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.
Walk to Defeat ALS Seattle / The ALS Association
- Date/Time: Saturday, October 3: Walk check-in: 10 a.m. Walk start: 11:30 a.m.
- Location: 4063 Spokane Ln, Seattle.
- Walk to Defeat ALS Seattle
- Ages: Everyone can walk.
- Time Commitment: Varies.
Your participation in the Walk to Defeat ALS has a direct impact on people living with ALS and their families at the local level. Through education, support groups, access to care and advocacy, we are working to defeat ALS and provide hope to people living with ALS and their families. Learn more here.
Contact: Tyler Barham, [email protected], 206.703.3517. Click here for walk registration.
Annual Tree Planting Celebration / Mountains to Sound Greenway
- Date/Time: Saturday, October 10, 9 a.m.-noon. Lunch and celebratory remarks to follow from noon-1 p.m.
- Location: Lake Sammamish State Park (ParQ Parking Complex near 5150 220th Ave SE, Issaquah.
- Ages: This is a family-friendly event. Participants younger than 13 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
- Time Commitment: Three hours.
Join the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust to celebrate the start of the planting season with a morning of planting trees and giving back to habitats at Lake Sammamish State Park! This year, you’ll help us complete our goal of planting 10,000 trees and shrubs along Issaquah Creek! Your efforts will build on over 20 years of habitat restoration and make a difference by restoring healthy urban forests to support wildlife habitats, create cooler water for salmon, and improve air and water quality. By volunteering, you are supporting the continued transformation of Issaquah Creek and the work of staff, partners, and thousands of volunteers who have helped us improve this important salmon habitat.
For safety, volunteers are required to wear:
- Long pants (we’ll be working with tools, so no shorts!)
- Sturdy, close-toed shoes (absolutely no sandals)
- Gloves (provided)
In addition, we recommend that participants bring:
- Warm layers or sun protection, depending on the weather
- Rain gear
- At least one full water bottle
- Small daypack for snacks, extra layers, etc.
- Lawn chair for the celebration following the event
Contact: Swan Phongwarinr, [email protected]. Registration is available online.
2026 Fall Restoration Day / Volunteer Park Trust
- Date/Time: Saturday, October 10, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
- Location: Volunteer Park, 1247 15th Avenue East, Seattle. Meet at the Black Sun Sculpture across from Seattle Asian Art Museum at 10 a.m. on Saturday. If you arrive late, look for our green signboard telling you where in the park we will be working.
- Ages: Families with children of all ages are welcome to participate.
- Time Commitment: Up to four hours. Stay for the whole event or as long as you want.
Come garden with us at Volunteer Park Trust’s Fall Restoration Day on Saturday, October 10. This annual clean-up event is a major community effort to make Volunteer Park more beautiful for everyone. Join your friends and neighbors for our annual Fall Restoration Day as we weed and clean the garden beds in Volunteer Park to keep it beautiful for everyone. This is a great event for kids and families. No gardening experience is needed. Gloves and tools will be provided.
Contact: Registration is available online.
Monthly Drop-In Volunteering / Seattle ReCreative
- Date/Time: Sunday, October 11, 1-4 p.m. (Every second Sunday of the month)
- Location: Seattle ReCreative, Georgetown, 6521 5th Ave S, Seattle.
- Ages: Children eight years old and older can volunteer with an adult.
- Time Commitment: Three hours.
Your family can help us process donations in a fun and social guided group event, no prior experience needed! Our monthly drop-in volunteering is a great low commitment way for new and returning volunteers to help us with vital material processing tasks and activities. Led by a member of our material processing team, each event has a range of activities based on what materials we’ve received that month. Every helping hand makes a big difference in our mission to put more reusable art materials back into the hands of artists.
Seattle ReCreative is a 501c3 non-profit that promotes creativity, community, and environmental stewardship through creative reuse and arts education. Creative reuse centers are facilities that collect donations of used materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill from local businesses and individuals to redistribute to our community. Proceeds from the resale of these goods helps fund our arts programming and supply free creative materials and workshops to the community. There are numerous facilities of this nature across the country; however, we are the only creative reuse facility of our kind in Seattle. While the size, structure, and community benefit of creative reuse centers does vary, creative reuse centers function to reduce the amount of usable material entering the waste stream, provide communities with low-cost access to creative materials, and stimulate creative activity within the communities they serve.
Contact: [email protected]. Click here to learn more about volunteering and to register for our monthly volunteer events.
Juanita Bay Park (East) Habitat Stewardship Days / Green Kirkland Partnership
- Date/Time: Saturday, October 17, 9:30-noon and Saturday, October 24, 10 a.m.–noon.
- Location: Please note this event does not meet at the main Juanita Bay Park parking lot. Navigate to 10442 Forbes Creek Drive, Kirkland, WA, 98033 to find the site.
- Ages: Families are welcome to participate. Most event activities are best suited for volunteers who are 12 years old and older, though many activities are adaptable for all ages. 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 to two and a half hours.
Volunteers will help restore critical habitat by removing invasive plants such as blackberry or ivy, planting native plants, and pitching-in with stewardship tasks like mulching and weeding. In fall/winter we may also be planting native plants. With your help, this park will have healthy and thriving natural areas for years to come!
Visit our ‘About Volunteering’ page for youth volunteer guidelines or if you have questions about what to bring and expect at our stewardship events.
Contact: Click here to register for the October 17 event and here for the October 24 event. Pre-registration is requested for all Green Kirkland events.
Provide Sack Lunches / Plymouth Housing Group
- Date/Time: Any day of the week around lunchtime.
- Location: Assemble the lunches at home and coordinate with Kirsten Mintun, [email protected], to make arrangements to deliver your lunches. Our buildings are concentrated in the Downtown/Belltown/South Lake Union neighborhoods with one in Bellevue and one in Ballard.
- Ages: Families are welcome to participate.
- Time Commitment: Varies. This can be a one-time opportunity or a monthly recurring opportunity. We would love to work with you in whatever capacity is best for you.
Volunteers are needed to purchase supplies, assemble lunches at home or with a community group, and then deliver 50–100 sack lunches to one of our buildings across the Seattle region. This is a great opportunity to directly impact our residents and address a large need for the community! A lot of residents are seniors or have dental issues so softer foods are ideal.
Here are examples of what to include in a paper bag sack lunch:
- One main protein item such as a meat and cheese sandwich, or a meat and cheese wrap.
- One healthy item such as a fruit cup, apple sauce, or hummus.
- One savory item such as chips, crackers, or pretzels.
- One sweet item such as fruit snacks or pudding.
Please do not include any common allergens such as nuts (peanut butter) or seafood.
Contact: Kirsten Mintun at [email protected] if you are interested or have any questions.
Food Bank Distribution / North Seattle Food Connection (North Helpline Food Bank)
- Date/Time(s): Wednesdays, 8:30–11:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.–2 p.m.; Thursdays, 3:30–7 p.m.; Saturdays, 8:30–11:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
- Location: Lake City location, 12736 33rd Ave NE, Seattle.
- Ages: Children 8 years old and older are welcome to volunteer with an adult; youth 14 years old and older can volunteer on their own.
- Time Commitment: Three to four hours.
Sharing food and resources with our neighbors is at the heart of our purpose! Volunteers in this role help our neighbors shop with dignity and care for food that is meaningful to their families. On distribution days, you will be working with 8-12 other volunteers to perform duties such as:
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- Assisting neighbors in navigating the food options we have available for the day
- Replenishing food at the distribution tables as folks move through the line.
- Helping neighbors carry their groceries to their destination using our grocery carts.
- Distributing hygiene products to neighbors.
To Get Started:nPlease complete a volunteer application by going to volunteer.northhelpline.org and clicking “Sign up”. From there, you will be asked to consent to a routine background check, sign a Client Services Confidentiality Agreement, and complete a Mandatory Civil Rights Training Attestation. Applications are typically processed in a day or two, and you will receive an email once everything has been accepted. From there, you can sign up for shifts with ease online through the volunteer portal!
Lastly, our warehouse is not climate-controlled – please dress appropriately and wear closed-toe shoes for safety!
Contact: Bex, Volunteer Coordinator, [email protected], 206. 413.8271.
Foster a Future Service Dog! / Canine Companions
- Date/Time: Ongoing opportunity.
- Location: Your home and Seattle (SODO)
- Ages: Please note: If you are younger than 18 years old, you will need parental support and they must sign a minor waiver.
- Time Commitment: Flexible, long-term, and short-term fosters are needed. We ask that you commit 3-6 months.
Help change a life—starting in your home. Volunteer fosters provide a safe, loving place for Canine Companions dogs as they complete their professional training and prepare to be matched with a person with a disability. No training or prior experience required.
What you’ll do: Care for a dog in professional training during evenings and weekends while our trainers handle weekday training.
The details: Dogs are 1.5+ years old (Labs, Goldens, or mixes).nAll food, supplies, and medical care are provided.
Transportation: Fosters help with weekday drop-off and pick-up. There are flexible options available, including central meetups and a shuttle.
Good fit if you:
- Live within reasonable driving distance of our Seattle (SODO) training location.
- Fosters can be renters, homeowners, families, working professionals, and more.
- Have a pet-friendly home (other friendly, vaccinated pets are okay).
- Can provide a consistent, caring environment.
- Want to make a meaningful impact—without full-time training responsibilities.
Interested?
Reach out to learn more or get started. If you’re interested but don’t meet every requirement, we’d still love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out, and we’re happy to discuss possible options. Watch our video to learn more: A Day in the Life of a Service Dog: pt. 1 or join an upcoming virtual volunteer info session.
Contact: [email protected] or 425.458.0600.
Trash or Treat / Puget Soundkeeper
- Date/Time: Tuesday, October 27, 5:30-7 p.m.
- Location: Puget Soundkeeper Office, 130 Nickerson Street, Seattle.
- Ages: This is a family-friendly event.
- Time Commitment: One and a half hours.
Join us for a spook-tacular event in celebration of Halloween! Puget Soundkeeper is excited to present our annual Trash-or-Treat Cleanup along the Ship Canal trail! Put on your favorite costume, gather your friends, and help us clear debris from the trail to protect the Ship Canal from litter and trash.
Enjoy delicious fall-themed treats and beverages while you volunteer, and don’t miss the chance to enter our costume contest for a chance to win some exciting prizes for the best trash or litter themed costumes! This event welcomes all ages—bring your family, friends, and even your pets for a fun-filled community cleanup. Learn more here.
Contact: Tanya Balaji, [email protected]. Registration is available online.
Help Restock our Pantry / Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Western Washington & Alaska
- Date/Time: Drop off donations any day of the week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call or email us ahead of time with your delivery date so we can be ready for you.
- Location: 5130 40th Avenue NE, Seattle.
- Ages: Everyone can help.
- Time Commitment: Varies.
The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western Washington & Alaska offers the comforts of home and support services to families of seriously ill children near the medical care they need. Keeping our House Pantry full of quick meals and nutritious snacks helps parents and caregivers every day. Day or night, they can get what they need to care for their patient and their whole family.
Food Drive Requirements:
- Small cans and packages only (16 oz or less).
- Individual servings when possible.
- Direct from a store–not your cupboard.
- Commercially produced–not home-canned.
- Fresh—at least three months from the expiration or “best by” date.
Here’s our current Food Drive shopping list:
- Pasta and pasta sauce.
- Canned ravioli and Spaghettios.
- Ready-to-eat soup such as Progresso.
- Cup Noodles and Top Ramen.
- Mac and Cheese cups.
- Spam, tuna, and canned chicken.
- Jello cups and pudding cups.
- Baby formula.
- Canned fruit and applesauce squeeze packs.
Learn more here. Prefer to shop online? Visit our Amazon Food Drive Wish List for easy delivery of your donations.
Contact: Marla, Meal Program & Activities Manager, [email protected], 206.838.0621. Call or email us ahead of time with your delivery date so we can be ready for you. Go to rmhcseattle.org.
Make a Lasagna for a Neighbor in Need / Lasagna Love
- Date/Time: Ongoing opportunity.
- Location: Varies.
- Ages: Families with children of all ages are encouraged to participate.
- Time Commitment: Varies.
Lasagna Love is a grassroots movement powered by thousands of volunteers cooking and delivering lasagna to neighbors in need. We are united by our commitment to offer a tangible act of love, compassion, and hope in communities often marked by uncertainty and stress. Together, we are proving that kindness has the power to nourish not only bodies, but also hearts and communities everywhere. Our purpose is simple yet profound: feed neighbors, spread kindness, strengthen communities.
How does the process work? After answering a few simple questions on the portal (including how far you are able to drive), you are ready to be matched with a family in need. Once matched, volunteers communicate directly with their matched family to set up a drop-off date/time. When these details are set, volunteers purchase ingredients and make the meal. When the time comes for delivery, meals are dropped off on the porch/doorstep to ensure a safe and contactless delivery. If you prefer not to cook, you may also donate lasagna ingredients to local Lasagna Love volunteers. You can also help Lasagna Love spread the love by nominating a friend or family who may need a home-cooked meal.
Contact: [email protected] with any additional questions. Check here to see if Lasagna Love is currently in your neighborhood.
The Million Mile 2026 with 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: [email protected] or 866.333.1213. Registration is available online. www.alexslemonade.org
Check Out Our Featured Project Of The Month!
Trick or Treat for UNICEF
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).
Get ready for DGT’s Upcoming Festival of Giving!
Join Doing Good Together on Saturday, November 7 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for a Family Service Fair with service projects to benefit a variety of causes.
It’s a chance for the whole family to celebrate kindness and spark big-hearted action.
Family Service Fair
- Saturday, November 7
- 10 am – 12 pm
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities
- 3110 N Washington Ave
- Minneapolis, MN 55411
Not in Minnesota this November? Stay tuned! We’re exploring meaningful ways for families everywhere to participate from 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™
