Adoption Event Dog Handlers

A Way Home for Dogs

Date/Time: Saturday, May 11, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. 

Location: North Park, San Diego. The full address will be sent after registration.

Ages: Volunteers ten years old and older can participate with an adult

Time Commitment: Varies.

Help dogs find their forever homes by volunteering at an adoption event with A Way Home for Dogs. The more volunteers that participate, the more dogs that get to attend. Dogs are not placed in enclosures at adoption events. There is one dog per handler ratio and all dogs are on a leash.

This event takes place at the Vegan Food Pop-Up in North Park. Volunteers will hold leashes for adoptable dogs, and wander around the market and/or the general vicinity. Chairs are provided to sit under canopies. Volunteers should wear sun protection. Volunteers should be able to hold a dog leash with a loop around a wrist and grip the excess. This project can make accommodations for individuals with physical limitations. Dogs of various strengths will be in attendance and the team can easily fit a dog's strength with your abilities

Contact: For more information, contact awayhomefordogs@gmail.com. All volunteers must sign a waiver before participating. Register online here. If the HandsOn San Diego event is full, or you would like to find out about more volunteer opportunities, register online for the off-site volunteer opportunity directly with A Way Home for Dogs. You will receive an email every Monday morning about events that are available that coming weekend.

awayhomefordogs.com

San Diego River Days Cleanup 

I Love a Clean San Diego

Date/Time: Saturday, May 11, 9 a.m.–11 a.m..

Location: Mast Park, 9125 Carlton Hills Blvd., Santee.

Ages: All ages can participate. Volunteers younger than 18 years old will need a signed waiver.

Time Commitment: Two hours.

Join I Love A Clean San Diego and the San Diego River Park Foundation for a litter cleanup in Santee at Mast Park! Help us celebrate San Diego River Days by protecting the San Diego River and keeping litter out of the Pacific Ocean. Wear comfortable clothes, closed-toe shoes, some type of sun protection (sunscreen or a hat), and bring a water bottle or two! Staff will provide everything else you will need.

I Love a Clean San Diego has multiple cleanups and events taking place throughout the month of May. Click here to find other cleanups.

Contact: Katie Felberg at kfelberg@cleansd.org. Register for the cleanup online. The cleanup event requires a signed release-of-liability waiver for all volunteers, and anyone under 18 years old needs a waiver signed by a guardian. Please download and print the waiver, sign it, and bring it with you to the cleanup. We will also have waivers at the check-in table for volunteers. If you are under 18 years old, please have your guardian check in with us at the cleanup to sign off on your participation.

cleansd.org

Farm at Wild Willow

Wild Willow Farm & Education Center

Date/Time: Saturday, May 11, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. 

Location: Wild Willow Farm & Education Center, 2550 Sunset Avenue, San Diego. Click here for directions.

Ages: Families with children of all ages are welcome. There may be contact with dirt, bugs, biting ants, thistles and burrs, farm animals, tools, and nature. Children must remain under a guardian’s direct supervision at all times.

Time Commitment: Three hours.

Wild Willow Farm is a nonprofit educational farm managed by the Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County. The farm is a nurturing space that encourages biocultural diversity, provides experiences to nurture self-empowerment, and inspires people to connect to food, land, and other people. Often the best way to learn is by doing.

Volunteer tasks depend on your level of experience, abilities, and the needs of the farm that week. Tasks might include: mucking animal pens, weeding, bed building, planting, developing areas for their classes and field trips, mulching, putting up structures, composting, and more!

The farm is a great place for people of all ages and abilities. You'll get to work with Wild Willow Farm farmers, team leaders, and interns. WWF is an educational farm, so there's no experience required, and they'll teach you everything you need to know to be involved. Don't hesitate to ask questions.

Please note the following:

• Appropriate attire: Please wear closed-toe shoes (no sandals), long pants and sleeves, and a sun hat.
• Bring: Please bring sunscreen, a refillable water bottle, and snacks. Please pack out your trash and recyclables. We welcome people of all ages and abilities, but please leave your pets at home.
• Group size: Open volunteering is for individuals, families, or friends in groups of five or fewer.
• Waiver: You will be required to sign in through our QR code with your smartphone at the volunteer check-in station and accept the waiver before being able to assist us for the day.

Contact: Kacie Wright, kacie.wright@rcdsandiego.org. Registration is required and is available on the Wild Willow Farm website or through HandsOn San Diego.

wildwillowfarm.org

Best Buddies Friendship Walk: San Diego

Best Buddies

Date/Time: Saturday, May 11, 8 a.m.–12 p.m. The walk starts at 9 a.m.

Location: Kit Carson Park, 3333 Bear Valley Parkway, Escondido.

Ages: All ages can participate.

Time Commitment: Up to four hours.

The Best Buddies Friendship Walk is the leading event in the country supporting inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Join 50,000 participants at 70-plus walks across the globe to support the Best Buddies programs in schools, workplaces, and communities. You’ll be making the world more welcoming to people with IDD — one friendship, one job, and one life-changing connection at a time.

After registering, participants will have access to a fundraising page. Those who raise $50 or more will receive a T-shirt.

Contact: For more information, email KristinAnnJanishefski@bestbuddies.org. Registration is available online. Volunteers are also needed to help on the day of the event. For more information, fill out the online form.

bestbuddiesfriendshipwalk.org/sandiego

San Diego River Days

The San Diego River Park Foundation

Date/Time: May 11 through May 19.

Location: Various locations throughout San Diego.

Ages: Families with children of all ages are welcome to participate.

Time Commitment: Varies.

The San Diego River Park Foundation is excited to announce our 21st Annual San Diego River Days. Many organizations are coming together to host more than 30 free activities that celebrate the San Diego River as a cultural, ecological, and recreational treasure.

Activities include guided hikes, cleanups, nature walks, educational opportunities and so much more. From Julian to Ocean Beach and everywhere in between, San Diego River Days is our favorite way to get outside and celebrate OUR San Diego River.

Contact: Email riverdays@sandiegoriver.org with any questions. The full schedule of events can be found online.

sdriverdays.org

Mind the Trails and Creeks

San Diego Canyonlands

Date/Time: Saturday, May 25, 8–10:30 a.m.

Location: Hollywood Canyon, Olive Street and Columbine Street. (Limited parking is available in the neighborhood. There is additional parking along Pepper Drive. There is also parking on Snowdrop and Sycamore Drives, where there are additional entrances to Hollywood Canyon.)

Ages: Families with children five years old and older are welcome to participate. Children younger than 14 years old must be accompanied by an adult.

Time Commitment: Two and a half hours.

Summer is approaching and with it comes community members wanting to be out and about enjoying nature. Join Canyonlands in keeping the trails clear of invasive vegetation so that trail users know where to stay and prevent any unnecessary erosion of or damage to any of our native plants. Volunteers will remove invasive plants, gather them together, and carry them out of the canyon. 

Wear sturdy shoes or boots (closed-toe shoes are required), comfortable clothes you don't mind getting dirty (long pants), and a hat for sun protection. Bring a water bottle and sunscreen. Tools and gloves are provided. We ask that volunteers are comfortable with hiking short distances, bending, and physically removing weeds with hands and tools. Please note that there are no bathrooms on-site.

Contact: Email San Diego Canyonlands at volunteer@sdcanyonlands.org with any questions before the event. Register online here. Volunteers under 18 years old must have a parent or guardian sign a youth waiver to participate in the event.

sdcanyonlands.org

TACO Dinner Service

Third Avenue Charitable Organization (TACO)

Date/Time: Mondays from 3:15–5:15 p.m.

Location: 1420 Third Avenue, Downtown San Diego. Volunteers may park in guest spaces only. Please do not park in the staff/numbered/reserved spaces

Ages: Families with children ages eight years old and older are welcome to participate. Children must volunteer with an adult.

Time Commitment: Two hours.

Third Avenue Charitable Organization is a community drawn together to support the dignity, health, and well-being of people among us experiencing homelessness and poverty. Your family can help serve a complimentary meal to anyone in the community! TACO serves a meal that includes a hot entrée, fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, pastries, homemade soup, juice, and coffee. Dinner is served to the guests by volunteers in a cafeteria-style setting inside and guests enjoy the meal outside on the patio. Wear comfortable, closed-toe non-slip shoes. If you are willing to assist with setting up/taking down the tables and chairs, you will be lifting no more than 20 pounds. Bring a water bottle.

Contact: Email volunteer@tacosd.org or call 619.235.9445. Registration is available online.

tacosd.org

Make Greeting Cards for Seniors

ElderHelp

Date/Time: Ongoing project.

Location: Please mail cards to ElderHelp, 5095 Murphy Canyon Road #100, San Diego, CA 92123. If you prefer to drop them off, please email Carrie McClellan for office hours at cmcclellan@elderhelpofsandiego.org.

Ages: Everyone can help.

Time Commitment: Varies.

ElderHelp provides personalized services and information that help seniors remain independent and live with dignity in their own homes. Your family can help by making cards to brighten a senior's day! A handmade card or a simple note can make a big difference. Gather your friends and family and create fun, creative, encouraging cards for seniors in San Diego! Your cards will be shared with seniors through Elderhelp's pantry. Please note: no individual envelopes are needed.

Contact: Carrie McClellan, cmcclellan@elderhelpofsandiego.org.

elderhelpofsandiego.org

Food Sorting at the Distribution Center

Feeding San Diego

Date/Time(s): There are a variety of shifts Monday–Saturday. Please check the volunteer calendar for available shifts.

Location: 9477 Waples Street, Suite 100, San Diego.

Ages: Families with children six years old and older are welcome to participate. Volunteers 15 years old and younger must have an adult chaperone with them at all times while volunteering.

Time Commitment: Two hours.

Feeding San Diego is the leading hunger relief and food rescue organization in San Diego County and the only Feeding America member in the region. Feeding San Diego provides more than 40.3 million meals annually to children, families, seniors, college students, military families, veterans, people facing homelessness, and other underserved populations. They distribute meals in partnership with 292 local charities, schools, faith communities, meal sites, and food pantries.

Volunteers are needed to sort and pack a variety of fresh produce at Feeding San Diego’s distribution center. Volunteer tasks might include gleaning fresh produce, packing boxes of food, or sorting through donated food. By volunteering, you are making a difference for the hundreds of thousands of people facing hunger in San Diego County. Learn more here.

Contact: volunteersd@feedingsandiego.org or 858.452.3663. Registration is required and is available online. Click here for Feeding San Diego’s volunteer waiver form.

feedingsandiego.org

Take Climate Action Now

California Volunteers

Date/Time: Ongoing opportunity.

Location: Your own home.

Ages: All ages can participate.

Time Commitment: Varies.

You can take immediate action to be a part of the climate solution. Planting trees, hacking your thermostat, and composting food waste are just a few examples of how you can make a difference from home today. By signing up, you are pledging to take action as part of the California Climate Action Corps. You will receive a list of ten ways to take action on climate change from home. You will also receive updates as new climate volunteer opportunities roll out over the next few months. When we work together, small daily actions can add up to a powerful, collective impact. Join us and be a part of the solution!

California Volunteers administers the AmeriCorps portfolio in California with over 80 programs providing critical services to more than 160,000 Californians annually. Led by the state’s Chief Service Officer, Josh Fryday, California Volunteers is supported by a bipartisan 25-member Commission and a team of experts driven by a mission to empower and mobilize all Californians to volunteer and serve in their communities.

Contact: For more information, email info@cv.ca.gov or call 916.323.7646. Registration is available online.

californiavolunteers.ca.gov