National Volunteer Month: Western Washington organizations looking for volunteers
Foundation staff work alongside FamilyWorks’ staff during the United Way Day of Caring in Seattle, WA. ©Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation/Mike Kane
Washington state food banks served 13.4 million visits in 2024, up from 7.8 million before the pandemic. The need for nonprofit services is surging, but the volunteer base that fuels this work hasn’t kept up. Roles that were paused during COVID reopened—but the volunteers didn’t fully return.
Our Community Engagement team funds organizations across King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties doing direct service work in housing, food access, community development, and more. Many of them have open volunteer needs right now.
About one-third of nonprofit workers nationally are volunteers. When that pipeline slows, paid staff absorb the difference or programs shrink. Northwest Harvest volunteers alone contribute roughly 150,000 hours per year, the equivalent of 50 full-time employees. Losing that capacity doesn’t just strain budgets; it means fewer people get fed.
The organizations in our grantee network are serving more people with fewer resources. Volunteers can’t solve everything, but they can help close the gap—and April is National Volunteer Month, so this is a good time to get involved or share these opportunities with your networks.
We asked our grantees what roles and skills would make the biggest difference right now. Below you’ll find opportunities ranging from food sorting and delivery driving to ESL tutoring and legal clinic support—something for every schedule and skill set.
Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS)
Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) Website
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
Volunteers can help prep and distribute culturally familiar groceries at our Chinatown-International District food bank, assist our kitchen team with cooking and meal service for seniors at Club Bamboo, or help plant and harvest fresh produce at our community farm in the Rainier Valley. Prefer something you can do from home? Our Caring Messages program invites volunteers to write warm, encouraging letters to isolated elderly clients on their own schedule. And, to coincide with Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, ACRS’s annual Walk for Rice is taking place on May 16.
Volunteer with the ACRS
To learn more about volunteer opportunities, visit ACRS’S Volunteer page or email [email protected].
Ballard Food Bank
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
The Ballard Food Bank is always looking for volunteers who can recover and sort food, stock shelves, and help clients shop. The food bank has a few specific needs as well: front desk support, mail desk volunteers, home delivery food packers, home delivery drivers, and food recovery substitute drivers.
Volunteer with Ballard Food Bank
El Centro de La Raza
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
El Centro de la Raza is recruiting volunteers for a wide range of community-oriented events and ongoing programs in the Seattle area. One-time event opportunities include a Clean Air Fair, a community garden planting day, a FIFA Men’s World Cup celebration, a Cinco de Mayo festival, and an Eternal Bouquet fundraiser class. Ongoing roles include free tax preparation assistance, a monthly pet clinic, front desk support (Cantonese speakers especially needed), a bilingual legal clinic, and general facilities maintenance.
Volunteer with El Centro de La Raza
Emergency Food Network
Emergency Food Network Website
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
Without the support of Emergency Food Network’s volunteers, distributing more than 1 million pounds of food throughout Pierce County each month would not be possible. Volunteers support core programs like the Repack Project and Home Delivery Program, and also contribute to food drives, events, and other initiatives that help ensure food reaches 75+ community partners.
Volunteer with Emergency Food Network
Food Lifeline
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
Current needs include repacking food for distribution to agency partners and picking up food from community food drives throughout the Greater Seattle area.
Volunteer with Food Lifeline
International Rescue Committee Seattle
International Rescue Committee Seattle Website
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) offers volunteer opportunities to work remotely and in person. Head to their website to explore specific volunteer opportunities in Seattle or Spokane.
Volunteer with the International Rescue Committee
Jewish Family Services
Jewish Family Services Website
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
Jewish Family Service offers volunteer opportunities across several areas, all rooted in values of compassion and community. Individual volunteers can help with food access by working at the Polack Food Bank, delivering groceries, or supporting an Eastside food bank delivery program. Groups can participate in food bank tours and bagging activities, assemble and deliver holiday gift bags, or organize their own donation drives for food, hygiene products, and other essentials.
Volunteer with JFS
Neighborhood House
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
Neighborhood House, which serves immigrants, refugees, and low-income families across Seattle and King County, offers volunteer opportunities focused on education and youth support. Ongoing roles include tutoring and mentoring, leading program activities for youth, and assisting in preschool classrooms. Remote volunteers can contribute translation support, and group opportunities include assembling welcome basket kits for newly housed families and helping with site clean-up at various locations.
Volunteer with Neighborhood House
Northwest Harvest
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
Northwest Harvest volunteers donate approximately 150,000 hours per year—the rough equivalent of 50 full-time staff. Volunteers help repack products at one of their regional distribution centers, distribute food at their SODO Community Market in Seattle, help at events, and host food drives.
Volunteer with Northwest Harvest
Nourish Pierce County
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
Nourish—the largest food bank in Pierce County—depends on the services of hundreds of volunteers to help maintain the operations of 23 distribution sites and a warehouse facility. The work is hands-on and fast-paced, sorting and distributing food while providing welcoming customer service to guests.
Volunteer with Nourish
Rainier Valley Food Bank
Rainier Valley Food Bank Website
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
While Rainier Valley Food Bank always needs volunteers to help sort and stock food, they have specific needs for delivery drivers, grocery rescue, client check-in, translation assistance, and child care support.
Volunteer with the Rainier Valley Food Bank
Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA)
Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA) Website
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
ReWA welcomes volunteers to support refugee and immigrant families resettling in the Puget Sound area across four program areas: assisting in dual-language early learning childcare centers; supporting in-person and online ESL/ELL English language classes; helping with citizenship classes, mock interviews, and immigration legal services; and working with youth in after-school STEAM programs, academic interventions, and postsecondary success initiatives for grades 3–12.
Volunteer with ReWA
Seattle Indian Health Board
Seattle Indian Health Board Website
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
Each year, volunteers support the organization in various ways, whether at events or working with our program staff to serve our community.
Volunteer with SIHB
Seattle/King County Clinic
Seattle/King County Clinic Website
Seattle/King County Clinic brings together healthcare organizations, civic agencies, nonprofits, businesses, and volunteers to produce a giant free health clinic at Seattle Center. The four-day volunteer-driven clinic provides free dental, vision, medical and social services to anyone in the region who struggles to access or afford healthcare.
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
Seattle/King County Clinic is next being held April 23-26 at Seattle Center. The clinic is looking for dentists, oral surgeons, endodontists, denturists, and dental lab technicians. They also need dermatologists, dietitians, occupational therapists, pharmacists, podiatrists, radiologists, sonographers, and x-ray technologists. For vision services, the clinic has openings for volunteer ophthalmologists and optometrists. Social workers and health insurance navigators are also needed. Non-clinical volunteers are being sought for language interpretation and other general clinic support.
Volunteer with the Seattle/King County Clinic
University District Food Bank
University District Food Bank Website
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
The University District Food Bank needs 350+ volunteers each week. The most urgent individual roles include front-of-house positions like greeting, check-in, and checkout, as well as back-of-house warehouse work such as sorting donations and repackaging bulk items. The food bank is also actively seeking substitute home delivery drivers, and grocery rescue volunteers who can use their own vehicles to pick up donations from local stores.
Volunteer with the U-District Food Bank
Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle Website
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
Volunteers can support Urban League programs spanning education, housing, public health, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and advocacy.
Volunteer with Urban League
Wellspring Family Services
Wellspring Family Services Website
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
Wellspring, which works to prevent and end family homelessness in the Seattle area, offers volunteer opportunities for individuals, corporate groups, and professionals. Individual volunteers can help with hands-on tasks like maintaining the Family Store (which provides free clothing and essentials for children) and providing administrative support.
Volunteer with Wellspring
White Center Food Bank
White Center Food Bank Website
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
It takes 20-25 volunteers to run the food bank when it’s open for distribution. The food bank often needs people to help open and close the grocery stores. They are currently looking for volunteers interested in being substitutes for their weekly volunteers.
Volunteer with the White Center Food Bank
World Relief Western Washington
World Relief Western Washington Website
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
World Relief Western Washington supports refugees and immigrants across King, Thurston, and Whatcom Counties through volunteer roles ranging from short- to long-term commitments. Opportunities include assisting in English classes, employment coaching, and youth school success. Longer-term roles include Good Neighbor Teams, Host Homes, youth mentoring, and internships. Groups can also participate in one-time service events.
Volunteer with World Relief
YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish
YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish Website
Guided by a mission to eliminate racism and empower women, YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish operates more than 20 locations across King and Snohomish Counties, delivering nearly 40 programs in the areas of housing, health and safety, and economic advancement. Our work is aimed at ending generational poverty, removing barriers to equity, and building pathways to long-term stability for those furthest from opportunity. In 2025, YWCA served more than 9,500 individuals, 73% of whom identified as BIPOC; 65% identified as women or girls, and 70% entered services experiencing homelessness.
What kind of volunteer projects or skills are most needed right now?
YWCA volunteers contribute nearly 10,000 hours in support of YWCA programs throughout King and Snohomish Counties. Some of our most common volunteer needs include serving a hot lunch to women experiencing homelessness at Angeline’s Day Center, preparing bags for home delivery at the Central Area Food Bank, and hosting donation drives for toiletries, warm weather gear, and comfort items for families living at our various shelter sites.
Volunteer with YWCA
Looking for something else to match your time, needs, and interests?
Explore additional volunteer opportunities on the United Way of King County website.
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