Walk to Defeat ALS Seattle

The ALS Association

Date/Time: Saturday, October 3:

• Walk check-in: 10 a.m.
• Walk start: 11:30 a.m.

Location: 4063 Spokane Ln, Seattle.

Ages: Everyone can walk.

Time Commitment: Varies.

Your participation in the Walk to Defeat ALS has a direct impact on people living with ALS and their families at the local level. Through education, support groups, access to care and advocacy, we are working to defeat ALS and provide hope to people living with ALS and their families. Learn more here.

Contact: Tyler Barham, tyler.barham@als.org, 206.703.3517. Click here for walk registration.

Walk to Defeat ALS Seattle

Annual Tree Planting Celebration

Mountains to Sound Greenway

Date/Time: Saturday, October 10, 9 a.m.-noon. Lunch and celebratory remarks to follow from noon-1 p.m.

Location: Lake Sammamish State Park (ParQ Parking Complex near 5150 220th Ave SE, Issaquah.

Ages: This is a family-friendly event. Participants younger than 13 years old must be accompanied by an adult.

Time Commitment: Three hours.

Join the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust to celebrate the start of the planting season with a morning of planting trees and giving back to habitats at Lake Sammamish State Park! This year, you’ll help us complete our goal of planting 10,000 trees and shrubs along Issaquah Creek! Your efforts will build on over 20 years of habitat restoration and make a difference by restoring healthy urban forests to support wildlife habitats, create cooler water for salmon, and improve air and water quality. By volunteering, you are supporting the continued transformation of Issaquah Creek and the work of staff, partners, and thousands of volunteers who have helped us improve this important salmon habitat.

For safety, volunteers are required to wear:

• Long pants (we’ll be working with tools, so no shorts!)
• Sturdy, close-toed shoes (absolutely no sandals)
• Gloves (provided)

In addition, we recommend that participants bring:

• Warm layers or sun protection, depending on the weather
• Rain gear
• At least one full water bottle
• Small daypack for snacks, extra layers, etc.
• Lawn chair for the celebration following the event

Contact: Swan Phongwarinr, swan.phongwarinr@mtsgreenway.org. Registration is available online. 

mtsgreenway.org

2026 Fall Restoration Day

Volunteer Park Trust

Date/Time: Saturday, October 10, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Location: Volunteer Park, 1247 15th Avenue East, Seattle. Meet at the Black Sun Sculpture across from Seattle Asian Art Museum at 10 a.m. on Saturday. If you arrive late, look for our green signboard telling you where in the park we will be working.

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

Time Commitment: Up to four hours. Stay for the whole event or as long as you want.

Come garden with us at Volunteer Park Trust’s Fall Restoration Day on Saturday, October 10. This annual clean-up event is a major community effort to make Volunteer Park more beautiful for everyone. Join your friends and neighbors for our annual Fall Restoration Day as we weed and clean the garden beds in Volunteer Park to keep it beautiful for everyone. This is a great event for kids and families. No gardening experience is needed. Gloves and tools will be provided.

Contact: Registration is available online.

volunteerparktrust.org/

Monthly Drop-In Volunteering

Seattle ReCreative

Date/Time: Sunday, October 11, 1-4 p.m. (Every second Sunday of the month)

Location: Seattle ReCreative, Georgetown, 6521 5th Ave S, Seattle.

Ages: Children eight years old and older can volunteer with an adult.

Time Commitment: Three hours.

Your family can help us process donations in a fun and social guided group event, no prior experience needed! Our monthly drop-in volunteering is a great low commitment way for new and returning volunteers to help us with vital material processing tasks and activities. Led by a member of our material processing team, each event has a range of activities based on what materials we’ve received that month. Every helping hand makes a big difference in our mission to put more reusable art materials back into the hands of artists.

Seattle ReCreative is a 501c3 non-profit that promotes creativity, community, and environmental stewardship through creative reuse and arts education. Creative reuse centers are facilities that collect donations of used materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill from local businesses and individuals to redistribute to our community. Proceeds from the resale of these goods helps fund our arts programming and supply free creative materials and workshops to the community. There are numerous facilities of this nature across the country; however, we are the only creative reuse facility of our kind in Seattle. While the size, structure, and community benefit of creative reuse centers does vary, creative reuse centers function to reduce the amount of usable material entering the waste stream, provide communities with low-cost access to creative materials, and stimulate creative activity within the communities they serve. 

Contact: info@seattlerecreative.org. Click here to learn more about volunteering and to register for our monthly volunteer events. 

seattlerecreative.org/

Juanita Bay Park (East) Habitat Stewardship Days

Green Kirkland Partnership

Date/Time: Saturday, October 17, 9:30-noon and Saturday, October 24, 10 a.m.–noon.

Location: Please note this event does not meet at the main Juanita Bay Park parking lot. Navigate to 10442 Forbes Creek Drive, Kirkland, WA, 98033 to find the site.

Ages: Families are welcome to participate. Most event activities are best suited for volunteers who are 12 years old and older, though many activities are adaptable for all ages. Volunteers younger than 14 years old must be accompanied by a responsible adult who will remain onsite and supervise them for the duration of the event.

Time Commitment: Two to two and a half hours.

Volunteers will help restore critical habitat by removing invasive plants such as blackberry or ivy, planting native plants, and pitching-in with stewardship tasks like mulching and weeding. In fall/winter we may also be planting native plants. With your help, this park will have healthy and thriving natural areas for years to come! 

Visit our 'About Volunteering' page for youth volunteer guidelines or if you have questions about what to bring and expect at our stewardship events. 

Contact: Click here to register for the October 17 event and here for the October 24 event. Pre-registration is requested for all Green Kirkland events.

www.greenkirkland.org

Provide Sack Lunches

Plymouth Housing Group

Date/Time: Any day of the week around lunchtime.

Location: Assemble the lunches at home and coordinate with Kirsten Mintun, kmintun@plymouthhousing.org, to make arrangements to deliver your lunches. Our buildings are concentrated in the Downtown/Belltown/South Lake Union neighborhoods with one in Bellevue and one in Ballard.

Ages: Families are welcome to participate.

Time Commitment: Varies. This can be a one-time opportunity or a monthly recurring opportunity. We would love to work with you in whatever capacity is best for you.

Volunteers are needed to purchase supplies, assemble lunches at home or with a community group, and then deliver 50–100 sack lunches to one of our buildings across the Seattle region. This is a great opportunity to directly impact our residents and address a large need for the community! A lot of residents are seniors or have dental issues so softer foods are ideal. 

Here are examples of what to include in a paper bag sack lunch: 

• One main protein item such as a meat and cheese sandwich, or a meat and cheese wrap.
• One healthy item such as a fruit cup, apple sauce, or hummus.
• One savory item such as chips, crackers, or pretzels.
• One sweet item such as fruit snacks or pudding. 

Please do not include any common allergens such as nuts (peanut butter) or seafood. 

Contact: Kirsten Mintun at kmintun@plymouthhousing.org if you are interested or have any questions.

plymouthhousing.org

Food Bank Distribution

North Seattle Food Connection (North Helpline Food Bank)

Date/Time(s):

• Wednesdays, 8:30–11:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
• Thursdays, 3:30–7 p.m. 
• Saturdays, 8:30–11:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.–2 p.m. 

Location: Lake City location, 12736 33rd Ave NE, Seattle.

Ages: Children 8 years old and older are welcome to volunteer with an adult; youth 14 years old and older can volunteer on their own.

Time Commitment: Three to four hours.

Sharing food and resources with our neighbors is at the heart of our purpose! Volunteers in this role help our neighbors shop with dignity and care for food that is meaningful to their families. On distribution days, you will be working with 8-12 other volunteers to perform duties such as:

• Assisting neighbors in navigating the food options we have available for the day 
• Replenishing food at the distribution tables as folks move through the line.
• Helping neighbors carry their groceries to their destination using our grocery carts. 
• Distributing hygiene products to neighbors. 

To Get Started: 

Please complete a volunteer application by going to volunteer.northhelpline.org and clicking "Sign up". From there, you will be asked to consent to a routine background check, sign a Client Services Confidentiality Agreement, and complete a Mandatory Civil Rights Training Attestation. Applications are typically processed in a day or two, and you will receive an email once everything has been accepted. From there, you can sign up for shifts with ease online through the volunteer portal! 

Lastly, our warehouse is not climate-controlled - please dress appropriately and wear closed-toe shoes for safety! 

Contact: Bex, Volunteer Coordinator, volunteers@northhelpline.org, 206. 413.8271. 

www.northhelpline.org

Foster a Future Service Dog!

Canine Companions

Date/Time: Ongoing opportunity.

Location: Your home and Seattle (SODO)

Ages: Please note: If you are younger than 18 years old, you will need parental support and they must sign a minor waiver.

Time Commitment: Flexible, long-term, and short-term fosters are needed. We ask that you commit 3-6 months.

Help change a life—starting in your home. Volunteer fosters provide a safe, loving place for Canine Companions dogs as they complete their professional training and prepare to be matched with a person with a disability. No training or prior experience required.

What you’ll do:

• Care for a dog in professional training during evenings and weekends while our trainers handle weekday training.

The details:

• Dogs are 1.5+ years old (Labs, Goldens, or mixes).
• All food, supplies, and medical care are provided.

Transportation:

• Fosters help with weekday drop-off and pick-up. There are flexible options available, including central meetups and a shuttle.

Good fit if you:

• Live within reasonable driving distance of our Seattle (SODO) training location.
• Fosters can be renters, homeowners, families, working professionals, and more.
• Have a pet-friendly home (other friendly, vaccinated pets are okay).
• Can provide a consistent, caring environment.
• Want to make a meaningful impact—without full-time training responsibilities.

Interested?

Reach out to learn more or get started. If you’re interested but don’t meet every requirement, we’d still love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out, and we’re happy to discuss possible options. Watch our video to learn more: A Day in the Life of a Service Dog: pt. 1 or join an upcoming virtual volunteer info session.

Contact: segan@canine.org or 425.458.0600.

Canine.org/seattle

Trash or Treat

Puget Soundkeeper

Date/Time: Tuesday, October 27, 5:30-7 p.m.

Location: Puget Soundkeeper Office, 130 Nickerson Street, Seattle.

Ages: This is a family-friendly event.

Time Commitment: One and a half hours.

Join us for a spook-tacular event in celebration of Halloween! Puget Soundkeeper is excited to present our annual Trash-or-Treat Cleanup along the Ship Canal trail! Put on your favorite costume, gather your friends, and help us clear debris from the trail to protect the Ship Canal from litter and trash.

Enjoy delicious fall-themed treats and beverages while you volunteer, and don’t miss the chance to enter our costume contest for a chance to win some exciting prizes for the best trash or litter themed costumes! This event welcomes all ages—bring your family, friends, and even your pets for a fun-filled community cleanup. Learn more here.

Contact: Tanya Balaji, tanyab@pugetsoundkeeper.org. Registration is available online.

pugetsoundkeeper.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