Volunteer Opportunities
Join the Visit Anaheim team at this upcoming event:
OC Food Bank
October 23rd from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Contact Julie Freund, Director of Community &
Workforce Development, for more information.
Looking for a way to make a difference in the community? Check out the wide variety of impactful charities that operate right here in our local area. If you would like to add your organization to this list, please contact Julie Freund.
American Heart Association – “For nearly 100 years, the American Heart Association has been fighting heart disease and stroke and helping families and communities thrive. Explore the map below to see how your support has made a difference in our nation and in the places you and your loved ones call home.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County “In a world of causes, we make a difference by creating professionally supported, one-to-one matches for youth who want to realize their full potential.
Through mentoring, we aim to decrease the number of disconnected youth in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Empowered youth have the potential to change our world”
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Anaheim & Cypress - “Do you love working with youth? Are you looking for a safe place to volunteer and have fun? Volunteers assist in all areas of youth development programming. We have volunteer opportunities available to corporate employee groups as well. If you have a special skill or interest that you would like to share, we would enjoy hearing from you!”
Community Action Partnership of Orange County – “Born of the War on Poverty, Community Action Partnership of Orange County (CAP OC) has worked to enhance the quality of life here since 1965. We boldly address the root causes of poverty and advocate for change through systemic reforms, social justice and racial equity. We live and work in the neighborhoods we so passionately serve—coming together from all backgrounds and experiences to stabilize, sustain and empower individuals and families so they may build stronger communities.”
Friendly Center – “Friendly Center began in 1924 by a men’s bible study to help impoverished local farm workers and their families. In March 1967, Friendly Center officially became a non-profit corporation and would continue to evolve, growing to four family resource centers in three cities that serve thousands every year. Friendly Center remains the oldest non-profit in Orange County to stay true to its founding mission of improving the lives of the impoverished by helping them move toward self-sufficiency.
Today, Friendly Center's wrap-around services continue to elevate families so they may overcome crisis and the barriers of poverty.”
Giving Children Hope – “Giving Children Hope (GCH) was founded in 1993 to provide food and health necessities to children and families in Eastern Europe struggling to survive.
Over time, thanks to our family of volunteers and donors, the mission expanded to sending supplies to those most in need overseas and in America through community partnerships with non-profits, educational institutions, and faith-based organizations.
Today, the Giving Children Hope community of volunteers and partners is focused on helping local families break out of the cycle of need into success and self-sustainment by providing food, household goods, and leadership development.”
G.O.A.L.S. – “GOALS is a not for profit organization that helps underserved youth through a combination of enrichment in the areas of athletics, learning and service to help others. Since its opening in 1994, GOALS has developed major facilities, expanded to multiple cities throughout Orange County and has involved tens of thousands of children over this period. Some GOALS programs are targeted in specific areas and school sites while others such as the GOALS Cadets ‘Summer of Service’ are open to anyone interested in helping with service projects throughout the summer.”
Love Anaheim - Love Anaheim is multi – sector Service Project Movement with the goal of loving and serving Anaheim. It features 4 main Service Project Events (1 each quarter or so) that will match willing leaders, volunteers, and funding to accomplish a wide range of need based projects. The Love Anaheim Movement will add goodness, compassion and kindness across the City of Anaheim by the various Faith Based Groups, non-profits, school districts, businesses, service organizations, neighborhoods, city departments, residents, and guests all working together for the common good of Anaheim.
Mary’s Kitchen – “Operating at the forefront of homelessness in Orange County California, Mary's Kitchen believes in enhancing the quality of life for all who are homeless and not just the few. We see the intrinsic worth in everyone. Providing daily life necessities like food, hygiene products, clothing, mail services and medical resources, individuals are equipped to transform their lives. Supporting their self-sustainability by growing our network of partners that will help build futures. Empower individuals and families through love, compassion, and understanding, then guiding their journey towards productivity. Advocating for those who are neglected is a core value Mary's Kitchen is proud of.”
Mercy Warehouse – “It is the mission of The Mercy Warehouse to provide food for those in need through the sale of donated goods. We take in tax-deductible donations of unwanted goods, clothing, and furniture. We then sort and sell them in our 20,000 square-foot facility. Our thrift store is open for sales every day. We are uniquely able to leverage valuable community and corporate relationships, causing every dollar that we earn in our thrift store to stretch into large quantities of high-quality groceries. We give away over one million dollars in retail value of groceries each year. We feed over 1,000 people every week through our local food bank in Laguna Niguel, our weekly homeless outreaches into Santa Ana and Los Angeles, and through our sponsorship of three orphanages in Tijuana, Mexico.”
Pathways of Hope – “Pathways of Hope was founded in 1975 as Fullerton Interfaith Emergency Service (FIES). Our organization was formed when a diverse group of faith leaders in Fullerton realized something: despite the differences in their respective religious beliefs, each church or temple was striving to achieve the same goal… to end hunger”
Patriots and Paws – “Patriots and Paws provides practical home goods and furnishings to Veterans, Active Duty and Reservists at no cost with our Provision for Patriots Program. We serve all of Southern California. Our Paws Program is working on creating a kennel where the same demographics can kennel their animals at no cost, when they have a need. All provided at no cost.”
Precious Life Shelter – “Precious Life Shelter is an emergency, transitional, and single parent efficiency program providing a safe environment for the pregnant woman with no place to live. The woman may be facing an immediate financial, physical or emotional emergency which threatens her with loss of housing, food and/or necessities for daily living. The woman has decided to have her child and she needs a place to stay. Each phase of the program builds on their previous success. Our program will help her realize that both her life and that of her baby are precious.”
Priceless Pet Rescue – “Priceless Pets is a non-profit animal welfare organization. We operate our life-saving efforts out of multiple adoption centers known as “The Orphanage,” with locations in Chino Hills, Claremont, and Costa Mesa. All animals are rescued from various circumstances and are in our care until their new forever families adopt them! We focus heavily on education and animal welfare through our Priceless Pets Ranch and Learning Center in Chino Hills. We also operate a veterinary clinic servicing animals from the public for a low-cost fee to pet parents. We are a donation-based organization and rely heavily on community support and private donations to help us continue to save animals in need! We are dedicated to our life-saving mission: saving one by one until there are none.”