The holiday season is one of our family’s favorite times to volunteer together. Even though this time of year is inherently very busy, when we slow down to consider how we can serve others, we can more fully appreciate what the holiday season is really all about – kindness, generosity, love and the warmth of community.
We have enjoyed making meals for the youth served by Sisu Youth Services, collecting blankets for Upward Transitions, hosting a drive for pet food for The Pet Food Pantry, assembling backpacks of food with friends at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and helping make Thanksgiving meals with Other Options, Inc., just to name a few.
Whether helping serve a meal, wrapping gifts or collecting donations for those experiencing homelessness, giving of our time together is a cherished tradition that brings us closer and reminds us of the true spirit of the season.
Are you looking for places to volunteer in the OKC metro? There’s no better time to give back to our community than the holiday season. Volunteering as a family at a local nonprofit is a meaningful way to teach kids the value of giving back to others.
Check out the volunteer opportunities divided by kids’ ages below, plus additional holiday-season-specific opportunities.
This article is generously sponsored by The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign. The Salvation Army of Central Oklahoma’s Red Kettle Campaign helps raise critical funds for local services like food, shelter and utility assistance. Volunteers of all ages are encouraged to sign up at RegistertoRing.com.
Opportunities divided by age
Toddlers & Preschoolers
Spread the love of reading with Little Read Wagon! Families are invited to donate new or gently used children’s books. Little Read Wagon will hide the books with a note explaining that they are free to the finder. Get more information at littlereadwagonok.com. or email littlreadwagon20@gmail.com.
While not as many organized opportunities exist for this age group, there are plenty of developmentally appropriate ways to introduce the idea of volunteerism. Plan a day to pick up trash at your favorite local park (and invite friends and neighbors to join you), gather gently used toys to deliver to Infant Crisis Services or host a drive to collect items for a nonprofit with a mission that resonates with your little one (collect pet food donations for Pet Food Pantry of Oklahoma or items for the individuals served by Homeless Alliance).
Elementary Kids
The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma offers high-energy, high-reward opportunities for kids ages 8 and up to sort and pack food for those in need in our community. Join a shift as a family, or sign up with a group. Volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Find opportunities for families, individuals and groups at regionalfoodbank.org/volunteer.
Every second Saturday, February through November, families can join Restore OKC for a community workday. Projects include gardening, basic home repairs and making deliveries to seniors. Children ages 5 and up are welcome to participate. Shifts are from 8:30 a.m. to noon and include breakfast and lunch. Find out more at volunteer.restoreokc.org.
Tweens & Teens
Prepare a hot meal as a family for the youth served by Sisu Youth Services. Sisu is a low-barrier, identity-affirming space in Oklahoma City where unhoused, transition-age youth can access shelter and support. Volunteers prepare and drop off meals for 30 to 35 youth once daily and twice daily on Saturdays. Email volunteer@sisuyouth.org to sign up.
Kids have a unique opportunity to work directly with the patrons they are serving at Skyline’s Food Resource Center. Volunteers welcome patrons, assist them in shopping and bag their groceries. This interactive process helps dispel myths about individuals who need help in our community. Kids under 10 can volunteer with direct adult supervision, ages 10 to 13 should have one adult volunteer with them and ages 14 and up can volunteer without an adult leader. Find out more at okcskyline.org/volunteer.
More opportunities for the whole family
1. Serve the community with The Salvation Army.
1001 N Pennsylvania Ave, OKC
405-246-1101
November and December are very active months for The Salvation Army which means there are plenty of opportunities for volunteers to get involved. Families can sign up to participate as a bell ringer, adopt an angel from an Angel Tree or organize a toy drive at your local school, business or church group.
Other volunteer opportunities include: providing, preparing and serving an evening meal in The Salvation Army Red Shield Diner, assisting clients with their groceries in the Client Choice Food pantry and spending time with seniors at one of their five senior centers. For more information regarding these volunteer opportunities, please contact Liz Banks at 405-246-1107 or liz.banks@uss.salvationarmy.org.
2. Bless a child at Bethany Children’s Health Center.
6800 NW 39th Expressway, Bethany
405-789-6711
Be a part of the Joy of Christmas campaign at Bethany Children’s by supporting Oklahoma’s only pediatric rehabilitation hospital. Donors shop online using the Bethany Children’s Amazon Wish List, with items shipped directly to the hospital. The wish list includes basic necessities like diapers and wipes as well as toys, books and therapeutic items carefully selected by the hospital’s nurses, teachers and therapists. These gifts support the children’s care, learning and growth throughout the year.
3. Serve those in need at City Rescue Mission.
800 W California Ave, OKC
405-232-2709
Families can serve during the Mission’s annual Thanksgiving Banquet and their annual Christmas Banquet, help in the toy store where homeless parents shop for Christmas presents for their kids, work in the Food Resource Center or organize a neighborhood collection for food, toys, gifts or year-round needs like new socks and underwear. Register online to browse opportunities and sign up to help at www.cityrescue.org.
4. Share in the giving spirit through the Center for Children and Families’ Holiday Wishes program.
210 S Cockrel, Norman
405-364-1420
Through the Holiday Wishes program, the Center for Children and Families provides the hundreds of children they serve with gifts and families in need with important essentials this holiday season. Your family can adopt a child’s wish list and shop for gifts, donate gift cards that will be used to purchase kids’ clothing or conduct a drive for toys, books, gift cards and cold-weather essentials that will help bring joy to those having difficulties this holiday season.
5. Share the joys of the season with families in need by helping Christmas Connection.
2219 SW 74th St, OKC
405-634-2006
Christmas Connection is stocked with clothing, household items and basic necessities for Oklahoma children and families in need. Come Christmas, the shelves of the facility will be brimming with even more blessings. Laid out like a department store, families can enjoy a dignified shopping experience at no cost. But, they need the community’s help to pull it all off. Volunteers are needed to sort donations, stock shelves, hang coats and clothing and complete a variety of other tasks in order to have it all ready in time. Families with kids as young as 13 can help with the holiday preparations and kids 15 and older can help during the Christmas shopping days.
6. Help bring the holiday spirit to Oklahoma’s foster children with Citizens Caring for Children’s Joy 4 Kids Event.
730 W Wilshire Creek Blvd, Ste. 112, OKC
405-753-4099
Citizens Caring for Children’s Joy 4 Kids program collects Christmas gifts for Oklahoma foster kids. Families can donate gifts and/or money to buy gifts. Families can volunteer to help collect, sort and organize the donations. Kids 14 years and up can help without a parent present and younger kids are welcome on a case-by-case basis.
Families also are invited to help in the Resources Center. Open year-round, foster kids can shop for essentials like clothing, shoes, pajamas, coats and books. Volunteers are needed to sort clothing, help with inventory, stock shelves and assemble kits and duffel bags and more.
This article was updated by Erin Page and Emiley Bainbridge to include updated information for the 2024 holiday season. Find a full list of places to volunteer at metrofamilymagazine.com/family-volunteer-opportunities.
