Best Places To Volunteer With Your Kids In San Francisco
Volunteering can be one of the most rewarding commitments. Imparting knowledge and sharing the experience with your children will reap life-long benefits. A little research beforehand goes a long way toward creating a volunteer experience that works for you and your family. Find the right place right next door with San Fran's top places for volunteering.
Hours: Mon to Fri – 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Serving a nutritious, hot meal to the city's poor and homeless offers valuable lessons to adults and children at St. Anthony's. After attending orientation, individuals (age 13 and older) or groups may choose one of several direct services including sorting clothes for the clothing program or visiting with seniors. Internships for adults and older teens are available at the Tenderloin Tech Lab and Clinic, the Justice Education Program and the Social Work Center.
Hours: Mon to Fri – 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Not all volunteer work has you commit to a day in the park or a walk on the beach, but sometimes that's exactly what this area needs. Golden Gate National Parks, one of the world's largest national parks — and second most-visited with 130 miles of trails, historic structures and more than 1,000 types of plants — seeks families, kids and teens to protect its sensitive natural habitat, help clean up historic gardens and reestablish trails. Become a park steward and enjoy a day at Ocean Beach, Alcatraz, Suto Heights, Presidio Trail and Shoreline, Fort Mason, Marin Headlands, and Fort Funston.
Related: Best Hiking Spots
Hours: Mon to Fri – 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Partnering with several community outreach programs, JFCS offers families and children of all ages the opportunity to deliver Jewish meals to people with AIDS, chronic illness or disabilities. Known as chicken soupers, volunteers make deliveries Sunday afternoons in San Francisco and on the Peninsula. Volunteers may also choose a workday at the National AIDS Memorial Grove, beautifying this part of Golden Gate Park, which honors those the community has lost to AIDS and those living with HIV/AIDS. Throughout the year, holiday food and gift bags are delivered to seniors and people with disabilities in all regions providing smiles, building relationships and allowing the community to thrive.
Related: National AIDS Memorial Grove Restoration
Hours: Mon to Fri – 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Whether it's eradicating French broom shrub and other invasive plant species along Mount Tamalpais, protecting the habitat of the endangered coho salmon and steelhead trout in the Redwood Creek watershed, or working at Indian Valley Organic Farm and Garden, the North Bay Conservation Corps takes care of its community. NBCC welcomes adults, families and children as young as 8 years old to conserve and restore natural resources, teaching the next generation to be environmental stewards.
Hours: Mon to Fri – 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Formerly known as Christmas in April, this Redwood City organization restores homes and facilities for low-income seniors, families and the disabled in the San Mateo and northern Santa Clara counties, allowing for more independent living. In 2011, Rebuilding Together Peninsula completed projects at 91 homes and 23 community centers, and plans work on 50 homes and 20 community facilities for 2012, hoping to complete more than $2.5 million in repairs. This volunteer opportunity is for parents and older children. There are several ways to serve inside this organization, so find the option that fits into your schedule.
Robyn Chelsea-Seifert is a freelance writer living in San Francisco. Her work has appeared in The Miami Herald, Creem, Hit Parader, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel and International Musician. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
