The Best Ways to Volunteer and Give Back in San Diego
Here's how to help unhoused neighbors, at-risk youth, and more.
It’s always in season to give back, and there’s no shortage of causes in San Diego, including after-school arts and education, supporting immigrant and LGBTQ communities, climate change initiatives, and more. In that spirit, we’ve collected various volunteer opportunities that support San Diego’s precious resources, ranging from beach cleanups to preventing food waste. We’ve also included several San Diego nonprofits that serve some of our most vulnerable citizens and other ways to give back locally. Sites like VolunteerMatch and HandsOn San Diego can help you find volunteer opportunities that are right for you. And if you can’t commit your time, each site accepts donations, making it easier than ever to give back.
City Heights
Help shape a kid’s future for the better by becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County. “Bigs” are matched with “Littles” in their area who need stable, consistent mentorship and positive relationships with adults. Programs include the traditional one-on-one and group activities, where Bigs and Littles meet two to four times a month for two to five hours and participate in activities of mutual interest. Core programs include Operation Bigs, for Littles with an active-duty military, veteran, or fallen parent, who need extra support during deployment or transitions, Hermandad, connecting Latinx youth with Latinx mentors, Hand in Hand, providing deaf/hard children with deaf/hard of hearing Big Brother or Big Sister mentors to help them navigate communication barriers and confidently manage their way through the hearing world, and more. Bigs must be at least 18 years of age, live in San Diego County, pass a background check, have a valid driver's license, insurance, and a social security number, and most importantly, commit to at least one year in the program.
North Park
The Chicano Federation provides child development programs, home-based support for parents of children up to age five, infant and toddler child care services, a child nutrition program, and other aid to families across socioeconomic, geographic, and ethnic demographics, including refugees who are seeking a safe and stable environment for their children. Other services include a child development center in Barrio Logan, as well as a housing program with below-market rentals, and a workforce and business development program. Donate to their annual Food Basket Drive, investigate employment opportunities, become a child care partner, or buy some swag to support their cause.
Old Town
Continued construction and development in San Diego impacts many of our native habitats. The Environmental Center of San Diego has a goal to use education, activism, and direct action to address issues such as loss of biodiversity and climate change. Their projects include ReWild Mission Bay, Save Our Special Species Education Programs, The Wildlife Habitat Conservation Coalition, and the Princess Street Coastal Access Trail Project. They need help with cleanup events, habitat restorations, and educational and awareness projects.
Downtown
Father Joe’s Villages is the largest rehabilitation program for unsheltered families in San Diego, with over 900 men, women, and children living at the Village. In addition to serving more than 3,000 meals daily, volunteers provide homework tutoring, fitness and wellness instruction, adult education, including reading, math, language, and GED prep, along with dozens of other jobs, from administration to thrift store sales associates. Volunteers are needed in a number of Father Joe’s programs. To find the best fit, fill out a volunteer form, call 619-645-6411, or email volunteer@neighbor.org.
Various locations
The Girl Scouts of America are best known for their annual cookie sales, but they are also one of the foremost leadership organizations for girls in the country—64% of U.S. women leaders—political, corporate and civic—were once Girl Scouts. With nearly two million Scouts worldwide, plus an additional 800,000 volunteers, opportunities to help range from becoming troop leaders, assistants, and administrators, to experts who share their special skills with area scout troops. Learn more on the San Diego Girl Scouts website.
Linda Vista
San Diego Habitat for Humanity volunteers participate in building homes for qualified individuals throughout San Diego County, as well as providing a variety of outdoor general repair services to existing homes, veteran’s services, building playhouses for children, and affordable home ownership advocacy. Additional volunteers are needed to help run the Habitat ReStores, which sell new and gently used clothing, dry goods, and furniture.
Kearny Mesa
I Love a Clean San Diego holds two major coastal cleanup days annually, plus cleanup events targeting not only coastal areas but local creek beds, canyons, and open-space parks. Their 22nd Annual Creek to Bay Cleanup takes place on Earth Weekend, April 20. This year’s cleanup returns to hosted events at nearly 100 locations across San Diego County. Get the FAQs here (scroll to the bottom) and register as an individual or group to help with the cleanup effort.
Solana Beach
Formed in 2013 by members of Solana Beach Presbyterian Church, Pathways to Citizenship (formerly North County Immigration and Citizenship Center) provides assistance to immigrants who need support with the network of legal processes and cultural pathways to becoming a U.S. citizen. As Department of Justice Accredited Representatives authorized to practice Immigration Law, they aid in filling out and processing legal documents and applications, provide tutoring in citizenship, and help candidates prepare for U.S. history and civics tests and naturalization interviews, as well as ESL tutoring. In October 2021, Pathways to Citizenship celebrated their 100th client taking her oath and becoming a U.S. Citizen. Volunteers are needed for ESL and citizenship tutoring, document translation, social media posting, and more.
Encinitas
Here’s a shocking statistic—one in four San Diegans face food insecurity on a regular basis, and between 30-40% of food in the United States goes to waste. ProduceGood bridges the gap by connecting farmers and growers who have excess produce with those who need it through programs like CropSwap, a backyard and small farm harvesting program, and Market Share, where volunteers work with generous farmers at three San Diego farmers markets and local grocery stores who donate unsold food items at the end of the day. Volunteer opportunities range from picking fruit and vegetables to administrative and organizational activities and more.
Hillcrest
One of San Diego’s most pleasurable activities is hiking through unique and diverse environments like oak and eucalyptus woodlands, riparian and wetlands, and chaparral. The San Diego Habitat Conservancy is dedicated to the preservation and conservancy of almost 2,000 acres of various habitats in 36 open-space preserves across San Diego County, including the Bridges & Santa Fe Creek Preserve, Emerald Pointe Preserve, Carlsbad Raceway Preserve, and Eureka Springs Preserve. The organization utilizes volunteers to help their scientists and biologists with duties such as mapping and tracking, working with state and federal wildlife agencies, sign replacement, invasive species removal, and community outreach.
Senior Support
Various locations
ElderHelp gives seniors the solutions to help them live independently in their own homes for as long as possible by enlisting volunteers for companionship and tasks such as transportation to social events, appointments, errands, and grocery shopping; organizing mail and home; safety maintenance such as installing rails and grip bars; and light gardening. Serving Seniors provides low-income seniors with hot meals served across four congregate dining sites and delivers to homebound seniors. They also provide affordable housing, social services, and case-management support, plus lifelong learning opportunities, including computer skills training and health and wellness services. More than 85% of their clients live below the Federal Poverty Level, and Serving Seniors provides their services free of charge.
Encinitas
The Solana Center for Environmental Innovation aims to reduce landfill waste of all kinds by educating and providing resources for individuals, families, and businesses who wish to adopt a more earth-friendly lifestyle. From e-waste dropoff centers to in-person workshops on how to “close the loop between organic waste and healthy soil” by composting, worm farming, and rainwater collection, their outreach programs provide an organized approach to reducing waste for families and businesses alike. They even have a tool lending shed! Volunteers are needed to help with school programs, community outreach booths, compost workshops, zero waste projects, docents, and a variety of hands-on and administrative projects.
Downtown
Every Monday night, volunteers from Streets of Hope gather on the sidewalk at the north side of the Smart & Final Parking Lot located at 720 15th Street to offer food, water, toiletries, conversation, and friendship to the area’s unsheltered population. Every six weeks or so, volunteer hair stylists come to give free haircuts. They also need help with preparing resumes and training on applying for jobs online—all you need to bring is a laptop or smartphone (a separate two-hour appointment is set up at Monday Night Downtown for resume services). You don’t have to bring anything to Monday Night Downtown, but if you’d like to, the most needed items are bottled water, toiletries, and personal hygiene items; clothing (especially socks); and blankets. There’s no training or registration needed for Monday night events, just show up and pitch in.
Point Loma
Nothing is more relaxing than sitting under a canopy of trees on a sunny day, but did you know that a thriving urban tree canopy also helps to improve water quality, reduces stormwater runoff, reduces energy use in homes and businesses, alleviates air pollution, provides for wildlife habitats, and increases property values, just for starters? Tree San Diego is dedicated to increasing the county’s tree canopy (which was assessed at 13% in 2014) with the guiding principle of “the right trees, in the right places, with the right care.” Their programs include Tree Advantage, which aims to increase the canopy in disadvantaged areas, and Rejuvenation, a program that diverts dead trees from the landfill to products like lumber, furniture, musical instruments, bio-polymers, and wood charcoal/biochar (a soil amendment that reduces nutrient runoff and supports beneficial microbial growth). Volunteers are needed for weekend tree watering, and internships are available. Sign up for their newsletter to learn of future opportunities and to get the latest news.
Clinics are held in various locations
Help Zero Waste San Diego spread their fix-and-save philosophy to reduce waste and combat our throw-away attitude towards consumer goods. Monthly hands-on clinics, held in libraries, parks and other public spaces, teach repair skills to those who want to fix their non-functional belongings such as appliances, electronics, computers, bicycles, toys, or clothing. Coaches provide guidance for assessment, disassembly, and possible repair, as well as workspace and specialty tools to help with restoration. Whether reconstruction is successful or not, everyone learns about how their item was made and how it worked. Volunteers are needed for web design and social media support, special event assistance, the San Diego Fixit Clinic, and grant research and writing. Sign up online if you would like to volunteer for clinics, behind-the-scenes, or remote work.