At Seattle’s Child, we believe in community and in the importance of all of us working together to improves 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.
Treats for Troops / Soldiers’ Angels
Date/Time: You can start donating excess candy right after Halloween through the month of November!
Location(s): Most Candy Collection sites host their collections starting on November 1 and run through the first weeks of November. Check back often to find a location near you! You may drop off a personal amount of candy (no more than 10 pounds). If there are no collection sites near you, please ship your candy (no more than 10 pounds) to our headquarters in San Antonio: Soldiers’ Angels Candy, 2895 NE Loop 410, Suite 107, San Antonio, Texas 78218.
Ages: Everyone can share their candy!
Time Commitment: Varies.
Families with too much candy after Halloween can donate excess candy to support a good cause. Kids may even earn buyback prizes for their generosity, and families will receive a tax-deductible receipt for their donations.
You can also help at any time by making candy bags to send to Soldiers’ Angels. Here’s how to participate:
- Get some fun-size candy (this is also a great use for excess candy after holidays like Halloween, Easter, etc.).
- Using a treat bag or clear plastic baggie, place an assortment of candy in the baggie and secure it with a twist tie or decorative ribbon.
- If you would like, you can also attach a small card to the bag of candy that has a simple message like, “Thank you for your service!”
Learn more about creating candy bags here.
Contact: tft@soldiersangels.
Craft & Sort Holiday Greeting Cards for Isolated Seniors / Full Life Care
Date/Time(s):
- Sorting events: Wednesdays, November 12, November 19, and December 3 from noon– 4:30 p.m.
- Card donation deadline: Friday, December 5.
Location: Full Life Care Beacon Hill Headquarters: 1625 South Columbian Way, Seattle, WA 98108.
Ages: Everyone can participate.
Time Commitment: Flexible.
Full Life Care is a non-profit dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for vulnerable seniors, adults with disabilities, and their families in King and Snohomish counties. Through its array of health and social services involving personalized care, community programs, and volunteer support, Full Life ensures that no one faces aging or disability alone. Join an in-person sorting event to craft and sort Thanksgiving and Winter holiday greeting cards for clients, including isolated elders who may otherwise be alone this holiday season. Participate remotely using your own card making supplies and creativity to handcraft cards to donate. Cards must be 5×7″ or smaller, and lay flat (no 3D or loose elements, and no glitter). Winter themed cards should say “Season’s Greetings” or “Warm Wishes,” and not specifically reference any holiday. These cards will be randomly distributed throughout December and into the New Year.
Contact: Email jessicac@fulllifecare.org to receive more details about sorting event shifts, and/or instructions to mail or drop off completed cards at Full Life’s headquarters in Beacon Hill. fulllifecare.org.
Meadowbrook Pond Tree Planting and Volunteer Appreciation Event / Dirt Corps and Trees for Neighborhoods
Date/Time: Saturday, November 8, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Location: Click here for location coordinates.
Ages: Families with children of all ages are welcome to participate.
Time Commitment: Three hours.
Join Trees for Neighborhoods and Dirt Corps for our fifth tree care skill share and volunteer work party at Meadowbrook Pond. This work party will include a skill share about how to plant trees and native shrub species, with opportunities to do so in this special wetland ecosystem!
We will also have a volunteer appreciation celebration as a thank you to all of our Seattle Tree Steward volunteers and neighbors who have contributed to the thriving of this green space all year long, with some hot food from a local restaurant at the end of the day!
All ages and skill levels are welcome! Please wear clothing that can get dirty, including long sleeves, long pants, and closed-toe shoes. We’ll be working rain or shine, so everyone is encouraged to dress for the weather and wear layers if you can. We’ll provide the tools, gloves, snacks, hot drinks, and water.
Trees for Neighborhoods is the umbrella for all of the City of Seattle’s urban forestry efforts. Our commitment is to ensure that Seattle’s forest is healthy, vibrant, supported, and growing. Dirt Corps is a collaborative team of professionals and community partners working together to increase access to green jobs and to foster healthy communities.
Contact: Questions about events? Please contact Dirt Corps at community@thedirtcorps.com. Please click here to register. seattle.gov/trees/
Windsor Vista Park Habitat Stewardship on Juanita Creek / Green Kirkland Partnership
Date/Time: Saturday, November 8, 10 a.m.–noon.
Location: Windsor Vista Park, 14251 111th Ave NE, Kirkland.
Ages: Families are welcome to participate. Volunteers younger than 14 years old must be accompanied by a responsible adult who will remain onsite and supervise them for the duration of the event.
Time Commitment: Two hours.
Join Green Kirkland for a fun day of habitat stewardship at Windsor Vista Park! Volunteers will help restore critical habitat by removing non-native plants such as blackberry or ivy, planting native plants (October-January), and helping with stewardship tasks like mulching and weeding. With your help, this park will have healthy and thriving natural areas for years to come! Tools and training are provided. Events are 100% outdoors and occur rain or shine! Visit our What to Expect for Volunteers page for youth volunteer guidelines or if you have questions about what to bring and expect at our stewardship events.
Contact: Registration is available online. Pre-registration is requested for all Green Kirkland events. greenkirkland.org
Tree Planting Event on Sammamish River / Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group
Date/Time: Saturday, November 15, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Location: West Sammamish River Trail, 15000 Redmond – Woodinville Road Northeast, Woodinville. The restoration site is located on a stretch of river next to an office complex off of Redmond-Woodinville Rd NE. Please park at the Summit Imaging parking lot as we have permission to use their spaces for events. The meeting spot is a 1-minute walk from the parking spots and the path will be marked with signs. Directions will also be included in the pre-event email on Wednesday, November 12.
Ages: Family-friendly; families with children of all ages are welcome. Anyone younger than 16 years old needs to be accompanied by an adult.
Time Commitment: Three hours.
Join Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group on the King County Parks-owned West Sammamish River Trail to restore Chinook salmon habitat.
We will spend the event time digging up the roots of invasive species currently growing on the riverbank, and then planting native trees and shrubs in the spaces we clear. We will add blue grow-tubes to all plants to protect them from deer grazing and add mulch rings to insulate their roots.
Contact: Molly, molly@midsoundfisheries.org or 206.529.9467. Click here to register on Idealist.org. You will receive a confirmation email once you register. On November 12, the Wednesday before the event, you will receive a reminder email with event logistics on site access, what to pack, and all other necessary information.midsoundfisheries.
BAM! Bring a Meal / Seattle Union Gospel Mission
Date/Time: Meals are served seven days a week. Lunch is at noon and dinner is at 5 p.m.
Location(s): Click here and scroll down to see BAM locations.
Ages: There are opportunities for everyone to help. However, the age limit to serve in our women and children’s shelter is 10 years old in the dining room and 13 years old to serve in the kitchen. Men’s shelter volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
Time Commitment: This will vary depending on which type of BAM project you choose.
At the Seattle Union Gospel Mission, we work to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty. It all starts with dignity in the form of a blanket, a hot shower, a home-cooked meal, a warm place to sleep, and friendship. It continues with addiction recovery, one-on-one counseling, and long-term solutions. Our Bring-A-Meal (BAM) program provides meals for men, women, and children while providing a life-changing volunteer experience for community groups. Families can help out in the following ways:
Prepare a meal at a donor kitchen and deliver it to one of our shelters. A donor kitchen is a publicly available kitchen in a faith-based organization, community center, or another site. The donor kitchen does not need to have a health permit but must have basic facilities such as adequate handwashing, dishwashing, refrigeration, and cooking equipment. It must have a safe water supply, be protected from weather and animals, and be cleaned before food preparation starts.
- Order food from a restaurant and deliver it to one of our shelters.
- Make PB&J sandwiches for our outreach team. Our vans go to the homeless encampments twice a day Monday–Friday and give out roughly 4000 sandwiches a week. These sandwiches can be made in a donor kitchen and delivered to our offices in Rainier Valley.
- Run a sock drive or a hygiene package drive. We always give out clothing and hygiene supplies at the encampments.
The BAM coordinator can help in arranging the best options for your group. Click here to learn more about BAM.
Contact: Cindy, at cpetersen@ugm.org or 253.250.8562 to make arrangements. ugm.org
Webster Pond Tree Care and Planting Event / Dirt Corps and Trees for Neighborhoods
Date/Time: Saturday, November 15, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Location: Meet at the Northeast corner of Webster Pond Green space across the street from Home Depot on Webster Street.
Ages: Families with children of all ages are welcome to participate.
Time Commitment: Three hours.
Join Trees for Neighborhoods and Dirt Corps for our sixth tree care skill share and volunteer work party at Webster Pond. This work party will include a skill share about how to plant trees and native shrub species, with opportunities to do so in this special wetland ecosystem!
We will also have a volunteer appreciation celebration as a thank you to all of our Seattle Tree Steward volunteers and neighbors who have contributed to the thriving of this green space all year long, with some hot food from a local restaurant at the end of the day!
All ages and skill levels are welcome! Please wear clothing that can get dirty, including long sleeves, long pants, and closed-toe shoes. We’ll be working rain or shine, so everyone is encouraged to dress for the weather and wear layers if you can. We’ll provide the tools, gloves, snacks, hot drinks, and water.
Trees for Neighborhoods is the umbrella for all of the City of Seattle’s urban forestry efforts. Our commitment is to ensure that Seattle’s forest is healthy, vibrant, supported, and growing. Dirt Corps is a collaborative team of professionals and community partners working together to increase access to green jobs and to foster healthy communities.
Contact: Questions about events? Please contact Dirt Corps at community@thedirtcorps.com. Please click here to register.
seattle.gov/trees
Giving Together Holiday Drive / Wellspring
Date/Time: Drop-off hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Please drop off gifts by December 8.
Location: 1900 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle
Gifts can also be shipped to: Attn: Gift Drive, Wellspring Family Services, 1900 Rainier Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98104
Ages: Everyone can help.
Time Commitment: Varies.
Wellspring Family Services exists to end family homelessness by preventing it before it happens and intervening early when it does. Giving Together 2025 is a very special fundraising and gift drive to support families facing homelessness across our communities. Your family can help create change for children facing homelessness in our community this holiday season. Our goal this year is to provide 5,000 gift items to serve 1800 children experiencing, or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Your family is invited to join our annual holiday tradition by purchasing new gifts or winter essentials for boys and girls, ages newborn to 17 years old. While gifts are needed for all ages, each year, we struggle to fill requests for kids ages 13-17 years old. Gifts must be new and unwrapped. Click here for our Gift Drive wish list. Choose gifts as a family or host your own gift drive. You can also choose to shop on our Amazon wish list. Learn more here.
Contact: Wellspring Family Services, drives@wellspringfs.org, 206.902.4250. Wellspringfs.org
Write Letters to Support Our Troops / A Million Thanks ®
Date/Time: Ongoing, at your convenience.
Location: Anywhere – letters are mailed to our national headquarters. You will receive the mailing address after you have registered.
Ages: All ages are welcome.
Time Commitment: Flexible – write one letter or host a letter-writing event.
A Million Thanks is a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring every active-duty service member and veteran feels appreciated through handwritten letters of support and gratitude. Volunteers can write letters individually, as families, or in groups, then mail them with $1 per letter to our headquarters where they are screened, sorted, and shipped directly to troops and veterans across the globe.
Contact: Visit www.AMillionThanks.org/send for full guidelines and to register to receive our mailing address. amillionthanks.org
Help our Food Insecure Neighbors / Food Pantry Support
Date/Time: Ongoing.
Location: Please use the Food Lifeline food finder link to find a food pantry near you.
Ages: Everyone can help fight hunger in their community
Time Commitment: Varies
Millions of children and families living in America face hunger and food insecurity every day.
- According to the USDA, more than 47 million people, including 13 million children, in the United States are food insecure.
- Every community in the country is home to families who face hunger, including rural and suburban communities. We encourage you to research hunger statistics for your own city or county. You may be surprised by how many people in your community suffer from serious hunger issues.
- Many households that experience food insecurity do not qualify for federal nutrition programs and visit their local food banks and other food programs for extra support.
Thanksgiving means a time to give thanks and many families incorporate helping with holiday meals for their neighbors in need and those living with food insecurity. Your family can help our food-insecure neighbors with your time, food donations, or financial donations. Here are a few ways you and your family can help:
- Check the Food Lifeline food finder link to see what support or donations are needed by the food banks and pantries in your community
- Host a food drive for Northwest Harvest or Food Lifeline.
- Explore volunteer opportunities with Northwest Harvest or Food Lifeline.Explore volunteer opportunities with
Contact: Check the Food Lifeline food finder link to find a food bank or food pantry near you.
Check Out Our Featured Project Of The Month!
Make No-sew blankets
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).
DGT’s Annual Festival of Giving
Doing Good Together hosts Family Service Fairs featuring service projects for all ages to benefit a variety of causes. It’s a chance for the whole family to celebrate kindness and spark big-hearted action
Learn more about hosting a Family Service Fair in your city. Or, Pick a Project to complete at home!
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™
