Maybe you have some extra time on your hands, or maybe you’re just in the giving spirit.
All we know is there are more than enough great causes in San Jose to support with your time, whether you’re an animal lover, an artsy type, a natural mentor, or a healthcare enthusiast. Here are 30+ volunteer opportunities to get involved with around San Jose.
Handy individuals
Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley | Participate in minor home repairs, team builds, preparing earthquake and fire preparedness kits, or help unload + sort project materials at the warehouse.
Habitat for Humanity | Learn how to build and repair homes, build a playhouse, or volunteer at the nonprofit’s ReStore home improvement stores + donation centers.
Good Karma Bikes | Join this team in repairing bikes for those in need of affordable transportation.
Mental health advocates
National Alliance on Mental Illness Santa Clara County | Assist with office work, seasonal events, and NAMI’s biggest community event, NAMIWalks.
Bill Wilson Center | Tutor and mentor children in foster care.
County of Santa Clara Behavioral Health Services | Volunteer with the Crisis and Suicide Prevention Lifeline by utilizing your compassion and desire to make a difference.
Even a simple donation goes a long way.
Photo via @foreverferal408
Supporters of victims of abuse
Next Door Solutions | Learn about domestic violence prevention + intervention, and assist with outreach, education, or virtual office tasks.
Asian Americans for Community Involvement | Help with fundraising + special events, assist with translation, or offer ESL help for seniors.
YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley | Work in legal services or community education + outreach, or volunteer as a crisis counselor or sexual assault response team specialist.
If you’ve got a heart for healthcare, consider volunteering at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.
Photo via Cristiano Tomás and Wikimedia Commons
Those with a heart for healthcare
Regional Medical Center | Greet visitors at the front desk, assist with discharge tasks, or offer patients beverages + snacks from the hospitality cart.
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center | Work at the center’s information desk or volunteer services office.
Good Samaritan Hospital | Offer non-clinical assistance to patients, visitors, and staff.
Natural-born teachers + mentors
The Tech Interactive | Assist with hands-on learning exhibits by joining the Volunteer Innovator Program or help the Techtastic Outreach Team at off-site events.
Alum Rock Counseling Center | Provide one-on-one mentoring to local at-risk students.
San Jose Unified School District | Help out at local elementary, middle, and high schools in various positions.
Connect foster parents to their future furry friends.
Photo via @svpetproject
Homebodies
Silicon Valley Pet Project | Become a foster parent coordinator or recruiter, work with foster parents, and meet + greet with potential adopters.
San Jose Public Library | Join a Friends of the Library group to promote literacy, become an SJ Engage ambassador and connect with local nonprofits, create book lists for the Teen Book Committee, or write short stories for SJPL’s online Biblioboard.
SJSU Alumni | Virtually network with current students, review resumes and LinkedIn profiles and offer feedback, and share job and internship openings.
The artsy types
San Jose Museum of Art | Become a docent and guide visitors through galleries or volunteer in the museum store.
MACLA | Support upcoming events by setting up galleries, or assisting stage hands for productions.
San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles | Support the museum’s collections and community engagement programs, serve as a docent, or help at the museum shop.
Works San José | Supervise the gallery, volunteer with receptions, or join the board of directors.
Animal lovers
13th Street Cat Rescue | Be a cat caregiver at the nonprofit’s downtown sanctuary or Coleman adoption center.
San Jose Animal Care & Services | Feed and care for adoptable dogs + cats, or assist the veterinary clinic through the Pet Pals Volunteer Program.
Happy Hollow Park & Zoo | Prepare food for animals, assist with seasonal weeding, guide beekeeping workshops, and more.
Volunteering with a group can be a fun bonding activity.
Photo via @sj_cactus_succulent
Outdoorsy types
Guadalupe River Park Conservancy | Help at the Historic Orchards or Rose Garden, or join in a trail cleanup.
California Native Garden Foundation | Help with weeding, seeding, and planting at local gardens.
Trash Punx | Clean up trash around local parks, gardens, and neighborhoods.
Veggielution | Lend a hand with farming or packing farm boxes, or gardening at the SoFA Pocket Park.
Good neighbors
City Team | Help with community outreach, pack food boxes at the warehouse, deliver groceries to locals in need, help with food prep in the kitchen, work at a mobile pantry distribution site, or become a mentor to a local resident.
Front Door Communities | Pack meals for the Lunch Bag program, tidy up the Oh-La-La Boutique, or prepare hot lunches.
Family Supportive Housing | Help school-aged kids with their homework or serve dinner to families at this shelter for local families.
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley | Sort and box fresh produce + healthy groceries for locals in need, help at a distribution site, or deliver food to homes in Santa Clara County.
