Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is dedicated to providing residents safe and accessible places to gather, enjoy the outdoors, and participate in healthy recreational activities. As such, it encompasses almost 37,000 acres of parks, streams, lakes, trails, playgrounds, nature centers, and specialty sites, including an archery range, cricket fields, ice rinks, gardens, and historic homes. 

Montgomery Parks is also dedicated to keeping the public in public lands and 

is one of the largest recruiters of volunteers in our region. In fact, last year, the agency engaged more than 11,500 volunteers, who contributed more than 78,000 hours of service. 

Volunteers--including individuals, families, students, businesses, scouts, and virtually anyone looking for a fun way to give back to the community--tackle a wide range of tasks across the county with varying age/experience requirements and levels of commitment. Some of these include:

To learn about the full breadth of opportunities and ways to make a difference, visit  the Montgomery Parks volunteer website, call 301-495-2504, or email Lynn Vismara.

The Volunteer Center's 50+ Volunteer Network, connecting skilled volunteers with nonprofits in need, officially launched in January 2018. As detailed in this report, in just six months, this new program is already having a profoundly positive impact.  Through personal consultations, the 50+ Volunteer Network already has helped scores of county residents ages 50 and up find meaningful community service opportunities with nonprofits and government agencies. (You can read about several of these success stories in the report!) 

To schedule an interview and find out about volunteer opportunities that fit your skills, interests, and availability, email the 50+ team. 

Montgomery County's 32nd annual Community Service Week is coming up Oct. 21-28, providing residents with a special opportunity to serve together to support a wide variety of community needs throughout the week. The Volunteer Center is now organizing volunteer projects for the event, which are beginning to be posted on our October volunteer calendar .  Be sure to check back frequently throughout the next few weeks as more opportunities are added.

Groups of all kinds are encouraged to plan projects for that week. For instance, PTAs could set up a day to paint a mural in the school cafeteria, neighborhood associations might organize a landscape cleanup, and businesses could coordinate a food drive to fight hunger in our community. To include your group's project  and/or to get assistance with planning or applying for funding for supplies , c omplete the Community Service Week Project Form.   

And while you're thinking about special community service activities, check out the many opportunities planned for Maryland's Day to Serve--actually a month to serve, Sept. 11-Oct. 10. 

The Montgomery County Board of Elections seeks students in grades 6-12 to participate in its Future Vote program, serving as aides on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 6. Student volunteers can also assist the Board of Elections with a variety of activities before election day, and can earn student service learning hours for either type of service. To participate, students and their guardians must sign up and attend a training session.  

Students age 16 and up--and adults of all ages--are also need to serve as paid election workers.

Call 240-777-VOTE to learn more.

You can also stay connected through these links: