December 2019 - Silicon Valley 

 
Trail Days
County of Santa Clara

Date/Time: Saturday December 7, 9am - noon

Location: Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear County Park, 10840 Coyote Lake Rd., Gilroy

Ages: All ages welcome as long as they participate with close parental supervision. Minors under 16 must be accompanied by an adult chaperone.

Time Commitment: Three-hour shift

Volunteers are needed to help our Trail Crew staff maintain the more than 350 miles of trails in our Santa Clara County Parks trail system. Trail Days tasks will include some brushing and pruning, but will mostly focus on tread work to help reduce erosion. Please bring sturdy boots, gloves, and a water bottle. Parks will provide light snacks, water and tools.

Contact:  Eric McFarland, 408.318.4766. Registration is available online.
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/Volunteer/Pages/GetInvolved.aspx

 
Holiday Wish Drive- Lead your own drive!
Family Giving Tree

Date/Time: Donations are due between December 9 -11. Check website for specific drop-off times.

Location: In your own community and network! There are a couple drop off centers depending on location in San Jose, San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Castro Valley.

Ages: Great for all ages!

Time Commitment: Varies

Since 1990, Family Giving Tree has fulfilled gift wishes for over one million Bay Area children from low-income households, holding firm the belief that no child should feel forgotten during the holidays. Your efforts will help provide thousands of children, adults, and seniors in need with wished-for gifts this holiday season.

As a Drive Leader, you will...
  • Facilitate donations and participation within your group by posting wish cards or backpack tags in a well-traveled area or distributing them to friends and colleagues.
  • Set up a Virtual Giving Tree (VGT) to allow for online donations.
  • Deliver the donated items collected to Family Giving Tree's donated warehouse.
  • Receive priority when signing up for Family Giving Tree's in-demand warehouse volunteer shifts.
  • Have a direct impact in your own community.
Contact: [email protected]. Click here to register as a drive leader. To find the closest drop off location near you, contact [email protected].
https://familygivingtree.org/

 
EHP Family Sharing Program (formerly Adopt a Family)
Ecumenical Hunger Program (EHP)

Date/Time: Gifts are due by Monday, December 16

Location: Ecumenical Hunger Program 2411 Pulgas Ave., East Palo Alto. Call for donation pick-up: 650.323.7781

Ages: The whole family can participate in thoughtful shopping for your adopted family.

Time Commitment: Varies

Every holiday season, EHP provides low-income families in East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, Menlo Park and surrounding communities with food and gifts. Several years ago, EHP started a special program for families with special needs and/or experiencing extreme hardship, the EHP Family Sharing Program. These families are matched with individuals or groups wanting to experience a more personal and direct donating experience. Family Sharing donors are provided with a wish list of specific food and new gifts items submitted by the families registered for the Family Sharing Program. Donors receive basic information about the family, including names and ages of the children and special needs or requests that the family might have. Out of respect for the privacy of our families and to allow them to maintain their dignity, some personal information may be withheld. 

Contact:  To sign up to adopt a family, please call 650.323.7781 or email [email protected]. You will be provided with the name of the family, their wish list and the opportunity to make this a brighter holiday for a family in need through your generosity.
https://www.ehpcares.org/

 
December Events
Grassroots Ecology

Date/Time: Varies by event

Location: Varies by event

Ages: All ages are welcome at most events. Minors under 18 require a parent to approve the online waiver when registering. Children under 12 or 13 must be accompanied by an adult, depending on event

Time Commitment: Varies by event; typically two to three hours

Grassroots Ecology leverages the power of volunteers to create healthy lands across Silicon Valley. They restore native plants to open spaces and neighborhoods, steward creeks and watersheds, and provide hands-on nature education. While volunteering with Grassroots Ecology, you will learn interesting things about the natural world while making a positive impact on the environment. Grassroots offers opportunities for people of all ages and skill levels to help with planting, weeding, creek monitoring, or installing rain gardens and rain barrels. Use the clickable links below to register for the right volunteer opportunity for you and your family:
Contact:  Jeremy Merckling, [email protected], 650.384.5314
www.grassrootsecology.org

Dune's Beach Trail Clean Up
Sea Hugger

Date/Time: Saturday, December 14, 10am - noon

Location: Dunes Beach, Half Moon Bay

Ages: All ages are welcome to participate with adult supervision as long as you think your child can actively participate with clean-up activities.

Time Commitment: Two hours

Are you a sea hugger? Then join us at Dune's Beach in Half Moon Bay for a beach cleanup! Meet at the south end of the Dune's Beach parking lot at the end of Young Avenue and look for the Sea Hugger check-in table. We will be cleaning the beach, trail, and parking lot areas. Please bring your own bucket and reusable gloves - we will provide extra gloves and buckets while supplies last. Sea Hugger focuses on microplastic and has a Nurdle Trommel cleaning device that makes our beach clean ups fun, different and educational.

Contact: For questions or to sign up to volunteer, contact the volunteer coordinator, Shell Cleave, [email protected]
http://www.SeaHugger.org

 
Hanukkah Events: Volunteer Events & Holiday Celebrations
Jewish Family and Children's Services

Date/Time(s):
  • Assembly, Sunday, December 15, 11am - 1pm
  • Delivery, Monday, December 16, noon - 4pm 
Location: Koret Family Resource Center, 200 Channing Avenue, Palo Alto

Ages: Families with children of all ages are welcome to participate

Time Commitment: Two to four hours

Founded in 1850, the JFCS is one of the largest and oldest family services agencies in the U.S., currently serving over 75,000 people in need per year. You can help brighten the holidays of JFCS clients and community members who otherwise would not be able to observe Hanukkah and other holidays due to frailty, disability, economic hardship, and other challenges in their lives. Volunteer with your children to assemble and deliver Hanukkah treat bags at one of JFCS' five locations in the Bay Area. Each year, caring volunteers gather to assemble and deliver holiday bags filled with festive food and goodies for hundreds of JFCS clients. Children of all ages enjoy coloring, activities, and games as well as a meaningful opportunity to participate in brightening the holidays for those in need. Whether decorating or stuffing bags at an assembly event, or joining parents in hand delivering gifts to clients in need, there is fun and learning for toddlers to teens. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Contact: Miriam Markowitz, [email protected] or 415.449.3824. Registration is available online.
https://www.jfcs.org

 
Toys for Tots
San Bruno Marine's Chapter Drive

Date/Time: All donations due before December 17

Location: Variety of locations in San Bruno. Click here for drop-off locations.

Ages: All ages can participate in collecting toys to donate.

Time Commitment: Varies

The mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November, and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community in which the campaign is conducted. If you are looking to donate a toy to help bring a Merry Christmas to families in San Mateo, San Francisco, and Marin counties this year please collect unwrapped, new toys for both boys and girls of varying ages and drop them off at a local toy drop site. Thank you for your hard work and support!

Contact:  Local Coordinating Officer: Gunnery Sergeant Francisco Olivas, [email protected], 650.228.3977.
https://san-bruno-ca.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/default.aspx?nPageID=100&nPreviewInd=200

 
Toy Drive!
County of San Mateo Children's Fund

Date/Time: Drop off hours are Monday - Thursday, 9am - 4pm

Location: Warehouse location: 1 Davis Drive, Belmont

Ages: Everyone can participate in the toy drive!

Time Commitment: Varies

The Children's Fund Program assists foster and low-income children in San Mateo County access goods and service that are not available through public funds. Every year over 4,500 children and youth, newborn to age 18, receive resources from our program. The Holiday Gift program is our largest program and serves approximately 3,500 children each holiday season. In many cases, the gifts we provide are the only ones that the child receives. Children submit a wish list and volunteers help us fill their "wishes." Help put a smile on a child's face this holiday season! You can help by hosting a toy drive! Collect new toys and gifts with your friends, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, church/synagogue, or girl scout troop. We'll provide the materials and a barrel. We can pick up all your donations or you can deliver them to our warehouse. Don't have time for a toy drive? Your family can still purchase and donate gifts.

Contact:  For more information or to register to host a toy drive, please contact us for more details at 650.802.5152 or [email protected]
https://childrensfund.smcgov.org/

 
Deliver Mobile Meals as a Family!
Samaritan House

Date/Time: Pick up meals from warehouse Monday through Friday, 2:30 - 4pm. Routes take about one to one and one-half-hours to complete.

Location: Food pick-up location: 4031 Pacific Boulevard, San Mateo

Ages: All ages can participate in the food delivery route. Licensed, adult driver required.

Time Commitment: One to one and one-half-hour shifts weekly, or bi-weekly.

This is a great opportunity for parents with young children to perform direct service for our clients and create an understanding of community service. Your team will collect pre-packed meal servings from our kitchen and drive them to clients who otherwise would not be able to get to one of our meal services. The regular shift can be a weekly or bi-weekly commitment. We are currently looking for teams of volunteers to help us on several weekdays approximately two times a month.  
 
Contact: For questions or to sign up to volunteer for mobile food deliver, contact [email protected] or call 650.347.3648.
https://samaritanhousesanmateo.org/

 
Check out our featured Project of the Month!  


EXPLORE our growing list of at-home projects you can do whenever you're ready, each with conversation starters, book ideas, and more!
 
 
Celebrate kindness and generosity with Doing Good Together on Giving Tuesday, December 3rd.

The holiday shopping season includes Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but for nonprofits and big-hearted donors, there's #GivingTuesday.

GivingTuesday harnesses the generosity of millions of people around the world to support the causes they believe in and the communities in which they live. This year, YOU can make kindness, generosity and engagement a routine part of family life by making a gift to Doing Good Together. Thanks to a generous donation from the Kinney Family Foundation, all DGT #GivingTuesday donations will be doubled, up to $2,000! In addition, we are randomly awarding three (3) retail gift cards to select donors as a thank-you for their generosity.

Kindly visit DoingGoodTogether.org/donate to make your donation. We are so grateful for your support.


 

 

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This list was compiled by Doing Good Together™ (www.doinggoodtogether.org)
 When calling to volunteer for any of the opportunities listed above, please let the coordinator know you found it through this listing. You are encouraged to ask any questions you may have of the sponsoring organization before committing to a project.
Disclaimer: This list is provided as a service to families. Inclusion of organizations in this listing does not imply affiliation, endorsement or quality assurance on the part of Doing Good Together.™ Doing Good Together™ bears no responsibility whatsoever for the activities and actions of the listed organizations. 
                                                                            

                                                                                                     © 2019 Doing Good Together™