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Seattle Forest Week
Green Seattle Partnership and Trees for Seattle
Date/Time(s): Seattle Forest Week runs from November 7-15.
Location(s): Click here for Forest Week events.
Ages: The events are family friendly and open to all ages.
Time Commitment: Depends on event.
Plant a forest and grow community! Help us create a healthier, happier, and greener Seattle by coming out to kick off planting season during Seattle Forest Week! From creating wildlife habitat to combating climate change and providing a place for residents to recreate, having a hand in Seattle Forest Week is one of the best ways to give back to your neighbors, parks, and your local forest. We will be planting and removing invasive plants.
Join the fun and be one of hundreds of volunteers across the city planting native trees, shrubs, and groundcovers that will become the future forest of Seattle. All community members are welcome, and no experience is necessary!
Contact: Registration for Seattle Forest Week is available online.
greenseattle.org,www.seattle.gov/trees/
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Giving Together Holiday Drive 2026
Wellspring
Date/Time: The drive runs from October 1 through December 9. Drop-off hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Please drop off gifts by December 9.
Location: 1900 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle
Gifts can also be shipped to:
Attn: Gift Drive, Wellspring Family Services,
1900 Rainier Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98104
Ages: Everyone can help.
Time Commitment: Varies.
Wellspring Family Services exists to end family homelessness by preventing it before it happens and intervening early when it does. Giving Together 2026 is a very special fundraising and gift drive to support families facing homelessness across our communities. Your family can help create change for children facing homelessness in our community this holiday season. With your support we can reach our goal of 4,000 gifts to meet the need in our community and bring joy to over 1,200 children. Your family is invited to join our annual holiday tradition by purchasing new gifts or winter essentials for boys and girls, ages newborn to 17 years old. While gifts are needed for all ages, each year, we struggle to fill requests for kids ages 13-17 years old. Gifts must be new and unwrapped. Click here for our Gift Drive wish list. Choose gifts as a family or host your own gift drive. Learn more here.
Contact: Wellspring Family Services, tjones@wellspringfs.org, 206.902.4250.
Wellspringfs.org
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Help our Food Insecure Neighbors
Food Pantry Support
Date/Time: Ongoing.
Location: Please use the Food Lifeline food finder link to find a food pantry near you.
Ages: Everyone can help fight hunger in their community
Time Commitment: Varies
Millions of children and families living in America face hunger and food insecurity every day.
Thanksgiving means a time to give thanks and many families incorporate helping with holiday meals for their neighbors in need and those living with food insecurity. Your family can help our food-insecure neighbors with your time, food donations, or financial donations. Here are a few ways you and your family can help:
Contact: Check the Food Lifeline food finder link to find a food bank or food pantry near you.
feedingamerica.org/
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BAM! Bring a Meal
Seattle Union Gospel Mission
Date/Time: Meals are served seven days a week. Lunch is at noon and dinner is at 5 p.m.
Location(s): Click here and scroll down to see BAM locations.
Ages: There are opportunities for everyone to help. However, the age limit to serve in our women and children’s shelter is 10 years old in the dining room and 13 years old to serve in the kitchen. Men’s shelter volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
Time Commitment: This will vary depending on which type of BAM project you choose.
At the Seattle Union Gospel Mission, we work to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty. It all starts with dignity in the form of a blanket, a hot shower, a home-cooked meal, a warm place to sleep, and friendship. It continues with addiction recovery, one-on-one counseling, and long-term solutions. Our Bring-A-Meal (BAM) program provides meals for men, women, and children while providing a life-changing volunteer experience for community groups. Families can help out in the following ways:
- Prepare a meal at a donor kitchen and deliver it to one of our shelters. A donor kitchen is a publicly available kitchen in a faith-based organization, community center, or another site. The donor kitchen does not need to have a health permit but must have basic facilities such as adequate handwashing, dishwashing, refrigeration, and cooking equipment. It must have a safe water supply, be protected from weather and animals, and be cleaned before food preparation starts.
- Order food from a restaurant and deliver it to one of our shelters.
- Make PB&J sandwiches for our outreach team. Our vans go to the homeless encampments twice a day Monday–Friday and give out roughly 4000 sandwiches a week. These sandwiches can be made in a donor kitchen and delivered to our offices in Rainier Valley.
- Run a sock drive or a hygiene package drive. We always give out clothing and hygiene supplies at the encampments.
The BAM coordinator can help in arranging the best options for your group. Click here to learn more about BAM.
Contact: Josh, at jmcqueen@ugm.org or 206.432.8437 to make arrangements.
www.ugm.org/
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Seattle Forest Week Planting Party at Westcrest Park
DIRT Corps
Date/Time: Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Location: Westcrest Park, 9000 8th Ave SW, Seattle.
Ages: This event is family friendly and open to all ages and skill levels.
Time Commitment: Three hours
Help us create a healthier, happier, and greener Seattle! Seattle Forest Week is the time of year that we get together with our neighbors to kick off planting season. From creating wildlife habitat, to combating climate change and providing a place for residents to recreate, having a hand in Seattle Forest Week is one of the best ways to give back to your neighbors, parks, and local forest. Join the fun and be one of hundreds of volunteers across the city planting native trees, shrubs, and groundcovers that will become the future forest of Seattle.
All community members are welcome, and no experience is necessary! We’ll provide the tools, gloves, snacks, hot drinks, and water.
Contact: Anna Steltenkamp, community@thedirtcorps.com. Registration is available online. DIRT Corps has more family-friendly events happening in November and December. All of the descriptions and registration pages can be found online at: Community Engagement Opportunities - Dirt Corps.
thedirtcorps.com
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Meadowbrook Pond Tree Planting and Volunteer Appreciation Event
DIRT Corps
Date/Time: Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Location: 10700 36th Ave NE, Seattle
Ages: This event is family friendly and open to all ages and skill levels.
Time Commitment: Three hours
Join Trees for Neighborhoods and Dirt Corps for our next tree care skill share and volunteer work party at Meadowbrook Pond. This work party will include a skill share about how to plant trees and native shrub species, with opportunities to do so in this special wetland ecosystem!
We will also have a volunteer appreciation celebration as a thank you to all of our community stewards who have contributed to the thriving of this green space all year long, with some hot food from a local restaurant at the end of the day!
Contact: Anna Steltenkamp, community@thedirtcorps.com. Registration is available online. DIRT Corps has more family-friendly events happening in November and December. All of the descriptions and registration pages can be found online at: Community Engagement Opportunities - Dirt Corps.
thedirtcorps.com
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Green Tukwila Day at Duwamish Hill Preserve
Green Tukwila Partnership
Date/Time: Saturday, November 21, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Location: 3800 S 115th St, Tukwila. We'll meet in the field by the road.
Ages: All ages are welcome to participate.
Time Commitment: Three hours.
Join Forest Stewards and your community for a hands-on day of restoration at Tukwila’s natural areas! We’ll be planting native understory plants to help restore habitat and support urban wildlife.
No experience is necessary—tools, gloves, and training will be provided on site. Bring your curiosity, energy, and love for the outdoors, and help us grow a healthier, greener Tukwila together! Bring a full water bottle, wear clothes that can get dirty, gloves if available, and wear closed-toe shoes.
Contact: Olena Perry, Olena.Perry@TukwilaWA.gov, 206.768.2822. Registration is available online.
tukwilawa.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/volunteering/green-tukwila-partnership/
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Turkey Waddle
Backpack Brigade
Date/Time: Saturday, November 28, 8:30–11 a.m.
Location: Crossroads Park, 164th Ave NE, Bellevue.
Ages: Everyone is welcome.
Time Commitment: Up to two and a half hours
Enjoy a fun morning walk around the park, stopping at our festive tents and grabbing free treats along the way. Your ticket includes a free drink. Kids Dash and prizes for our youngest waddlers. Most importantly, your participation makes a direct impact. 100% of your $35 registration fee will help feed four children for an entire weekend. Bring your friends, family, coworkers, and pups for a morning filled with community, fun, and impact. Come waddle with us—and help make sure no child goes hungry on the weekends.
Contact: Registration is available online.
backpackbrigade.org
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Craft Winter Holiday Greeting Cards
Full Life Care
Location: Drop off at Full Life Care offices in Ravenna, 98115 or Beacon Hill, 98108
Ages: Everyone can participate.
Time Commitment: Flexible.
Full Life Care is a non-profit providing home- and community-based services for adults with chronic illnesses and disabilities, and their caregivers, regardless of their income level. Full Life Care is dedicated to enhancing individuals' quality of life, respecting their dignity, and providing for them with care and compassion. Your family can help brighten someone's day using your card making supplies and creativity. Use your own craft supplies to create greeting cards for caregivers, adults with disabilities, and seniors who may otherwise be alone this holiday season.
Contact: Email jessicac@fulllifecare.org to receive more details and full instructions to mail or drop off completed cards in Ravenna, 98115 or Beacon Hill, 98108.
fulllifecare.org
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Treats for Troops
Soldiers' Angels
Date/Time: You can start donating excess candy right after Halloween through the month of November!
Location(s): Most Candy Collection sites host their collections starting on November 1 and run through the first weeks of November. Check back after Halloween to find a location near you! You may drop off a personal amount of candy (no more than 10 pounds). If there are no collection sites near you, please ship your candy (no more than 10 pounds) to our headquarters in San Antonio:
Soldiers’ Angels Candy
1355 Central Parkway S, Ste 700
San Antonio, TX 78232
Ages: Everyone can share their candy!
Time Commitment: Varies.
Families with too much candy after Halloween can donate excess candy to support a good cause. Kids may even earn buyback prizes for their generosity, and families will receive a tax-deductible receipt for their donations.
You can also help at any time by making candy bags to send to Soldiers’ Angels. Here’s how to participate:
- Get some fun-size candy (this is also a great use for excess candy after holidays like Halloween, Easter, etc.).
- Using a treat bag or clear plastic baggie, place an assortment of candy in the baggie and secure it with a twist tie or decorative ribbon.
- If you would like, you can also attach a small card to the bag of candy that has a simple message like, “Thank you for your service!”
Learn more about creating candy bags here.
Contact: tft@soldiersangels.org or 210.629.0020.
soldiersangels.org
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Mailing Address:
755 Medina Rd
Wayzata, MN 55391
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This list was compiled by Doing Good Together™ (www.doinggoodtogether.org)
When calling or emailing 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.
© 2026 Doing Good Together™
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