Holiday Volunteering in the Washington, DC Area

The holiday season is a great time to volunteer and reach out and help the needy. The Washington, DC area has lots of charitable organizations that need volunteers to prepare and serve holiday meals, collect and wrap gifts, visit the sick or elderly or just spread some holiday cheer. If you’d like to help, here are some organizations to contact.

The Holiday Project
The organization arranges visits to people in nursing homes and hospitals in Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. Volunteers provide attention, conversation and companionship during the holiday season.

Capital Area Food Bank
Make a monetary donation or help with a number of holiday giving projects. This is the largest, public nonprofit hunger and nutrition education resource in the region.

Toys for Tots
The Toys For Tots – Washington, DC program provides toys to brighten the holiday season for children in local needy families. Any individual, business or organization can hold a toy collection drive. You may also make a donation at more than 400 drop off sites in the DC area.

Food & Friends
This organization provides meals to support men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-challenging illnesses. Volunteers are needed to help in the kitchen as well as to make deliveries.

Salvation Army
Donate money or host your own personalized Red Kettle to gather donations from others. The international Christian organization strives to improve the lives of the needy and provide holiday meals.

Adopt-a- Family Program
The holiday program is run by the Jewish Social Service Agency and organizes volunteers to collect gifts for the needy. JSSA provides eldercare services, Meals on Wheels for the elderly, early childhood intervention for developmental disabilities, services to people with autism and their families, hospice care, mental health services, support to people with all types of disabilities, and more.

For more volunteer activities, see a guide to local Volunteer Centers, agencies that coordinate programs in each city or county around the region.