“And just celebrate with the people that have been a part of this whole thing for my entire career.”
There’s no better time to make a difference in your community than right now.
That sentiment rings true in any month of any year, but it is especially relevant during the month of April when we celebrate National Volunteer Week within the much larger National Volunteer Month.
National Volunteer Week, established in 1974 by then-President Richard Nixon, is celebrated during the third week of April. In 2025, it will take place between April 20 and April 26.
National Volunteer Month was established 17 years later in 1991 by then-President George H.W. Bush.
These annual celebrations honor and recognize the contributions of volunteers nationwide, while encouraging families across the country to do their part in making the world a better place for everyone.
As Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
Likewise, Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
Today, National Volunteer Week and National Volunteer Month — both unique to the United States — has expanded into a global initiative known as Global Volunteer Month, established by Points of Light in 2020.
Best Ways to Volunteer in Your Community
National Volunteer Week provides the perfect catalyst for action.
Organizations across the country use this week (and month) to highlight their volunteer opportunities and celebrate those who already dedicate their time and talents to important causes.
If you're looking to get involved during National Volunteer Week but aren't sure where to start, there are countless ways to make a difference regardless of your interests, abilities and availability.
After all, volunteering brings together people from all walks of life under one common goal — helping others.
As we embark on yet another week (and month) of observance, many are wondering how to take part.
Here are some meaningful ways you can volunteer your time and skills during this special celebration.
Start with random acts of kindness and micro-actions
Volunteering in your community can be as easy as helping someone cross the street — or fix a flat tire.
That’s why random acts of kindness and micro-actions are the perfect entry point for those with busy lives or those who simply don’t know where to start.
Something as simple as buying coffee for the person behind you, leaving encouraging notes in public places or helping a neighbor carry groceries can create ripples of positivity throughout your community.
And it’s these types of actions that are reciprocated time and again as people choose to pay it forward.
“If I look at my own life right now, it’s the genuine acts of kindness that have made me smile again and given me hope in very bleak moments,” says certified life coach Andi Saitowitz, per LinkedIn.
Remember, volunteering doesn't always require formal registration or scheduled hours—sometimes the most meaningful contributions happen in those spontaneous moments when you simply choose kindness.
Interact with seniors at a local nursing home
Many elders — especially those in nursing homes and assisted living facilities — often struggle with isolation, loneliness and loss of purpose.
Dedicating just a few hours weekly to visit seniors can dramatically improve their quality of life.
“Nursing home staffs are overworked and underpaid,” says volunteer Natalya Dubinina, per LinkedIn. “There is very little time for employees to seek out and train volunteers in the community.”
Dubinina decided to volunteer at a nursing home that her aunt was staying in. While she initially called it a “chore,” she says it quickly “turned into one of the greatest blessings in my life.”
“Even though my aunt’s facility is fully staffed with wonderful and skilled workers, they don’t have time to sit and chat with the residents,” Dubinina explains in her LinkedIn post.
“And that is what so many of the residents crave. They want others to listen to their stories,” she adds.
Activities can be as simple as playing card games, reading books aloud, helping with crafts, escorting residents to programs, or simply sitting and listening to their stories.
Make a patient’s day at a local hospital
The hospital can be an intimidating and scary place for patients dealing with illness or recovery.
Volunteer programs at hospitals offer numerous ways to bring comfort and cheer to those healing — and many hospitals use National Volunteer Week to recruit new helpers.
Opportunities range from delivering flowers or books to patients, assisting visitors with directions, or helping staff with non-medical administrative tasks.
“When I volunteer I know that I will meet at least one patient who will either touch my heart, make me smile or give me something to reflect upon,” says Gisele, a volunteer through UCLA Health.
“It is such a privilege for me to listen to a patient's story (I found out that everybody has one),” Gisele continues, “and interact with people from so many cultures and walks of life.”
Some hospitals even have specialized volunteer roles like "cuddlers" for premature infants or therapy animal handlers who bring certified pets to visit patients.
Clean up your community — one piece of trash at a time
World Cleanup Day is on September 20, but you can get a head start during National Volunteer Week.
Gathering a few friends to spend an hour collecting trash at your local park, beach, or neighborhood streets makes an immediate visible difference to your community — no matter what day it is.
Organizations like Keep America Beautiful provide resources for organizing larger cleanups, including safety guidelines and supplies.
Teddy Wiersma, a marketing campaign manager at Cisco, recalled her first experience participating in a cleanup activity in an article published on her company’s website.
“It was a very pleasant experience; I met new people and had great conversations with them while cleaning up. We had a lot to talk about since we ended up finding a lot of weird items,” Wiersma wrote.
“Guessing the background story of random items was a fun activity,” she added. “I now realize that doing it together with people is what makes an activity like this such a great experience.”
Schedule a shift at a local food bank
Food insecurity affects millions of Americans, making food banks essential community resources.
These organizations — which are run both locally and nationally — typically need volunteers to sort donations, pack grocery boxes, or assist with distribution to families in need.
The work is hands-on and most volunteers receive immediate satisfaction as they directly help provide necessities to neighbors facing difficult times.
While writing about her experience volunteering at a foodbank, author Lyndsey Smith explained how it helped her better understand the hardships people face — and how we can all pitch in to help.
“When I think about my role as a volunteer, I don’t think about what I can give to foodbank, but what foodbank gives to me,” Smith wrote on her blog.
“It has given me a greater understanding of the circumstances under which people might need to use a foodbank, and it has exposed me to the realities of hardship, disability and addiction,” she added.
Organize a clothing or food drive through your work
Leveraging your workplace as a collection point for essential items creates an accessible volunteer opportunity for you and those you work with.
Organizing a drive for non-perishable foods, warm clothing, hygiene products, or school supplies allows colleagues at all levels to contribute regardless of time constraints.
You can even try to convince your workplace to match the donations your drive collects.
To increase engagement with your drive, Goodwill of Greater Washington suggests encouraging friendly competition between departments, offering incentives and challenging sister companies to a donation-off.
Connect with local animal shelters and rescue organizations
Animal lovers often find tremendous fulfillment volunteering with shelters and rescue groups.
Beyond the obvious joy of interacting with animals, volunteering at an animal shelter directly improves animals' quality of life and adoptability while supporting overworked shelter staff.
Both local and national organizations are always looking for help.
Volunteer opportunities include dog walking, socialization of shelter animals, assistance with adoption events, photography of animals for adoption listings and even fostering animals in your home.
Brenda Austin, a volunteer through the Humane Society of Columbiana County, Ohio, documented her experience in an April 2023 article, via Humane World for Animals.
“As hard as it can be to see animals in such poor conditions, it’s so heartening to be able to make a difference,” Austin writes in the blog.
“The entire experience was very fulfilling and underscores the point that we are all stronger when we work together for the animals and people who need our help the most,” she adds.
Tutor students through a youth mentorship program
Educational support through tutoring or mentorship creates a lasting impact on young lives.
Programs through schools, libraries, community centers, and organizations match volunteers with students who benefit from additional academic help or positive relationships.
For example, becoming a “Big” to a “Little” through Big Brothers Big Sisters is one of the best ways to volunteer during National Volunteer Week.
“Bigs and Littles hang out 2-3 times a month for a few hours doing normal, everyday activities, like seeing a movie, doing homework, playing games, and going out to eat,” BBBS writes on their website.
Margaret Raman described it as “the most rewarding, fun, and eye-opening experiences of my life” in an article published to Society19.
“It truly opened my eyes to hear that many of these children were being held back, by circumstances at home which they couldn’t control or understand,” Raman wrote in the article.
“Volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters was definitely an eye-opener and allowed me to meet people I never would have met,” she continued.
Assist visually-impaired people with everyday tasks
Sometimes the visually-impaired need an extra set of eyes to help them perform simple, everyday tasks.
Organizations serving these individuals often seek volunteers to help with tasks ranging from reading mail aloud to accompanying clients on errands or recreational activities.
Some organizations, such as Be My Eyes, even offer remote volunteer opportunities.
Firat Gül, who started volunteering with Be My Eyes in 2019, documented his experience in a 2020 LinkedIn post.
“To a blind or visually impaired person, the app is providing the feature to contact someone, with the spoken language of course, to then ask for help,” Gül wrote.
“This can be for instance asking if the mail is properly franked or if it needs more stamps, if the milk is expired or sorting out their clothes,” he added.
Join a group that fixes and builds homes in your area
Losing a home — or not having one to begin with — can be devastating for any individual or family.
That’s why housing-focused organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together, and other local housing coalitions welcome volunteers to help with construction, renovation and repair projects.
Beyond providing essential housing, these projects create tangible, visible improvements in your community and allow volunteers to pick up new skills and meet new people.
“We weren't just swinging hammers (though there was some of that), we were building homes and hope for families in need,” writes Community Impact, which took part in a build day with Habitat for Humanity.
“Everyone, from construction newbies to seasoned DIYers, worked together like a well-oiled machine,” they continued. “We learned new skills, shared a few laughs and got to see the real impact of our efforts.”
No prior experience is needed as organizations hire skilled supervisors to provide guidance.
Send a letter or card to refugees worldwide
In today's digital age, receiving a handwritten note carries special significance, particularly for refugees who have left everything familiar behind.
Organizations like Letters of Love, Any Refugee and the UN Refugee Agency facilitate programs where you can write encouraging messages to displaced individuals worldwide.
These letters offer emotional support and help refugees feel seen and valued during extremely challenging circumstances.
In 2017, Global Citizen — an advocacy platform dedicated to achieving the end of extreme poverty — shared some of the letters real people wrote to refugees across the world.
“I may never meet you but I want you to know that I think about you every single day and you're the most important person I know,” one Global Citizen wrote in a letter.”
“Hi friend. I stand with you,” another one wrote. “I am always going to stand with you. As we have said over and over again, love wins. Compassion wins. Empathy wins. It is important as ever to be the voice for people like you.”
Use Points of Light to find local volunteer opportunities
Points of Light, the organization behind Global Volunteer Month, maintains one of the most comprehensive volunteer opportunity databases available today.
If you’re struggling to find volunteer opportunities in your local area, Points of Light is a good place to start.
The database includes opportunities with established nonprofits, grassroots initiatives, and special events, ensuring options for various commitment levels and interests.
“There are hundreds of thousands of volunteer opportunities throughout the world just waiting for the right volunteer to step up,” the organization writes on their website.
Better yet, the organization covers more than 250 cities across 37 countries — meaning it doesn’t matter where you’re located, volunteer opportunities are right around the corner!
Other Ways to Contribute During National Volunteer Week
As National Volunteer Week approaches this April 20-26, there are countless ways to make a meaningful impact beyond the opportunities already highlighted.
Whether you have just a few minutes or several hours to spare — little by little, a little becomes a lot!
The following additional volunteer options offer something for everyone, regardless of your schedule, interests or physical abilities:
- Plant trees or maintain community gardens to beautify shared spaces
- Volunteer at your local library to help with programs or shelving books
- Donate blood through the American Red Cross or your local blood center
- Create care packages for deployed military members or veterans
- Help coach youth sports teams or assist with after-school programs
- Offer free classes sharing your expertise (cooking, crafting, photography, etc.)
- Volunteer as a crisis counselor through text-based services like Crisis Text Line
- Provide transportation for medical appointments through services like Road to Recovery
- Volunteer at a polling station during elections
Remember that even small contributions of your time and talent can create significant positive changes in your community.
As actress and comedian Lily Tomlin once said:
“I always wondered why somebody didn’t do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody.”
