Volunteer Opportunities in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County
There is so much to be grateful for this time of year, and it’s the perfect time to give back to our community. Whether you have just a few hours, a whole day, or room for regular ongoing volunteer work, help is needed in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and throughout Washtenaw County, and we can make a difference. Here is a short list of organizations helping those in need year-round. Please tell us where you volunteer by commenting below.
Give Back by Volunteering your time and expertise to organizations that help those in need in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County.
Food Gatherers
This food rescue and food bank serves Ann Arbor across 150 non-profit agencies. They have a whopping 7,000 volunteers per year, according to their website! Why not be one of them? Individuals can be food runners at their warehouse, work at one of their special events, or help cook and serve meals. And, if you can get a group together, there are unique ways you can help, too. Go to the Foof Gatherers Volunteer Hub and sign up for a shift. They need volunteers right now! Want to volunteer as a group?
Please register on the Group Registration Form for group sizes of three or more volunteers. Also, check them out on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more news and updates!
United Way of Washtenaw County
In Southeastern Michigan, nearly 40 percent of families in our region struggle to meet their basic needs. United Way works to advance equitable communities of stable households and thriving children. Volunteers are critical to this mission. United Way’s Seasons of Caring connects individuals, corporate teams, and community groups to meaningful volunteer work. Sponsored by Penske Corp., Seasons of Caring gives every person a way to give back year-round in ways that fit their lives and are meaningful to our mission.
From packing and delivering backpacks for students to helping Southeastern Michigan families file taxes and much more, there are so many easy and rewarding ways to give back to your community. In-person, virtual, and remote opportunities are available for each season.
Join United Way as a volunteer and help make a difference in our community. Here is a list of the United Way of Washtenaw County volunteer opportunities
The Breakfast at St. Andrew’s
Breakfast is served every day of the year at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church – to anyone who needs it, without questions! Volunteers arrive at 7:00 a.m. to set up and prepare simple foods; everything is done and cleaned up by 9:00 a.m.
Open every day, 365 days a year, St Andrew’s has served breakfast to 100-150 people each day since 1982. St. Andrews is located at 306 N Division, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, in the kitchen of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. You can easily find the red kitchen door from the parking lot or Lawrence St. To learn more about this opportunity, visit https://breakfastatstandrews.org/
The Hope Clinic
The Hope Clinic’s Mission Statement is – Hope makes it easy to help. We partner with you to provide free medical, dental, food, and behavioral health, caring for the Whole Person in Jesus’ Name. The Hope Clinic is the first-in-the-nation integrated care: all for the uninsured, all for free. They believe that being a health care provider means more than curing illnesses. True health is physical, mental, and spiritual. True health care must address all three every time. We call this Whole Person Care.
With your help, Hope Clinic is poised to become the first free clinic in the nation to provide fully integrated, true health care to the uninsured. Please find out more and see their volunteer opportunities at their website: https://thehopeclinic.org/
For more than 40 years, Hope Clinic has served those in need in our community. Hope Clinic supplies one of Michigan’s most comprehensive menus of free services. It is one of the highest-rated charities in the nation on Charity Navigator and, in 2022, was awarded a “Platinum Seal of Transparency” by Candid. In 2022, Hope was awarded a Gold Medal rating by the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics.
SOS Community Service
SOS initially provided peer counseling and supportive services through a 24-hour crisis line to address drug-related issues. In 1973, SOS founders relocated the organization to 114 N. River Street in Ypsilanti, where most of our services are still available. Since the 1980s, SOS has provided services and resources related to housing and homelessness prevention. Currently, SOS Community Services offers shelter and rapid rehousing, children’s programs, a food pantry, and other resources to prevent homelessness throughout Washtenaw County. visit
The SOS Food Pantry offers free, healthy food if you need food assistance. To access the pantry, please call (734) 484-9945. Tues. 1 pm – 6:30 pm Wed. 9 am – 1 pm
If you are at risk of becoming homeless, are you on the verge of being evicted, have you recently lost your housing, or are experiencing a housing emergency, please call (734) 961-1999. Visit the SOS Community Service website.
Additional Resources for Volunteering In Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County
Here are just a few of the many more organizations that are helping in the community and need volunteers.
- Volunteer Match – A portal for volunteers to connect with nonprofits, a search engine specifically for volunteer opportunities.
- United Way of Washtenaw County – Volunteer Opportunities – Volunteer Opportunities, 21 pages of them! Start here if you are looking to help out in the community.
- Shelter Association of Washtenaw County – here is a list of their volunteer needs
- Ann Arbor YMCA Volunteering – Volunteerism is central to the founding and legacy of the Y. At the Ann Arbor Y, we know that lasting personal and social change comes about when we all work together.
- The Humane Society of Huron Valley – Volunteers are our most important asset. Their work for our animals, shelter, and programs is invaluable. Every day, a volunteer improves an animal’s life here at HSHV, and we are so grateful you’re here!
- Washtenaw Literacy – Teach someone to read. Who knows what you will learn?
- 826michigan – 826michigan volunteers feed into creating a vibrant and wildly inspired safe place for young people.
- Matthei Gardens/Arboretum – Eco-restoration days that don’t require training if you’re into gardening/landscaping.
- The Neutral Zone – A space for teens just to be themselves
Contact us today. We’ll be happy to help in any way we can.
