At Seattle’s Child, we believe in community and in the importance of all of us working together to improve the lives of the kids and families in our neighborhoods and cities. That’s why we’ve partnered with national nonprofit Doing Good Together, an organization committed to making volunteering and service, along with daily kindness, easy and accessible for every family. Check out the volunteer opportunities compiled by the organization below and make “giving back” a natural part of life’s early lessons.
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2025 Glean and Harvest Volunteer Opportunities: FareStart
Date/Time(s): Variety of dates and times through October.
Location(s):
- Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center, 10819 Carnation-Duvall Rd NE, Carnation.
- Carnation Farms 28901 NE Carnation Farm Road, Redmond.
Ages: Families with children five years old and older are welcome to participate.
Time Commitment: Two and a quarter hour shifts.
FareStart transforms lives, disrupts poverty, and nourishes communities through food, life skills, and job training. Your family can help FareStart glean and harvest produce from local farms! FareStart’s Food Recovery Team has generously been invited to glean and harvest crops from a variety of local farm partners. At some farms, FareStart will glean excess produce that didn’t go to market, while others have planted crops specifically for FareStart. The practice of gleaning helps the farmer manage excess crops, control weeds and pests, and maintain nutrients in the soil. These crops will be used in our hunger relief meals, and help FareStart incorporate fresh, local, and nutritious products into those meals, diversify ingredients, and minimize costs. Volunteers are needed to harvest a variety of fruits and veggies alongside FareStart staff, volunteers, and farm partners. This is a family-friendly, outdoor activity, and volunteers will need to be able to stand and kneel for a long period of time. Please wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes, and dress for the weather. We also advise volunteers to wear clothes and shoes which can get dirty. Gleaning events will happen rain or shine! Specific weather conditions such as air quality and storms may lead to cancellation or rescheduling.
Contact: volunteer@farestart.org. Glean at Carnation Farms; Glean at Oxbow Farms; farestart.org. Registration is available online. Select the site you are interested in to register.
Volunteer with King County Parks / King County Parks
Date/Time(s): There are a variety of volunteer opportunities available this fall.
Location(s): Click here for project locations.
Ages: Events are family-friendly for all ages. If you are under 18 years old and attending without a parent or guardian, then you must bring a completed Youth Waiver to the event.
Time Commitment: Most projects are three hours.
Volunteer opportunities focus on helping our parks become healthy and beautiful places for all to enjoy. We lead projects throughout the year and activities depend on the needs of each park and community. Projects can include weeding, spreading woodchips, planting trees and shrubs (in the winter), and picking up litter. All these activities contribute to more diverse and resilient ecosystems in King County. We provide all tools and instruction for these fun and inclusive events. No experience is needed.
Contact: parksvolunteer@kingcounty.gov, 206.477.6101. Registration is available online.
Homeward Pet Foster Homes Needed / Homeward Pet Adoption Center
Date/Time: Ongoing.
Location: 13132 NE 177th Place, Woodinville.
Ages: Families are welcome to apply to foster.
Time Commitment: The time varies, but usually it is between two to four weeks.
Animals are placed in foster care for a variety of reasons, but the goal is to meet their behavioral, social, and physical needs. Some may be too young to be adopted, have an illness or injury, and need to recover before they can be adopted, or they may need to be socialized and learn to live in a family environment. All necessary animal care supplies, veterinary care, online training, and 24-hour support are provided!
To become a foster care volunteer:
- You must be allowed to have animals in your home.
- Be able to transport the foster animal(s) to and from the shelter for periodic health exams, including vaccinations and spaying or neutering.
- Children can also help provide love and care for the foster animal, but adults are responsible for all aspects of foster care.
- If you are physically able to regularly care for and monitor the needs and health of an animal you can be a foster care volunteer. You will also need to keep the foster animal’s environment clean and disinfected.
- You will need to frequently monitor the animals in your care, and the commitment depends on the needs of the unique animal.
More information can be found here: Homeward Pet Foster Care FAQs.
Contact: If you’re interested in becoming a Homeward Pet volunteer foster family, contact foster@homewardpet.org.
Hygiene Kits and/or Encouraging Notes for Recovery Café
Date/Time: Ongoing need.
Location: You can drop off items at either Cafe location (4202 6th Ave S or 2022 Boren Ave) or mail items to 2022 Boren Avenue.
Ages: Everyone can help assemble hygiene kits and create cards.
Time Commitment: Varies.
Families are welcome to help with one or both of the following projects:
1) Hygiene Kits
Recovery Café hosts a Resource Connection Day once a month, where we provide meals, hygiene kits, clothing, and supplies, as well as access to various community partners. Your family can help by making hygiene kits and/or creating encouraging cards.
Quart or gallon-sized Ziploc bags tend to work best. Please include the following hygiene items in every kit. Travel-size items are preferred.
- Toothbrush.
- Toothpaste.
- Package of tissues.
- Cleaning agent (bar soap, liquid body wash, disposable washcloth).
- And at least one other item.
The last item (or two) can be something like hand sanitizer, dental floss, ear plugs, shampoo, lotion, deodorant, chapstick, a disposable razor, or sunscreen (which is especially useful in the summer months). We ask that hygiene supplies that would only be useful for certain community members, like hair ties or menstrual products, be kept separate from the kits, but folks are welcome to donate those if desired!
2) Encouraging Notes
Notes must be generic– not written to a specific person, non-religious, not in envelopes, and most importantly, loving! For example, you can write “You are loved!” or “Wishing you health and safety.” Inspirational quotes or messages are also common. Some folks have gotten creative and included drawings or made origami! Please do not sign your name, but you may sign it with Recovery Café if you’d like. For those making and donating hygiene kits, encouraging notes can be tucked into the bags or donated separately.
Contact: Anderson Witiak, anderson@recoverycafe.org.
The Million Mile 2025 / Alex’s Lemonade Stand (ALSF)
Date/Time: Anytime during the month of September. Log your miles from September 1–30.
Location: Virtual.
Ages: Everyone can participate.
Time Commitment: Varies, you can run, walk or cycle as often as you like! All your steps count – even the ones you take around the grocery store when you go food shopping.
Whether you walk, cycle, or run, you can go the distance for children fighting cancer. For Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, participants of all ages log miles throughout September while raising money to help kids with cancer. The Annual Million Mile is a month-long challenge that funds researchers so they can find better treatments and more cures for childhood cancer. Whether you’re a casual walker, an avid cyclist, or a triathlete, your family can make a difference in the lives of children fighting cancer from anywhere during this virtual event. The Million Mile is a month-long challenge organized by ALSF during September (Childhood Cancer Awareness Month). The goal is to collectively run, walk and/or ride one million miles to raise funds and increase awareness of the need to support childhood cancer research. There is no fee to sign up and no minimum fundraising requirement. Learn more here.
Contact: info@alexslemonade.
Make Cards for Meals on Wheels Recipients / Sound Generations
Date/Time: Ongoing.
Location: Please mail cards to our main downtown office: Sound Generations Meals On Wheels. 2208 2nd Ave., Ste 100, Seattle, WA 98121
Ages: Everyone can participate.
Time Commitment: Varies.
A handmade card from a caring person can really brighten an older adult’s day. Whether you’re looking for something to do on a rainy day or planning a family activity, all you need is your creativity, some paper, and any other art supplies you have. Remember to make your cards general enough, so they will suit any recipient. You can write messages like, “Have a good day,” or “Happy spring or fall,” and/or include an inspirational quote or silly joke. You could also share something about yourself, like where you are from. Please, no glitter or “get well” messages. Do not include any personal information on your cards. Envelopes are not necessary. If you include envelopes, please do not seal them. Learn more here.
Contact: mealsonwheels@
Host a Donation Drive / Wellspring Family Services
Date/Time: Ongoing
Location: 1900 Rainier Avenue South, Seattle
Ages: Everyone can help.
Time Commitment: Flexible! Most drives run two–four weeks, but the timing can be customized to your schedule.
As a Donation Drive Host, you’ll help support families in need by rallying your community to collect essential items for our Family Store. This is a flexible, impactful way to make a difference—perfect for individuals, workplaces, faith groups, schools, and community clubs.
Responsibilities:
- Coordinate a donation drive at your school, workplace, place of worship, or with your personal network.
- Choose your drive focus (e.g., clothing, hygiene supplies, children’s books, diapers).
- Promote your drive using flyers, email, or social media (we’ll provide templates!).
- Collect, sort, and label donations.
- Deliver items to Wellspring Family Services Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Support Provided:
- We’ll provide a Donation Drive Toolkit with everything you need to get started—flyers, item lists, collection box signage, and tips for success.
- Staff support is available for questions or guidance throughout the process.
Impact:
Your efforts directly support local families by stocking our Family Store with high-need items—ensuring parents and children have access to the essentials they need to thrive.
Contact: Reach out to us at drives@wellspringfs.org and we’ll help you get started! wellspringfs.org
Operation: Warm Winter / Soldiers’ Angels
Date/Time: Operation: Warm Winter runs through September 30.
Location: Ship your collected items to:
Soldiers’ Angels Operation: Warm Winter, 2895 NE Loop 410, Suite 107, San Antonio, Texas 78218
Ages: All ages can participate.
Time Commitment: Varies.
Operation: Warm Winter helps Soldiers’ Angels collect warm items that will be shared directly with homeless veterans in need across the country through the VA Hospitals we support. Join us for Operation: Warm Winter and provide warmth to Homeless Veterans! The items we’re collecting are:
Blankets
- New, unused blankets only.
- Store-bought or handmade blankets are accepted.
- Twin-sized blankets are preferred.
Coats
- New, unused adult-sized winter coats.
- All adult sizes and all colors are accepted.
- Waterproof coats are a plus.
Gloves
- New, unused adult-sized winter gloves.
- All adult sizes and all colors are accepted.
- Waterproof gloves are a plus.
Volunteers are also welcome to make blankets. You can sew, knit, or crochet blankets, or click here for directions on how to make no-sew blankets. Click here to learn more about Operation: Warm Winter. Please include your full name and contact information on the box, or inside the box, so we can properly credit your generous donations.
Contact: 210.629.0020, InKind@soldiersangels.org. soldiersangels.org
Check Out Our Featured Project of the Month!
EXPLORE our growing list of at-home projects you can do whenever you’re ready. Each project includes conversation starters, book ideas, and more! Follow along on social media as other families tackle this month’s project and share their stories! Simply join our Facebook group or find us on Instagram (@doinggoodtogether and #sharekindness).
This list was compiled by Doing Good Together™ and reposted with permission. When calling or emailing to volunteer for any of the opportunities listed above, please let the coordinator know you found it through this listing. You are encouraged to ask any questions you may have of the sponsoring organization before committing to a project.
Disclaimer: This list is provided as a service to families. Inclusion of organizations in this listing does not imply affiliation, endorsement, or quality assurance on the part of Doing Good Together™. Doing Good Together™ bears no responsibility whatsoever for the activities and actions of the listed organizations. © 2025 Doing Good Together™
