Corporate Volunteer Opportunities Chicago – Last year, I asked for content recommendations and I loved that someone asked for a summary of volunteer opportunities in Chicago. It is always important to give back whether it is with your time or by donating materials/funds. And this year feels more important than ever. 2020 was very difficult for many. If we have ways to help, we absolutely must.
Many of these amazing volunteer opportunities in Chicago are changing a bit this year to keep your volunteers safe, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still ways to help. Even if you think you are busy, read it. Something will motivate you to spend time, get involved post-Covid or participate/donate remotely.
Corporate Volunteer Opportunities Chicago
I’ve got a lot of great recommendations for you, so I’ve categorized them to make them easier to find. Special holiday opportunities + things you can do for the hungry, the community, kids and animals. I hope this is helpful!
Companies That Encourage Employees To Volunteer
Since the US Post Office receives thousands of letters from children to Santa each year, they have now created a way for volunteers to “child” a letter and send replies and gifts instead of Santa. Adam and I are going to do it this year and I’m so excited! A sweet reader also said:
“We as a family try to adopt a letter each year; it’s a meaningful way to give back and helps us teach our children the true meaning of Santa Claus.” Walter & Connie Payton Foundation.
“I loved working with the Walter Payton Foundation. Brittney does the toy drive every year. Working with the family is really amazing!”
Ascend Justice provides free legal services to individuals and families affected by gender-based violence and the child welfare system. They have volunteer opportunities throughout the year, but have 2 specific holiday programs that can help you.
Uniting For The Holidays 2022
) for each family member, as well as a gift card to help with furniture. Buy and shop/wrap the gifts yourself, then try to arrange a time to meet the parents/carers when their team drops them off.
The latter is more like a donation: You can buy supplies from this Amazon wish list that go toward child care bags after a crisis. They find that being able to give them a bag that includes an activity (coloring pad/crayons), a stuffed animal to hold, and a small treat really makes a difference as they sometimes wait hours with a parent and/or caregiver. To obtain an emergency protection order. I am sure I will contribute to this cause too!
Many thanks to Fawn for emailing me this information! If you need more information, she can be contacted [email protected].
I was talking to a friend about Ravenswood Community Services a few weeks ago and had no idea such a wonderful organization was so close to me. On Tuesdays, they host a community meal program from 5:30pm to 7:00pm that feeds 250 residents each week. Volunteers set the tables, prepare dinner, and then clean the dining room. How wonderful is that?
Volunteer — Chicago Youth Centers
The Greater Chicago Food Pantry is one of the largest organizations accepting food donations year-round. But beyond donating canned goods, you can volunteer at their warehouse to repackage bulk food for family portions, deliver fresh produce, deliver kids’ meals, and more.
The Lakeview Pantry is one of Chicago’s largest and oldest food pantries. You can volunteer to be a driver, porter, personal grocery store assistant, and more. Also, if you don’t have time to volunteer, you can donate food, furniture, or even CTA cards.
Lincoln Park Community Services has been helping the homeless in their community for over 33 years. As a volunteer, you can usually help prepare and serve food. Teach a class or activity, work alongside a guest, or help out at the front desk. They have stopped those events right now due to COVID, but you can still drop off food or donate or sign up to support your guests virtually.
Cradles to Crayons is an amazing organization that donates new and almost new baby items and distributes them to underprivileged children in the area. You can help by donating these items at a drop-off location or donating funds on their website. If you want to go a step further, you can also volunteer at The Giving Factory (
Volunteer Recruitment: How To Get The Volunteers You Need
I found out about feeding my hungry children through the company I worked for, as they organized days for employees to donate their time throughout the year. So you can volunteer to pack nutritious food for those in need. Or if you don’t have time, you can donate to help fund those meals!
Do you like to cook or bake? You can volunteer to cook a home-cooked meal and/or cookies for families with a child in the hospital. Such a sweet gesture, especially this time of year.
Do you have old children’s books you don’t want? Donate or sign up to sort, glue and pack books for at-risk children. I think this is not only very important, but also a great opportunity to volunteer with your whole family, especially if you have children.
“Checkout@gotr_chicago! Girls on the Run-Chicago (GOTRC) is a nonprofit organization that empowers girls in grades 3-8 to lead healthy and safe lives through life-changing after-school programs. During the 10-week program, girls train for a 5K with volunteer coaches and complete life skills lessons on topics such as conflict resolution, emotion management, intentional decision making, teamwork and more. This year we will empower 11,000 girls in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs through the program. 5k is just around the corner!
Volunteer — Chicago Parks Foundation
Crisis Text Line is a free 24/7 text line for people in crisis. You can also volunteer to be a crisis counselor who will help you. You can do it anywhere with a computer and a secure internet connection!
What makes Chicago Cares truly unique is that it has over 200 monthly volunteer programs, tailored to meet the needs of the community while bridging the gaps in our city. In addition to hands-on projects, they also have skills-based volunteer opportunities where you can get good stuff to help Chicago nonprofits. Use your experience for good!
Gilda’s Club provides support and community for families affected by cancer. You can volunteer to work at their front desk, play with the kids, help with cooking demonstrations, and support outreach initiatives.
“@hopefortheday is always looking for volunteers in Chicago. We do suicide prevention and mental health education year-round and there are many ways to get involved, whether it’s through volunteering for our free mental health education programs or our outreach events. .❤️”
Intern & Volunteer Opportunities
I found this organization when I put together my post about giving back during the polar vortex, and it’s even sweeter. Basically, you can volunteer to befriend a lonely old man. Drive them to and from events, prepare meals, organize picnics and holiday parties, and let them know when the temperature drops sharply. Such a beautiful way to give back to those who paved the way for us.
Breakthrough invests in a 40-block radius of East Garfield Park to help those affected by poverty. It focuses on everything from education and youth development to workforce skills, violence prevention, housing and more. It goes without saying that they have a wide variety of volunteer opportunities for you to choose from!
Obviously, this can’t happen now due to COVID, but before the pandemic, your team would invite everyone to meet at a local restaurant or coffee shop. That way, volunteers were able to give back and get to know each other after each event.
“The Junior League of Chicago is a great organization for women to connect with with meaningful community service opportunities year-round!
My Block My Hood My City
This organization works to improve the health, education, financial stability and safety of all people in all neighborhoods of the Chicago region. They have special long-term volunteer opportunities for the holidays!
Their mission is to reach out to Chicago’s homeless population and provide human connection. You can volunteer to raise awareness, collect and/or distribute essential items (
Deborah’s Place provides housing and services for homeless women in Chicago. Volunteer to support these women during this transition.
Sam and I started volunteering at @chicagoanimalcare (ground zero for urban rescue animals) and they are always in need of help and supplies. They also started a “Dog Day” program where people can take their dogs out of the shelter for a day to get away from the stress of the shelter, which is awesome too!
Unique Corporate Volunteer Programs Examples
Live Like Roo is a Chicago-based organization that sends care packages, grants and special experiences to dogs (
Monthly, they throw you parties and help you sew wool blankets that they send to care packages.
My friends and I adapted this for our monthly night club because it’s so easy that anyone can make it.
“I work every day one tail at a time – it takes one
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