As the holiday season rolls around and we enjoy time with loved ones, it’s easy to overlook New Yorkers facing hunger, unemployment, homelessness, or health challenges. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to lend a hand across the five boroughs—whether it’s serving at food pantries or helping deliver meals to seniors. Ahead, discover volunteer opportunities in NYC where you can make a meaningful difference this holiday season and beyond.
Credit: City Harvest
West Side Campaign Against Hunger
Help the West Side Campaign Against Hunger (WSCAH) achieve its goals of alleviating hunger by ensuring all New Yorkers have access to healthy food and supportive services. Founded in 1979 in the basement of St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church on the Upper West Side, the organization has since grown to expand its services and distribution locations.
Starting Saturday, November 9, WSCH will begin their distribution of turkey and pork shoulder. There will also be several family-friendly shifts on Saturdays to help pack food starting this weekend and continuing through the weekend before Thanksgiving. Registration will open for these shifts a week in advance. Get the details here.
WSCAH offers individual volunteer opportunities for those aged 18 and older at their 86th Street distribution center and 180th Street warehouse and distribution hub. You can learn more here.
Masbia Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry
Masbia was founded in 2015 with one goal in mind: no one should go to sleep hungry. Since then, the non-profit organization has served tens of thousands of meals at its three locations in Brooklyn and Queens, with an average of 1,000 families visiting Masbia each day to get services.
Those looking to aid Masbia in its mission can volunteer, by fundraising, preparing food, taking inventory of pantries, and packing pantry bags. You can learn more about signing up to volunteer at Masbia here.
The group also accepts different types of donations, including food, equipment, and funds.
God’s Love We Deliver
God’s Love We Deliver cooks and provides healthy, medically-tailored meals for New Yorkers who are too sick to shop or cook for themselves. They also offer nutrition assessments, education, and counseling, ensuring the long-term health of their clients. The organization serves nearly 16,000 clients a year, with 70 percent of those served residing in some of the city’s most historically and systematically underserved neighborhoods.
The organization takes pride in the tens of thousands of volunteers who generously help fulfill the mission of God’s Love We Deliver. Each year, around 23,500 volunteers contribute a total of 141,000 hours, providing community service valued at nearly $3 million.
There are many ways to help out at God’s Love We Deliver, whether it’s helping bake dessert items, packing meal bags, or delivering meals. You can learn more here.
Of all the days of the year, Thanksgiving is a very special time for the group. The organization invites volunteers to join them in the kitchen for extra food preparation shifts, packing special tote bags with holiday treats, and delivering meals with friends and family. You can sign up for Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities at GLWD here.
Grand Central Food Program
Founded in 1985 the day after a homeless woman died of starvation in Grand Central Terminal, the Grand Central Food Program has risen to prominence as the largest mobile soup kitchen in the nation.
Each night, the program’s three vans deliver 800 to 1,200 nutritious meals—including hot stew, bread, fresh fruit, and juice or milk—along with coats, hats, gloves, and blankets during colder weather, to those in need at 22 locations throughout the city.
The organization takes up to six volunteers to its first mobile soup kitchen stop at St. Bartholomew’s Church on Mondays through Fridays. The program is also looking for volunteer drivers, but this opportunity requires someone who can work long-term. You can also donate money here.
Citymeals on Wheels
Since its founding in 1981, Citymeals on Wheels has hand-delivered more than 70 million meals to senior New Yorkers in need. The organization wants to end elder hunger in New York City by 2040. Last year, almost 18,000 volunteers served over 25,000 hours to help seniors.
There are many ways to help out with Citymeals on Wheels. Volunteer opportunities include delivering meals, making weekly phone calls to meal recipients, sending handmade cards, meal packing, and helping out in the kitchen.
During the holidays, when older adult centers close, Citymeals provides festive meals to older neighbors. There are opportunities for both walking and driving deliveries. Discover all volunteer opportunities here. You can also make a donation here.
Hour Children
Hour Children is the most prominent provider of services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women in New York. With a focus on women and their children, the organization supports families while mothers are in prison and gives them support upon release by providing housing, childcare, job training, and mental health services.
You can volunteer at Hour Children by mentoring women and children, tutoring, conducting mock interviews, assisting with resume writing, sorting donations at thrift shops, and helping with homework or chaperoning summer camp and after-school programs. You can also make a donation here.
New York Common Pantry
NY Common Pantry strives to reduce hunger and food insecurity through programs designed to create long-term independence for its clients. Their approach includes distributing fresh, nutritious pantry packages through the Choice Pantry program, providing balanced breakfast and dinner through the Hot Meals program, and offering supplemental food for seniors ages 60 and older through their Nourish program.
Volunteers play a vital role in NYCP’s success. Individuals aged 16 and older are encouraged to sign up to volunteer at one of the organization’s locations, with opportunities including serving hot meals, assisting in the pantry, and more. Check out NYCP’s volunteer event schedule here.
Helping Hands for the Disabled of NYC
Helping Hands for the Disabled of NYC was established in 1982 as a response to a lack of recreational opportunities accessible to New Yorkers with disabilities. Since then, they’ve been organizing monthly trips that allow disabled New Yorkers to enjoy recreational activities. You can lend a helping hand by delivering food, working on the organization’s phone “Action Line,” and more. You can sign up to volunteer here. Donations can be made here.
St. John’s Bread and Life
Founded in 1982 to support the Bed-Stuy community, St. John’s Bread and Life provides a range of services designed to help individuals and families recover from crises. The organization provides hot meals and distributes nutritious pantry items to those in need, as well as social services led by a passionate case management staff.
Volunteer opportunities at St. John’s include packing pantry bags, stocking food items, preparing produce and protein bags, packing grab-and-go meals, and helping out in the maintenance department. Alternatively, you can also donate money here.
St. John’s is also hosting its 28th annual Sponsor a Family Holiday Program, encouraging donations to help families in need enjoy the holiday season without worrying about food or gifts. A contribution of $125 sponsors one family, but all donations, regardless of amount, are greatly appreciated.
GrowNYC
As New York City’s largest environmental organization, GrowNYC serves over three million residents by providing essential sustainability services to help make the five boroughs greener and promote a more sustainable lifestyle for all.
The organization relies on volunteers to support its food access and agricultural programs, which include a vast network of farmers’ markets, food hubs, green space initiatives, and educational outreach. GrowNYC also operates clothing drop-off sites in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan and has collected over 7.3 million pounds of clothing since 2007. As a non-profit, GrowNYC depends entirely on donations, which can be made here, to further support its work.
The Campaign Against Hunger
For 22 years, the Campaign Against Hunger (TCAH) has worked tirelessly to empower New Yorkers to lead healthier, self-sufficient lives by connecting them with nutritious food and related services.
Founded in a small basement pantry in Bed-Stuy, the organization has since grown into one of the city’s largest food pantries, now providing nutrition education, cooking demonstrations, and a range of social services.
TCAH enlists the help of volunteers for a variety of activities, from unloading food items to harvesting produce at their Urban Farm. Learn more about volunteering with TCAH here and make a monetary donation here.
Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen
As New York City’s largest soup kitchen, Holy Apostles plays an integral role in helping less fortunate New Yorkers get connected with vital resources like food and social services. Since 1982, the organization has served over 13 million meals, welcoming individuals from all backgrounds.
Holy Apostles constantly needs volunteers to help prepare and distribute meals as part of their grab-and-go meal program. You can also donate to Holy Apostles here. According to the organization, every $5 donation provides 5 meals for neighbors in need of food.
Neighbors Together
Based in Brooklyn, Neighbors Together is dedicated to ending hunger and poverty in the neighborhoods of Ocean Hill, Brownsville, and Bed-Stuy—three of the city’s lowest-income areas. The organization offers food and social services five days a week, serving more than 10,000 New Yorkers a year.
Neighbors Together welcomes volunteers to lend a hand, whether by helping out at their community cafe or contributing unique skills to support their mission. You can also make a donation here.
A House on Beekman
Based in the South Bronx, A House on Beekman provides various programs aimed at closing the opportunity gap for local children. The organization offers services to children and youth throughout all stages of development, including preschool, afterschool, summer camp, and enrichment opportunities for elementary, middle, and high schoolers to prepare them for adulthood.
Volunteer opportunities at A House on Beekman include providing homework help, leading parent workshops, helping out in a preschool classroom, and more. You can also make a donation here.
St. Joe’s Soup Kitchen
St. Joe’s Soup Kitchen is an all-volunteer organization with a single mission: to feed hungry and homeless New Yorkers in a warm, uplifting environment each Saturday afternoon. Located in the First Presbyterian Church in Greenwich Village, the church covers utility costs, allowing nearly every dollar from donations to go directly towards food, supplies, and equipment needed to serve over 300 meals each week.
You can volunteer at St. Joe’s on Saturdays to help serve meals during the morning shift and/or afternoon shift. You can also donate money here. For every $2 that’s donated, St. Joe’s is able to provide a hungry person with a nutritious meal.
City Harvest
City Harvest is New York City’s first and largest food rescue organization, founded with the belief that no New Yorker should ever go hungry. The organization rescues good quality, nutritious food that would otherwise go to landfills and delivers it for free to New Yorkers dealing with food insecurity.
There are many ways to volunteer with City Harvest, including helping out at the organization’s mobile food markets, repackaging produce for distribution, rescuing seasonal produce from greenmarkets, and more. You can also donate to City Harvest here.
River Fund
Located in Richmond Hill, River Fund is a non-profit organization committed to fighting hunger, homelessness, and poverty, mainly serving low-income families and individuals in Queens. Established in 1991, the organization provides an array of essential services, including food distribution, nutrition counseling, and health screenings, as well as financial assistance and resources.
River Fund invites volunteers to help it break the multigenerational cycle of poverty by empowering individuals and families to build a brighter future. There are opportunities to volunteer on holidays too, including Thanksgiving and Christmas. You can learn more about and sign up for volunteer opportunities here. You can also donate money here.
The Bowery Mission
The Bowery Mission has served New Yorkers in need since the 1870s, in a neighborhood that earned the nickname “Skid Row” for its struggles with homelessness and hunger. Their children’s programs, known as Mont Lawn City Camp & Summer Camp, have served young New Yorkers since 1894.
The organization offers meals, clothing, showers, and shelter, as well as residential and community programs, transitional housing, and support for alumni.
You can make a difference in someone’s life this holiday season by volunteering at Bowery Mission. Opportunities include serving meals, tutoring and mentoring clients, or offering a special or professional skill. Bowery Mission also accepts donations here.
The organization’s Thanksgiving Day meals, the longest-running Thanksgiving celebration in NYC, returns on November 28. As part of this holiday tradition, all guests are treated to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, festive live music, and a warm, welcoming community. Hot breakfast will be served from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., and Thanksgiving meals will be available from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Connected Chef
Connected Chef is a group of cooks and restaurants on a mission to provide Queens households with consistent access to local, healthy food, teach healthy eating practices, and provide pathways to financial agency. Through its Lifeline Groceries program, the group delivers fresh groceries to Queens households and sells local goods at its Urban Farm Stands.
The organization is looking for volunteers to help deliver groceries to Queens families, conduct community outreach, prepare grocery packages for deliveries, or help set up its Urban Farm Stand. You can also donate here.
Encore Community Services
Roughly 1.8 million older adults live in New York City, with an expected 40 percent increase by 2040. Despite this, the city provides just a fraction of the required funding for critical services to help senior New Yorkers. Encore Community Services seeks to confront this alarming issue by providing older adults with a wide range of services to help them lead independent and dignified lives.
The organization offers a slew of services at its Older Adult Centers, including a variety of recreational and educational activities, health and wellness programs, and meals. They also hand deliver thousands of meals to seniors at home.
Encore offers a variety of volunteer opportunities, allowing New Yorkers to improve the lives of their older neighbors. These options range from packing pantry bags to delivering meals to seniors at home. You can also make a donation here.
20 places to volunteer in NYC this holiday season
November 7, 2024
Cover Photo Credit: Lydia Lee