If you’re looking for places to give back during the holidays, here’s a list of nonprofits looking for help this season. If your holiday schedule is already full, they are also in need of year-round help.
Help older adults
Encore Community Services provides older adults with a range of services, such as finding affordable housing to offering healthy and delicious meals. There are volunteer shifts in a variety of areas, including kitchen prep and meal delivery. You can sign up for a shift here. And Citymeals on Wheels delivers hot meals to older people who are homebound. Volunteers can pack or deliver food, do social phone calls, and more. Children can also help by making holiday cards to be distributed to seniors with the meals.
Defend the legal rights of immigrant children
Safe Passage Project provides free lawyers to refugee and immigrant children who face deportation back to life-threatening situations. They rely on volunteer lawyers and interpreters. You can sign up to volunteer here.
Teach a class, wrap gifts, or tailor your volunteering to your interest
Brooklyn Community Services needs volunteers for a range of services, including teaching a vocational class, wrapping gifts and more. This non-profit will help you find volunteer work that is specific to your work experience, talent, and interests.
Food pantry help at Reaching Out Community Services
Reaching Out Community Services in Brooklyn is looking for volunteers for its food pantry program. If you and your entire family or co-workers want to help out, they also can arrange for volunteering as a group. You can email to learn more at info@rcsprograms.org.
Serve a meal in the morning, be finished in time for your own Thanksgiving Dinner
God’s Love We Deliver prepares and delivers meals to people living with HIV and AIDS, cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses. Volunteers can sign up to help prepare and deliver meals in locations around the boroughs. Thanksgiving volunteer hours are during the morning, which will give you time to enjoy any planned Thanksgiving activities. You can learn more here.
Spend time with older LGBTQ+ Adults
SAGE is an advocacy organization for LGBTQ+ adults. The non-profit is looking for volunteers year-round, including the holidays. You can learn more here.
Toy Drives
There are also several toy drives being held throughout the city.
- On Saturday, Nov. 30 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m, you can donate a toy at the holiday tree lighting in Park Slope. This toy drive is hosted by Camp Friendship.
- On Saturday, Dec. 14 from 9 a.m. to noon, you can drop a toy off at the Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket. Organizers are asking for unwrapped new toys or books for children aged 5 to 13.
Donate to scholarships for public school students
NYC Kids RISE provides New York City public school students 529s to support their educational future. They accept donations year-round. You can donate here.
Some alumni also contribute to the program through the NYC Public School Alumni Community Scholarships –– you can donate to your alma mater’s community scholarship or start your own. Our Director of Partnerships and Communications, Carolina Valencia, is once again raising money for students at PS 148. You can donate to that scholarship here.
Additional volunteer opportunities through the rest of the year
Interested in helping others or getting help. Check out stories from our Needs archives.
