arts and the environment. Tasks can include anything from sorting donations to arranging displays and helping pull items for pick up for cultural organizations doing a variety of work across the city.
Underage Volunteers: Special arrangements must be made for volunteers under 16 with chaperones
Website: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcla/mfta/html/home/home.shtml
Contact Email: Volunteer@mfta.nyc.gov
Nonprofit: Free Arts NYC
About Nonprofit: We dedicated to leveling the playing field in the arts and creative industries. Our programs broaden access, foster growth, inclusivity, and champion equity by prioritizing 1:1 mentorship. This approach provides support and guidance that opens doors to impactful opportunities for youth in our community. Our holistic model ensures young people aged 6–23 receive tailored support for artistic and personal growth. Free Arts stands out as a leader in the art education field for seamlessly combining both art and mentoring, alongside extensive social-emotional development support.
Type of Service Offered: Youth Arts Program
Underage Volunteers: Applicants must be 19 years of age to apply
Website: https://www.freeartsnyc.org/volunteer
Contact Email: info@freeartsnyc.org
Nonprofit: Food Bank for New York City
About Nonprofit: Food Bank For New York City is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. Our mission to empower every New Yorker to achieve food security for good.
Type of Service Offered: Meal prep/service/clean-up, Food pantry organizing and/or food distribution, clothing donation sorting and organizing
Underage Volunteers: Applicants must be 19 years of age to apply
Website: https://www.foodbanknyc.org/volunteer/
Contact Email: donorservices@foodbanknyc.org or online@foodbanknyc.org
SAN DIEGO, CA
Nonprofit: Serving Seniors
About Nonprofit: Since 1970, Serving Seniors has been transforming the aging experience through our innovative approach to providing comprehensive services. Our method has earned national recognition as a model for helping seniors remain healthy and independent. We’re the only organization in San Diego, and one of the few in the United States, that provides such a broad base of vital services to vulnerable, low-income older adults.
Type of Service Offered: Meal prep/service/clean-up, Food pantry organizing and/or food distribution, clothing donation sorting and organizing
Underage Volunteers: Yes, no younger than 12 years old. A supervising adult with each 3 volunteers under 18. Age 16-18 can volunteer on their own with parental permission if still a student.
Website: http://www.servingseniors.org/get-involved/volunteer/
Contact Email: info@servingseniors.org
Nonprofit: Kitchens for Good
About Nonprofit: Kitchens for Good, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Type of Service Offered: Meal prep/service/clean-up, Food pantry organizing and/or food distribution, clothing donation sorting and organizing. Kitchens for Good is San Diego-based organization founded in 2014 with a simple yet powerful idea: food has the power to change lives.
Underage Volunteers: Yes, no younger than 12 years old. A supervising adult with each 3 volunteers under 18. Age 16-18 can volunteer on their own with parental permission if still a student.
Website: https://kitchensforgood.org/volunteer/
Contact Email: volunteer@kitchensforgood.org
Nonprofit: I Love a Clean San Diego
About Nonprofit: Kitchens for Good, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Our nonprofit mission: I Love a Clean San Diego leads and inspires our community to actively conserve and enhance the environment through example, outreach, and local involvement. Our vision: A zero waste, liter-free and environmentally engaged San Diego Region.
Type of Service Offered: San Diego environmental cleanup.
Underage Volunteers: For participants/volunteers under the age of 18, a liability waiver form will be required to be signed by your parent or guardian.
Website: https://www.cleansd.org/environmental-action/volunteer-opportunities/
Contact Email: hello@cleansd.org
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Nonprofit: Save the Bay
About Nonprofit: Save The Bay is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. With our partners, Save The Bay has preserved and restored thousands of acres of wetlands across our 60-year history. From transplanting native seedlings to removing harmful invasive species, volunteers are essential to the success of this work. We engage community members, schools, and businesses throughout the year to protect and restore the shoreline. Discover how you can get involved.
Type of Service Offered: San Francisco Bay area environmental cleanup and restoration.
Underage Volunteers: Youth under 18 need to be signed in by their parent/guardian. Youth under 13 need to be signed in and accompanied by their parent/guardian.
Website: https://savesfbay.org/volunteer/
Contact Email: info@saveSFbay.org
Nonprofit: Project Open Hand
About Nonprofit: Project Open Hand’s mission is to improve health outcomes and quality of life by providing nutritious meals to the sick and vulnerable, caring for and educating our community. Our vision is for a healthy California for the sick and vulnerable through nutrition.
Type of Service Offered: Meal prep/service/clean-up, Food pantry organizing and/or food distribution.
Underage Volunteers: Minimum Age Requirement: 15 years old with chaperones
Website: https://www.openhand.org/volunteer/groups
Contact Email: volunteer@openhand.org
Nonprofit: 826 Valencia
About Nonprofit: 826 Valencia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting under-resourced students ages six to eighteen with their creative and expository writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Our services are structured around the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with individualized attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.
Type of Service Offered: Youth writing skills enhancement.
Underage Volunteers: Please consult with nonprofit contact
Website: https://826valencia.org/volunteer/volunteering-for-groups/
Contact Email: joe@826valencia.org or volunteer@826valencia.org
Nonprofit: Glide
About Nonprofit: GLIDE is a nationally recognized center for social justice, dedicated to fighting systemic injustices, creating pathways out of poverty and crisis, and transforming lives. Through our integrated comprehensive services, advocacy initiatives, and inclusive community, we empower individuals, families, and children to achieve stability and thrive. GLIDE is on the forefront of addressing some of society’s most pressing issues, including poverty, housing and homelessness, and racial and social justice.
Type of Service Offered: Food prep and food serving
Underage Volunteers: 9+ with chaperones
Website: https://www.glide.org/volunteer/
Contact Email: volteam@glide.org (415) 674-6081
SACRAMENTO, CA
Nonprofit: Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services
About Nonprofit: Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) was founded in 1976 with the purpose of nourishing community members experiencing hunger. As the need has grown over the past five decades, so have we. Today, we serve as the largest hunger relief organization in Sacramento County and the regional food bank, supporting a network of more than 135 partners to provide nutritious, meaningful food to our neighbors in need.
Type of Service Offered: Inspecting, sorting, repacking and distributing the tens of millions of pounds of food that comes through our Distribution Center.
Underage Volunteers: Volunteers must be at least 10 years old to participate. Volunteers aged 10 – 15 require an adult chaperone. Volunteers aged 16 – 17 must receive parental permission.
Website: https://www.sacramentofoodbank.org/volunteer
Contact Email: info@sacramentofoodbank.org
Nonprofit: 916 Ink
About Nonprofit: 916 Ink is Sacramento’s arts-based creative writing and literacy nonprofit that provides workshops and tutoring to transform Sacramento youth into strong readers, confident communicators, and published authors. Our programs increase literacy skills, improve vocabulary, teach empathy, positively impact social and emotional learning, and expand communication skills. We envision a Sacramento region where every child and teen is given access to a culturally relevant creative writing program that leads them to believe in themselves and to understand the power of the written word.
Type of Service Offered: Inspecting, sorting, repacking and distributing the tens of millions of pounds of food that comes through our Distribution Center.
Underage Volunteers: Volunteers must be at least 10 years old to participate. Volunteers aged 10 – 15 require an adult chaperone. Volunteers aged 16 – 17 must receive parental permission.
Website: https://www.916ink.org/volunteer/
Contact Email: volunteer@916ink.org
Nonprofit: Sacramento Tree Foundation
About Nonprofit: Since 1982, we have been engaging the community to plant and tend over 1.5 million trees throughout the Sacramento region. We value trees for the ways they make our communities livable and lovable, so we prioritize our work in the areas that need trees the most — in under-canopied neighborhoods that don't have enough trees, and in open spaces where trees provide a respite from city life and habitat for wildlife. With your help, we steward the urban forest throughout its whole lifecycle from seed to slab, providing opportunities for community members to learn and get involved at every stage. It begins with the acorn harvest every fall, then tree propagation and planting, onto monitoring and stewardship, and eventually salvaging fallen trees from the landfill to give them second lives as lumber. Trees are our love letter to Sacramento. We are rooting for this place and all who live here, doing our part to grow thriving communities in every corner of this region.
Type of Service Offered: Tree planting, harvesting and other greening projects.
Underage Volunteers: Yes with chaperones
Website: https://sactree.org/volunteer/
Contact Email: engage@sactree.org
Nonprofit: Sierra Service Project
About Nonprofit: Sierra Service Project’s purpose is to build strong connections and resilience among communities, by equipping volunteers in home repair skills and community-based projects. Making necessary home repairs accessible to historically underserved residents allows communities to thrive and individuals to safely age in place. Inherent in the purpose is the specific involvement of youth and young adult volunteers.
Type of Service Offered: Home repair and fence building
Underage Volunteers: Yes with chaperones
Website: https://www.sierraserviceproject.org/
Contact Email: info@sierraserviceproject.org
POINT MONTARA, CA
Nonprofit: Coastside Hope
About Nonprofit: Coastside Hope’s mission is to provide necessities to enhance quality of life for all our neighbors. We offer hope on a non-discriminatory basis to everyone living in our service area, including Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, Half Moon Bay, and La Honda.
Type of Service Offered: Bi-weekly Senior Brown Bag and monthly Family Harvest off-site food distribution
Underage Volunteers: Unknown—contact agency directly
Website: https://coastsidehope.org/volunteer/
Contact Email: admin@coastsidehope.org
Nonprofit: Pacific Beach Coalition
About Nonprofit: The Pacific Beach Coalition is dedicated to preserving the ocean, coastal habitat and wildlife, and ending litter, through advocacy, education, community building, and citizen action. The Pacific Beach Coalition is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Type of Service Offered: Coastal beach, habitat restoration and environmental cleanup.
Underage Volunteers: Unknown—contact agency directly
Website: https://coastsidehope.org/volunteer/
Contact Email: admin@coastsidehope.org
Nonprofit: Senior Coastsiders
About Nonprofit: Senior Coastsiders supports successful aging for all Coastside older adults by providing opportunities, services, and resources that meet their needs, enrich their lives, foster their independence, and respect their creativity, dignity, and value. We offer resources for the entire local community for information on aging, support for older adults, and support of caregivers through: Classes & Activities, Care Management Services, Dining Room & Delivered Meals, Transportation, Pet Buddy Program, Assistive Devices, Volunteer Opportunities and Home Repair.
Type of Service Offered: Senior assistance.
Underage Volunteers: Unknown—contact agency directly
Website: https://www.seniorcoastsiders.org/volunteer
Contact Email: info@seniorcoastsiders.org and dsoares@seniorcoastsiders.org
PIGEON POINT/PESCADERO, CA
Nonprofit: Puenta de la Costa Sur
About Nonprofit: Puente fosters wellness and prosperity in the San Mateo County South Coast communities of Pescadero, La Honda, Loma Mar, and San Gregorio by promoting and advocating for equitable access to education, health, and economic security.
Type of Service Offered:
Underage Volunteers:
Website: https://mypuente.org/volunteer-registration/
Contact Email: outreach@mypuente.org
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