Moon Festival

Little Saigon San Diego

Date/Time: Saturday, October 3, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

Location: Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park, 4455 Wightman Street, San Diego.

Ages: All ages are welcome.

Time Commitment: Up to nine hours.

Join us under the full moon for a joyful evening of culture, creativity, and community!

Highlights include: Lion dance, free paper lanterns, mooncake-making workshop, cultural performances, bouncy houses, and a movie under the stars.

Let’s celebrate while caring for our neighborhood. Before the festivities begin, we invite you to join a community clean-up walk around the park — a simple way to give back, connect, and honor our shared space. Bring your family, friends, and neighbors — this event is free and open to all ages. Let’s light up the night together. For more information, click here. Volunteers are needed to help at the mooncake-making station.

Contact: For questions or to volunteer, please email contact@littlesaigonsandiego.org.

littlesaigonsandiego.org

Ivey Ranch's Western Hoedown Fundraiser

Ivey Ranch Park

Date/Time: The event is on Saturday, October 10 from 4:30–8:30 p.m. Volunteer shifts are available at various days and times before and after the event.

Location(s): 110 Rancho del Oro Drive, Oceanside.

Ages: Volunteers must be 10 years old or older to participate.

Time Commitment: Varies.

Please join us in supporting Ivey Ranch Park’s 45th Anniversary Annual Western Hoedown Fundraiser event on Saturday, October 10 in Oceanside. Help us meet the needs of people who benefit from our services most by supporting our Western Hoedown Fundraiser. 

We are looking for volunteers (adults, teens, and pre-teens) to help at our 45th Annual Western Hoedown Fundraiser. Event volunteers will get to attend the event for free and be a part of this amazing fundraising opportunity. We need the help of over 150 volunteers. Sign up for a shift today! Shifts are two to five hours long. All volunteers must individually register. Volunteers are welcome to sign up for more than one shift if they would like.

Event Volunteer Shifts:

• Saturday, October 10, in the afternoon/evening. Volunteer areas include: Registration, Western Raffle, Silent Auction, VIP Monitors, VIP Food Servers, Hay Ride Line Monitors, Parking Monitors, Kid's Corral Games, Raffle Ticket Sellers, Bar, Sustainability Team, and more! 

Set Up Volunteer Shifts:

• Friday, October 9 from 8-11 a.m.
• Friday, October 9 from 1-4 p.m.
• Saturday, October 10 from 8-11 a.m.

Clean Up Volunteer Shifts:

• Saturday, October 10 from 8:30-9:30 p.m. (immediately after event)
• Sunday, October 11 from 8-11 a.m.
• Monday, October 12 from 8-11 a.m.

Click here to register!

If you are looking for a different volunteer day and would like to help with: polishing silverware, folding napkins, cleaning centerpieces, ironing bandanas, napkins, table runners and more; please reach out directly to us at volunteer@iveyranch.com. With your support we can organize our annual event and achieve our funding goal of $70,000. Indeed, Ivey Ranch Park Association is a 501 (c)(3) organization and does not receive local, state, or federal government funding, so fundraisers like the annual Western Hoedown are vital to Ivey Ranch and its clients.

Finally, if you are unable to volunteer and are looking for other ways to contribute to the event, you can:

• Donate items or services for our silent auction raffle;
• Sponsor an event or activity;
• Buy tickets and attend the event. 

See our website for more details.

Contact: For more information, contact volunteer@iveyranch.com. Registration is available online.

iveyranch.com

Balboa Park Cleanup

Forever Balboa Park

Date/Time: Saturday, October 17, 9–11:30 a.m.

Location: Balboa Park,1549 El Prado, San Diego.

Ages: All ages can help. Participants 17 years old and younger will need to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

Time Commitment: Two and a half hours.

Enjoy the beauty of Balboa Park while doing your part to keep it clean! Open to all ages and abilities. Our Monthly Community Park Cleanups invite volunteers of all ages to care for the landscapes that make Balboa Park a shared civic treasure. From garden beds to pathways, these hands-on mornings strengthen our connection to the Park—and to one another.

Forever Balboa Park will provide gloves, pickers, and compostable trash bags. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and sun protection. 

Contact: Carlos at carlos@balboapark.org. Registration is available online. 

foreverbalboapark.org

Volunteer for Walk4ALZ! 

Alzheimer’s San Diego

Date/Time: Saturday, October 17, 6:30–10:30 a.m. Shift times start as early as 6:30 a.m. or as late as 8:30 a.m.

Location: Balboa Park, 1549 El Prado, San Diego.

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

Time Commitment: Two to three hours.

Alzheimer’s San Diego is looking for volunteers now to ensure the success of the Walk4ALZ in Balboa Park this October. Available volunteer positions include Course Guide, Finish Line Cheering, Water Stations, Registration/check-in, and more.

We are Alzheimer's San Diego and we are 100 percent local. Our mission is to enhance the quality of life of those affected by all dementias in San Diego County through supportive services, education, social connection, and community awareness. Walk4ALZ is San Diego's premier Alzheimer's walk to raise awareness and funds for local families impacted by Alzheimer's disease, as well as critical research for a cure! Friends and family are invited to volunteer with you! We need lots of volunteers to make this event a success.

Contact: walk4alz@alzsd.org. To volunteer, click here. Walk registration is available online.

alzsd.org

Boo Bash 

TransFamily Support Services

Date/Time: Saturday, October 24 2–5 p.m.

Location: 3845 Spring Drive, Spring Valley.

Ages: This event is open to volunteers under 18 years old. Underage volunteers must be accompanied by a guardian at all times.

Time Commitment: One and a half to three hours.

TransFamily Support Services is proud to announce the 5th Annual Boo Bash: the Queerest Halloween party for youth and families in San Diego. There will be age-appropriate activities for children and youth of all ages. This will be an afternoon full of fun, including games, trick or treating, a costume contest, and a drag show! Volunteers are needed to help set up, take down, and operate game booths.

As this is a trans-centered event, it is crucial that all volunteers respect everyone’s pronouns and use trans-inclusive/non-gendered language when referring to others. 

Contact: Email info@transfamilysos.org with any questions or concerns. Registration is available online.

transfamilysos.org

Once Upon a Hallowe'en 2026

Old Poway Park

Date/Time: Saturday, October 24, 3–8:45 p.m.

Location: Old Poway Park, 14134 Midland Road, Poway.

Ages: Everyone can participate.

Time Commitment: Varies.

Old Poway Park is hosting Once Upon a Halloween event and is looking for volunteers to help us join in on the fun. All ages are welcome!

Volunteers can choose from:

• Costumed characters
• Craft area
• Carnival games
• Pumpkin patch
• The Nightmare Before Christmas interactive area
• Train crossing and train line support
• Cleanup crew

Contact: For more information, contact oldpowaypark@poway.org or 858.668.4577. Registration is available online.

poway.org

19th Annual San Diego VisionWalk

Foundation Fighting Blindness

Date/Time: Sunday, October 25, 7 a.m.–1 p.m.

Location: De Anza Cove Park, 3000 N. Mission Bay Drive, San Diego.

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

Time Commitment: Up to six hours.

The 5K walk fundraiser benefits the Foundation Fighting Blindness mission to find treatments and cures for blinding retinal degenerative diseases.

The San Diego VisionWalk has raised over $2.3 million since launching in 2008. This event has brought together San Diego residents year after year, fueling the Foundation's critical mission to drive the research that provides preventions, treatments, and cures for people affected by age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, Usher syndrome, Stargardt disease, Leber congenital amaurosis, and more. Together, these conditions affect more than 10 million Americans. By supporting VisionWalk, you can help us build a better future!

Volunteers are needed to help with set-up, walker registration, the T-shirt table and refreshment area, the kid’s zone, walk monitors, and clean-up.

Contact: Registration is available online.

fightingblindness.org

Donate "We Care" Bags for Seniors

Meals on Wheels San Diego County

Date/Time: Any day or time. Please contact Meals on Wheels San Diego County before dropping off your donation of We Care bags/cards.

Location(s): Deliver to any Meals on Wheels Service Center, or we can arrange for a pick-up. This activity can be completed in your own home or office!

Ages: Everyone can participate.

Time Commitment: Varies.

We Care Bags are small gift bags filled with useful and fun items that we give to our seniors to brighten their day, or to celebrate special occasions, like their birthdays or holidays. Volunteers simply assemble gift bags and include whatever items they would like to donate. Our community of generous volunteers hand deliver these gift bags along with meals to show our San Diego seniors that we care. Often coupled with personal notes from the individuals who created the packages, it is a sure way to brighten someone’s day. Bags can be assembled with a male or female in mind, or they can be gender-neutral. We also accept hand-written cards for our San Diego County seniors. Please follow this link to learn more.

Contact: For more information, contact volunteer@meals-on-wheels.org or 619.260.4010.

meals-on-wheels.org/volunteer

Food Services Volunteer 

Father Joe’s Villages

Date/Time: Volunteers are needed to assist with serving meals to residents and clients. We serve three meals a day, seven days a week. Meal times are: breakfast from 5:50–7:30 a.m., lunch from 10:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m., and dinner from 4–6 p.m. 

Location: 1501 Imperial Avenue, San Diego. 

Ages: Families with children ten years old and older are welcome to participate.

Time Commitment: Varies.

Food Service Volunteers help prepare food, serve meals, and clean up at two kitchens for three meals a day, seven days a week. Volunteers and volunteer groups can choose to help at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Food Service Volunteers can be ongoing or one-time volunteers. Small groups or individuals are welcome. Father Joe's Villages is a secure facility. No walk-ins, please.

Father Joe's Villages is the largest provider of homeless services in Southern California. Established in 1950 to serve San Diegans experiencing homelessness and poverty, Father Joe’s Villages has grown to include a comprehensive campus and scattered-site programs that house over 2,000 people nightly.

Contact: Email volunteer@neighbor.org for more information.

my.neighbor.org

Make a Lasagna for a Neighbor in Need

Lasagna Love

Date/Time: Ongoing opportunity.

Location: Varies.

Ages: Families with children of all ages are encouraged to participate.

Time Commitment: Varies.

Lasagna Love is a grassroots movement powered by thousands of volunteers cooking and delivering lasagna to neighbors in need. We are united by our commitment to offer a tangible act of love, compassion, and hope in communities often marked by uncertainty and stress. Together, we are proving that kindness has the power to nourish not only bodies, but also hearts and communities everywhere. Our purpose is simple yet profound: feed neighbors, spread kindness, strengthen communities.  

How does the process work? After answering a few simple questions on the portal (including how far you are able to drive), you are ready to be matched with a family in need. Once matched, volunteers communicate directly with their matched family to set up a drop-off date/time. When these details are set, volunteers purchase ingredients and make the meal. When the time comes for delivery, meals are dropped off on the porch/doorstep to ensure a safe and contactless delivery. If you prefer not to cook, you may also donate lasagna ingredients to local Lasagna Love volunteers. You can also help Lasagna Love spread the love by nominating a friend or family who may need a home-cooked meal.

Contact: info@lasagnalove.org with any additional questions. Check here to see if Lasagna Love is currently in your neighborhood.

lasagnalove.org