Did you know that at least 1 in 10 residents of Santa Cruz County face hunger daily? This problem intensifies during the summer months when many local children and youth lack access to the free lunches and snacks they receive during the school year. Our local nonprofits report that summer is also a challenging time to recruit volunteers.
Thankfully, Santa Cruz County is home to numerous organizations dedicated to tackling food insecurity. They’re well-equipped and making a difference—but they need your help!
Get Involved Today
Food distribution programs are struggling to keep up with the demand for services – simply find a program from the list below and click the link for details
Don’t see something that fits your schedule? Search the Volunteer Center’s database of over 100 volunteer opportunities that need your help today! There’s a volunteer match for everyone at scvolunteercenter.org.
Santa Cruz
- Food Baggers and Delivery Drivers for people in mental health programs at Healthy Connections at Harvey West
- Distribute Food with Santa Cruz Community Health – every Wednesday at the Live Oak Health Center
- Assemble Healthy Food Bags for Seniors with Grey Bears
- Cook and Serve Lunch for Veterans at Santa Cruz County Veterans Services Office
- Food Pantry Volunteer at Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center (Bilingual volunteers encouraged to apply!)
- Cook and Serve Meals any day of the week at St Francis Catholic Kitchen
Scotts Valley/Felton
- Set Up and Distribute Food with the Scotts Valley Food Pantry at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church
- Ongoing volunteers needed with Felton Food Pantry at Mountain Community Resource Center
Watsonville/Pajaro
- Volunteers are need every week at the Saturday Food Sort With Second Harvest
- Be a Hunger Fighter at Pajaro Loaves and Fishes
- Distribute Essential Items with the Center for Farmworker Families
- Delivery Angels: Deliver meals to the homes of those who need it most – pick up meals in Soquel or Watsonville
Find your volunteer match at the Volunteer Center!
At the Volunteer Center, we believe that a better world IS possible thanks to the everyday heroes who volunteer in our local community. That’s why we are dedicated to he;ping everyone find their perfect volunteer role. We each have different needs when it comes to volunteering – time, interests, location all pay a factor! The Volunteer Center will connect you with an organization that matches your interests and availability
Search the Volunteer Center database of ALL volunteer opportunities
Register as a volunteer so you can be alerted as new opportunities become available.
Need volunteers? Register your organization and we’ll connect you to volunteers that will help you achieve your mission.
ABOUT THE VOLUNTEER CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
The Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County (VCSCC) has been connecting individuals, organizations and businesses for good since 1967. Each year VCSCSC engages with more than 500 community partners and more than 15,000 volunteers who connect meaningfully to help more than 9,000 residents in need. In addition to volunteer engagement and placement, VCSCC administers 19 programs to support community need, seniors, families, youth, disaster response, and government partnerships to make Santa Cruz County a happier, healthier place to live. For more information, visit scvolunteercenter.org or find us on Facebook and Instagram.
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