Community opportunities

Help sort, repack, and label donated food in the Oregon Food Bank warehouse. Shifts run year-round and are great for individuals, families with kids 6+, and corporate groups. No experience needed; closed-toe shoes required.

Join a neighborhood crew planting trees in Portland yards and street strips. Tools and training provided. Great for first-time volunteers; rain or shine.

Pull invasive plants, plant natives, and help restore creek and forest habitat across Tualatin Hills parks. Family-friendly events most months.

Help sort and re-shelve returned books, audiobooks, and DVDs at the Tigard Public Library. A quiet, behind-the-scenes role that keeps the collection findable. Age 18+; quarterly orientation required.

Help frame, paint, install flooring, and finish homes alongside future Habitat homeowners. All tools and training provided. Must be 16+ (some tasks 18+).

Help assemble and distribute emergency food and clothing boxes for families in need. Sunshine Division is one of Portland's oldest food relief programs, founded in 1923 alongside the Portland Police Bureau.

Cook and serve meals, sort donations, or organize the resource center at Transition Projects shelters across Portland. Major operator of shelter beds in Oregon. Family- and group-friendly options for ages 8+ with adult; 18+ for cooking roles.

Help prep, plate, and serve breakfast, lunch, or dinner in Blanchet House's free-meal cafe in Old Town Portland. Volunteers stay to eat with residents and other volunteers afterward. Six days a week.

Help run community events, support classes, or assist senior programs at Friendly House, NW Portland's neighborhood community center serving since 1930. Background check may be required for adults.

Help guests engage with art as a gallery educator, greeter, or coat-check helper at Portland's flagship art museum. The docent program was recently restructured into a museum-wide volunteer program.

Welcome visitors and share the history, design, and cultural meaning of Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland's Old Town. 100+ volunteers support garden tours, cultural programs, horticulture, and upkeep.

Support HIV testing, social services, special events, and reception roles for Oregon and SW Washington's largest HIV/AIDS service organization. Volunteer orientation required.

Respond to local disasters such as home fires by providing immediate assistance to affected families. Disaster response training provided; ability to respond on short notice required.

Support free mobile dental and medical clinics that serve underinsured Oregonians. Lay roles available alongside licensed dental and medical professionals; clinics travel across the metro area.

Help take apart, sort, test, and refurbish donated computers and electronics. Free Geek diverts thousands of devices from landfills. Earn a free refurbished computer after 24 hours of volunteering. Orientation required.

Help sort donated clothing, diapers, and supplies, and assemble kits for families in need across the Portland metro. Family-friendly: kids welcome with parents; no training required.

Provide ongoing support to newly arrived refugee families with English skills, community orientation, and connection to local resources. Helps families navigate their first year in Oregon.

Help bag groceries, restock shelves, and welcome neighbors at Northwest Harvest's SODO Community Market — a no-cost, dignified grocery experience open to anyone. Family-friendly: third graders and up are welcome with adult supervision through age 15.

Sort donated produce, repack bulk staples, and prep food for hundreds of partner agencies across Western Washington at Food Lifeline's South Park warehouse. Open to volunteers age 10+ with a chaperone, or 16+ on their own. Closed-toe shoes required.

Pitch in alongside FareStart staff and culinary trainees to prep, portion, and pack thousands of weekly meals for shelters and partner programs. Weekend shifts in the Galaxy Building kitchen on Lower Queen Anne. Job-training nonprofit; closed-toe shoes required.

Sort donations, prep meal kits, or help run programs for families staying at one of Mary's Place's nine emergency shelters across King County. Mary's Place keeps families together inside while they get back on their feet.

No published minimum age on the org's volunteer page; defaulted to 18. Mary's Place may accept younger volunteers via specific programs (e.g. Youth Action) — confirm with intake.

Sort, hang, and tag donated clothes, shoes, and gear at Treehouse's Wearhouse — a free store where Washington's foster youth can pick out what they need at no cost. Quiet, hands-on shifts; ages 12+ with an adult, or 16+ solo.

Help frame, paint, install flooring, and finish homes alongside future Habitat homeowners at sites in Delridge, South Park, Renton, Federal Way, White Center, and Rainier Valley. 16+ with an adult guardian; all tools and training provided.

Pull invasive ivy and blackberry, plant native trees and shrubs, and help restore Seattle's forested parks one Saturday at a time. A partnership between Seattle Parks and Forterra; events listed on a citywide map. No experience needed; gloves and tools provided.

No published minimum age on the org's volunteer page; defaulted to 18. Many forest restoration events welcome all ages with an adult — check the event-specific listing on greencitypartnerships.org.

Greet shoppers, check people in, and help stock shelves at the University District Food Bank — Northeast Seattle's largest food relief program. Drop-in onboarding hours; ages 13+ may volunteer independently.

Help repack staples, sort donations, and pack grocery orders for neighbors visiting the Ballard Food Bank's market. 2-3 hour shifts run Mon–Thu mornings and afternoons in their Leary Way space.

Hand out groceries, help shoppers, and offer translation in one of Seattle's most diverse neighborhoods. Rainier Valley Food Bank welcomes kids as young as 6 with a parent — one of the few food banks designed for whole-family volunteering.

Sort produce, distribute groceries, and unload deliveries at the FamilyWorks Wallingford Food Bank — the only Seattle food bank co-located with a family resource center under one roof. Thursday afternoon and school-break shifts.

Help check in clients, sort donations, and stock shelves at Hopelink food markets in Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond. 16+ for most roles; background check, online application, and 90-minute virtual orientation required before first shift.

Respond to local disasters such as home fires by providing immediate assistance and resources to affected families. Disaster response training and background check required; on-call shifts based on availability.