Volunteers are essential to the work that we are doing. We provide great volunteer opportunities for those looking for a powerful experience and a way to give back. We want to give you the opportunity to serve, grow, and become a part of our loving community while coming alongside us in our mission to Transforming Together, to be Love in Action, in a broken world!
Collect Pop Tabs from soda cans and more to help provide funds for the Ronald McDonald House.
1200 pop tabs will be equivalent to ONE Silver Cord hour. If working with a friend that hour will be split if submitted.
Must deliver pop tabs to the Ronald McDonald House and fill out the pop tab form located at the house to receive verification from the charity.
Must email a picture of the pop tabs submitted to the organization to kobrien@waukeeschools.org.
Downtown Farmers' Market
What
The Downtown Farmers' Market volunteer will help with the following: setting up/tearing down the seating area - including tables and chairs, setting up/tearing down market booths - including pop-up tents, tables, weights, chairs & signage, assisting with road closure barricades, beautification of Market grounds and any other Market tasks as assigned.
When
5:15 a.m. - 7:15 a.m. or 11:45 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Where
Historic Court District, Downtown Des Moines (DSM)
The Downtown Farmers’ Market presented by UnityPoint Health – Des Moines returns to the Historic Court District on Saturday, May 4, 2024. It runs every Saturday from 7 a.m. – Noon (May – September) and 8 a.m. – Noon (October). The Market supports farmers, growers and artisan food entrepreneurs from all around the state of Iowa. The Market offers a variety of attractions and activities including shopping for fresh produce, eggs, meats and more, eating breakfast, enjoying the atmosphere, meeting with family and friends and live entertainment.
Volunteer Information:
-Volunteers will receive a free t-shirt to wear during their shift(s) at The Market!
-Volunteers must be at least 16-years-old when they report for their shift. If you are unable to fulfill your shift, please let us know as soon as possible.
-Make sure you wear comfortable clothing and keep in mind that we will be outside.
-You are responsible for personal items. Please make sure items are carried with you during your shift.
Help our construction managers build new homes around Polk County! Our construction managers are available the entire day to teach you anything you need to know.
When
Wednesday-Friday, 8:15am-4:00pm, Saturdays from 8:15am-1:00pm
Volunteer to Help Build Homes, Communities, and Hope!
At Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity, we’re all about affordable housing! We build, repair, and supply home materials for low-income homeowners in Polk, Dallas, and Jasper County. However, we can’t do it without your help! Learn how to swing a hammer on our New Home Construction sites or build displays in our Habitat ReStores! There are many ways to help out, and we’d love to have you with us.
New Home Construction/Rock the Block Home Repair: We build around 30 homes and repair over 250 homes for families each year. No experience? No problem! 90% of our volunteers have never swung a hammer. Our construction managers are available the entire day to teach you anything you need to know. Shifts run from 8:15am–4pm with lunch on your own from 11:30–12:30, available Wednesday–Saturday for ages 16+.
Silver Cord students under 18 years of age will need to volunteer alongside an adult 21+, but can can also be approved to complete hours on their own in our Habitat ReStores. Reach out to our Volunteer Engagement Team at 515-218-7731 with questions or to learn how to get started. We hope to see you on site soon! 🙂
This is a special volunteer opportunity for youth ages 13-17 to get involved at the Blank Park Zoo! Participants will have the opportunity to volunteer in a variety of areas around the Zoo.
Zoo Crew – This is a special volunteer opportunity for youth ages 13-17 to get involved at the Blank Park Zoo! Participants will have the opportunity to volunteer in a variety of areas around the Zoo. This may include: assisting Summer Safari camp counselors, providing guests with directional and educational information about the Zoo, helping to keep the Zoo clean and volunteering during family friendly events! The goal of the Zoo Crew program is to foster personal responsibility, job skills, self-initiative and inspire conservation action for the next generation.
Applications are accepted now through March 1. For more information or to apply visit our website: https://www.blankparkzoo.com/support-the-zoo/volunteer/zoo-crew-details
Volunteers will begin the day with walking the district taking vendor attendance. Each volunteer will have a link to the market map and FAQ to use on their phones or have a printout of the information. Each volunteer will wear a t-shirt that says, “ASK ME,” and stay visible on 5th street for attendees to ask questions related to the farmers market. This is a fun opportunity, so signing up with friends is highly encouraged!
Volunteer to Help Build Homes, Communities, and Hope!
At Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity, we’re all about affordable housing! We build, repair, and supply home materials for low-income homeowners in Polk, Dallas, and Jasper County. However, we can’t do it without your help! Learn how to swing a hammer on our New Home Construction sites or build displays in our Habitat ReStores! There are many ways to help out, and we’d love to have you with us.
Habitat ReStores: Did you know that the Habitat ReStores generate enough income every year to fund more than half of our Habitat homes? As a volunteer, you’ll be helping us process donations, assisting customers, and lending a hand around the store. Flexible, half-day shifts are available Monday–Saturday for ages 14+.
Silver Cord students under 18 years of age will need to volunteer alongside an adult 21+, but can also be approved to complete hours on their own in our Habitat ReStores. Reach out to our Volunteer Engagement Team at 515-218-7731 with questions or to learn how to get started. We hope to see you on site soon! 🙂
The Sprout Garden at Drake University provides programming to the Burt Boys and Girls Club and is used by the Drake curriculum. Produce grown in the garden is donated to neighborhood food pantries, including the Little Free Pantries on Drake’s campus. We have volunteer events throughout the year, including open garden hours during the summer. Please email sprout@drake.edu to arrange a time to help us with weeding. Other tasks are needed at various times of the year (such as mulching, planting, and harvesting). Check out our Facebook page for volunteer events that you may want to join.
Are you ready to change a life from the comfort of home?
Join ENGin as a conversation partner! This is a flexible and unique opportunity to make a direct impact on someone’s life while discovering a new culture and meeting a new friend.
We’ll pair you up with a buddy in Ukraine for weekly videochats at times that are convenient for you. During your conversations, you’ll practice English with your partner, learn about each other’s cultures, and offer an empathetic, authentic space for connection.
No teaching experience or knowledge of Ukrainian is required to volunteer with us. All of our participants can understand and hold a basic conversation in English. We offer ample training resources, session materials and total flexibility to customize your sessions to fit your/your partner’s goals and preferences. You’ll also have access to online communities to share ideas and ask questions.
Our only requirements for volunteers are English fluency, a strong internet connection, and the ability to commit to one hour a week for a minimum of 10-12 weeks.
Here’s what three ENGin volunteers say about their experience.
“I’m so glad that I got this experience and was able to make a new friend. By putting in a small amount of time, I’m able to make a huge impact on my student.”
“This program has been, I think, life-changing for both of us. I really consider her more like my daughter right now. That’s how close we have become!”
“I made a friend in Ukraine and we are teaching each other about our culture, our language, and our humor. We’re even trading dad jokes! Both of us look forward to our chats and have a hard time wrapping it up.”
To learn more about ENGin and become a volunteer, please visit www.enginprogram.org/volunteer or register to attend one of our weekly Zoom info sessions: https://calendly.com/volunteer-training/volunteer-info-sessions. Info sessions are an opportunity to meet one of our team members, learn more about ENGin, and ask questions.
If you have any questions before signing up, please contact our team at info@enginprogram.org.
Miracle League is a baseball league for kids ages 5-19 who have an emotional, cognitive or physical disability. We play 1 short, non-competitive game every Saturday morning in September at the Triumph Park Miracle League field. We pair each player up with a community volunteer who will cheer them on as they hit, round the bases and field. Volunteers can also help with coaching, announcing, or being our mascot, Homer.
Choose as few or as many games as you’re able to commit to!
Manage room and assist kids with provided craft or games during the PTO meeting to prevent disruptions to meeting.
Can Play - Adapted Sports Programs
What
We are seeking teammates for our Adapted Program. Can Play's adapted programs work with our participants with physical, cognitive, emotional, or other special health care needs. Volunteers assist participants with sports and fitness-related activities. No prior sports or fitness experience is required. Can Play staff will be onsite to lead all activities and pair volunteers with participants.
When
4:15-6:00 PM
Where
West Des Moines RecPlex - 6500 Grand Ave, West Des Moines
We are looking for volunteer coaches for our Opportunity Clive Floor Hockey Program. Join 1st through 6th grade participants who are eager to have fun and learn new floor hockey skills and techniques! Sign up for one date or come each week for the six weeks, whatever fits best into your schedule.
When
6:00 - 7:30PM
Where
Crestview School of Inquiry - 8355 N Franklin Ave, Clive, IA 50325
Join in on helping lead practice and drills to 1st through 6th grade participants who are eager to have fun and learn new floor hockey skills and techniques!
We are looking for volunteer coaches for our Des Moines PAL Flag Football Program. Join 4th through 8th grade participants who are eager to have fun and learn new flag football skills and techniques! Sign up for one date or come each week for the four weeks, whatever fits best into your schedule.
When
6:00 - 7:30PM
Where
Columbus Park - 1921 SE 1st St, Des Moines, IA 50315
Join in on running practices and drills for 4th through 8th grade participants who are eager to have fun and learn new flag football skills and techniques!
The Walk to CURE Arthritis celebrates the nearly 778,000 Iowans with arthritis while raising funds to support local programming and resources while also supporting arthritis research.
Responsibilities will vary from helping pass out t-shirts to participants, cheering on walkers, overseeing a simple craft activity, etc.
Simply visit www.walktocurearthritis.org/Iowa and click “register” then “volunteer”
Join us for a day of family fun celebrating apple harvest season!
Help us show how past cooks would prepare and serve apple treats, such as apple butter, cake or pie, and cider! As a volunteer, you will help with our various activities such as crafts, historic yard games, and helping guests with pre-paid tickets. Join us at the end of the day for a Historic Baseball game.
We are seeking supportive teammates for our Adapted Flag Football Program. Can Play's adapted programs are designed for participants aged 7-16 with physical, cognitive, emotional, or other special healthcare needs. Volunteers assist participants with flag football and fitness-related activities. No prior football experience is required. Can Play staff will be onsite to lead all activities and pair volunteers with participants.
When
Saturdays, 8:15 - 10:15 AM
Where
Urbandale Miracle League Field - 4871 78th Street, Urbandale
Students will learn the importance of Iowa’s historic prairies and help conserve this habitat for the future by learning to harvest prairie plant seeds to be planted next year. The Monarch butterfly migration will also be occurring on this date so students will also have the opportunity to be citizen scientists and help staff capture and tag monarch butterflies for national research.
This is an event to raise money for research toward a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. The event will have 250-300 attendees. We will need help setting up on Friday September 20th during the day. Potential continued set-up help will be needed during the morning and early afternoon hours on Saturday, September 21st (the day of the event). During the event on 9/21, we will need help getting guest registered and recording payment info, transitioning event space and clean-up, potential help serving food, and help with spotting bidders as part of our live-auction. Food will be provided during the event on 9/21. The event is from 5-10pm
Our event is a fundraiser for pediatric cancer research and organizations and support kids through their cancer diagnosis. This is a family event with bounce houses, live music, yard games, face painting, raffles and silent auction items! Come join us and help us make it a huge success!
This is our school’s annual fall carnival. We need a lot of volunteers to make this event successful. The volunteers will assist in set up and tear down as well as working at game stations.
NAMI Walks Iowa
What
Volunteer for different opportunities on walk day (more details on the sign up sheet) to benefit NAMI Iowa!
When
Friday: 1-4 pm; Saturday: 7am-1pm (different shifts within those hours)
Where
Terra Park- 6400 Pioneer Parkway, Johnston, IA 50131
NAMIWalks Iowa is the largest mental health awareness walk in the state of Iowa. It is NAMI Iowa’s largest fundraiser and this will be the 18th year we have put it on. Depending on which opportunity you choose there will be different time responsibilities and physical demands. Please see the sign up sheet for more details! We hope to see you there!
The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research programs. We are looking for volunteers for this year’s event in Des Moines where we plan to welcome up to 2,000 walkers! There are over 20 different volunteer roles with a wide range of times available.
Get ready for a day of buzzing excitement at the Pollinator Palooza.
This event will have engaging presentations designed to enlighten people about the incredible world of pollinators as well as educational booths from local businesses and organizations. Weather permitting, kid friendly activities will be happening in the community garden.
Night Eyes Volunteer Opportunity!
Help us celebrate Night Eyes, October 17 – 20 & 24 – 27
We are looking for volunteers who want to have fun and celebrate Halloween at the Zoo!
Volunteer Age Requirement: 13 & Up!
Volunteer opportunities include:
Candy Runners
Treat Stations
Specialized costume characters
Train Attendants
Zone Captains
Fun Zone Attendants
The following shifts are available during Night Eyes: 5:00 – 9:00pm
Take part in the annual Living History Farms’ Family Halloween!
Volunteers will assist with wagon rides, games, tickets, and treat sites. Feel free to bring candy or other giveaway items to share with our trick-or-treaters!
Join us at Living History Farms for our annual 5-mile, Cross Country Race! Support runners as they immerse themselves in rural Iowa landscapes in our one-of-a-kind off-road race. Volunteers will help with packet pick-up, course support, and start/finish line assistance.
Non-profit organizations, share your volunteer opportunities! To ensure your submission will be accepted, read the Silver Cord posting guidelines before submitting your event.
