If you are looking for a way to make a difference in your community, you’ll find plenty of volunteer opportunities in Philadelphia. These organizations include the Clean Air Council, Action Wellness, and Fairmount Park Conservancy, to name a few. In addition to these, you can also support local businesses through a variety of volunteer programs.
Clean Air Council
If you’re interested in getting involved with the environment in Philadelphia, consider finding volunteer opportunities through the Clean Air Council. Founded in 1967, the council promotes programs that protect everyone’s right to breathe clean air. Its programs include clean energy, sustainable transportation, climate change policy, and waste and recycling. In addition to accepting volunteer requests, the Clean Air Council also holds events such as Earth Day celebrations.
The organization’s upcoming volunteer project is a two-week forecast of air pollution levels throughout Philadelphia. Volunteers will help the organization map air pollution, temperature, humidity, and other factors in the city. Then, they will analyze data collected. The organization will then provide the volunteers with maps and air pollution predictions of up to 100 square miles of Philadelphia.
Volunteer opportunities at the Clean Air Council are many and varied. The organization relies on the passionate voices of concerned citizens to keep the air quality clean and safe. Volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds and professions, but they all share a passion for the environment. Volunteers typically spend four or more hours per year on programs or local environmental issues.
Action Wellness
Volunteer with Action Wellness Philadelphia and make a difference in the lives of Philadelphia’s chronic illness patients. The nonprofit started as a service to 100 people affected by AIDS and has since grown to serve a wide range of clients. You can choose to work in a specific area of the agency or help with a variety of projects.
Volunteering with Action Wellness Philadelphia is a rewarding way to make a difference in the lives of people with chronic illnesses. This nonprofit organization is committed to providing holistic, trauma-informed, and supportive services to people who are affected by these diseases. In addition to offering assistance with the referral process, these volunteers help with brainstorming and training for the direct services team. They also represent the charity at training sessions and events, and assist with team member orientations.
Fairmount Park Conservancy
If you love Philadelphia parks, you can help preserve their natural beauty by volunteering with the Fairmount Park Conservancy. The nonprofit organization works with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation to promote and improve the parks and recreation programs. It also accepts contributions from businesses, non-profit groups, and individuals. The Conservancy has several volunteer opportunities throughout Philadelphia.
Volunteers can help with general clean-up, such as removing trash and invasive plants. They also participate in the city-wide park clean-up, “Love Your Park,” which attracts thousands of volunteers. Those who are looking for a more challenging volunteer opportunity can participate in corporate volunteer events.
Volunteers can help with trail maintenance and ADA accessibility. They can help restore trails in the area, install ADA-compliant signage, and build wayfinding signs. They can also help with planting and installing new trees and shrubs. They can also install temporary restrooms and hand-sanitizer stations.
TreePhilly is an initiative of the Conservancy, working with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation to restore 30% tree canopy in all of Philadelphia neighborhoods. Through the program, the Conservancy works to address environmental equity by empowering Philadelphia residents and building community. They have planted more than 27,000 trees through their Community Yard Tree Giveaway Program.
Cradles to Crayons
Cradles to Crayons is an organization dedicated to supplying needy children with school supplies, clothing, books, and other necessities. The organization collects donated items from Philadelphia community members and provides these items to children who need them most. The organization’s philosophy revolves around the notion that all children should have confidence in themselves. Volunteers can make a difference by donating time or supplies to help the organization provide needed supplies to children in Philadelphia.
Teens can also volunteer by helping out at the Cradles to Crayons Giving Factory. The program is open to high school students and offers the opportunity to work with children in a positive environment while developing leadership skills. The organization also accepts monetary donations. You can volunteer on weekends, during the week, or even during holidays.
Volunteers can also help out by sorting and packing donated items for children. For example, Rivers Casino Philadelphia is partnering with Cradles to Crayons to help them package donated items for children in need. In a recent event, team members from the casino donated nearly ten large bags of items to the organization. Volunteers can bring these items to Cradles to Crayons’ volunteer day to help out.
Reading Coaches
Volunteering as a Reading Coach in Philadelphia is a great way to improve your reading skills and help kids develop a love for reading. This program pairs volunteers with kids in grades K-3 and provides them with books to read. These one-on-one sessions have shown to improve a child’s reading comprehension and confidence. Volunteers also provide kids with 25 free books that they can keep and read whenever they want.
You can find several opportunities in Philadelphia to volunteer as a Reading Coach. PHILADELPHIA READS, the Free Library of Philadelphia, the School District of Philadelphia, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and the City of Philadelphia are all involved in the program. Volunteers can join a team or participate individually. You will be required to commit at least one hour per week for a term. Training will last about three hours.
Reading Coaches are needed to tutor struggling K-3 students. The volunteer opportunities include teaching reading for five to fifteen hours a week during the school year. Volunteers must pass a background check and a basic literacy screening before they can begin tutoring.
Food Connect
There are a number of Food Connect volunteer opportunities in Philadelphia, including picking up excess food from restaurants and delivering them to local shelters. The food is matched with shelters in need, which means that more than 500 meals are moved each week. In the early years of the organization, Kulshreshtha made most of the deliveries herself. Her idea grew after the Pope visited Philadelphia, generating a huge amount of leftover food.
Since its inception, Food Connect has grown to be a vital logistical service that matches food donations with needy shelters. It currently connects more than 100 food donors in Philadelphia with more than 400 food recipients in need. It works with restaurants, health care networks, caterers, and other groups to distribute thousands of pounds of food each month.
If you’d like to help out in a more hands-on way, you can consider volunteering at the Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission or the Sunday Love Project, which serve meals to the homeless in Rittenhouse Square. Volunteers at these organizations are essential to helping turn extra food into delicious meals for the people living in poverty. You can also help with MANNA, which delivers meals to people who are battling serious illnesses.
MANNA
MANNA, a Philadelphia nonprofit, is a great place to volunteer your time. This organization provides free, medically-tailored meals to over 29,000 individuals throughout the Philadelphia area. These meals are designed to improve the health of people affected by life-threatening illnesses. These meals also provide emotional support. People who have MANNA meals report feeling better emotionally, and this often correlates with better health outcomes.
MANNA provides meals to thousands of individuals every month. Their goal is to serve 2.5 million meals per year. MANNA is headquartered on 20th street in Philadelphia, and they operate a fleet of trucks serving the needs of South East Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. The organization also provides nutritional counseling.
MANNA volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks. These include meal prep, cooking, and serving meals. Volunteers can also help sort and package donated items. They can also help provide new socks to those experiencing homelessness. There are several MANNA volunteer opportunities in Philadelphia, including those in the city’s Central Library and the Friends of the Free Library. Volunteers support staff and raise money for children’s programs.
