Volunteering is a great way to benefit your community, meet cool people, have a cool experience, and maybe learn something new.

Volunteering differs from interning in that:

  • Internships are typically of longer duration; volunteering can last for a long time too, but typically does not entail an expectation that the volunteer will continue volunteering
  • Volunteering is never paid, while internships sometimes are
  • Volunteering may or may not offer education, while interning is supposed to offer education

Visit the UC Davis Community Service Resource Center to explore local non-profit organizations: 106 South Hall 530.752.3813 [email protected] http://iccweb.ucdavis.edu/cs/

 

Current Events

 

These organizations are in need of a volunteer. If you think you can help out please call/email the respective contacts!

 

The Sutter Davis Hospital Auxiliary is looking for volunteers to join its diverse team.  Joining the auxiliary is a great way to meet people while giving back to the community.  Volunteers have the opportunity to serve others in several areas of the hospital including:

  • Information Desk
  • Patient Services
  • Emergency Department
  • Surgery Center
  • Gift Shop
  • Blood Pressure Center

Prospective volunteers in good health receive a background check, two (2) tuberculosis tests, annual influenza vaccination and will receive on-the-job training in their preferred area of service.

Volunteers are asked to staff two 4-hour shifts per month, for a minimum one-year commitment.  UC Davis student volunteers are eligible for the program and can apply through the UC Davis Internship and Career Center https://icc.ucdavis.edu/.

For more information on volunteering at Sutter Davis Hospital, call the Information Desk at (530) 759-7485, Monday through Friday from 9 am - 4:30 pm and request to be contacted by the Membership Chairperson, or go online to http://www.sutterdavis.org/volunteer/.

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LENDING WORKS INC: WE ARE IN NEED OF AN ACCOUNTANT TO HELP US TAKE CARE OF OUR FINANCIALS ONCE A MONTH using quick books. We are a non profit organization run by adults with disabilities. We provide interest free small business loans to people with disabilities. Please call us on (530)-747-0230 and ask for Judy or Sharon or email us at [email protected]

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The Davis Senior Center is recruiting volunteers for Connections Cafe, a new program that provides seniors tutoring and troublshooting advice on various tech devices. Events are held on the first and third Monday of each month from 6pm-8pm.

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Citizens Who Care Programs is looking for volunteers for their various programs that serve the elderly and their caregivers. These include our Caregiver Relief program, our Friendly Visiting program and our Saturday Club program at the Davis Senior Center.  If you enjoy older adults, contact us for how you can help. We have volunteer positions available in Davis and surrounding communities.

For more information on volunteering for Citizens Who Care, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Ellie Slaven, at (530) 668-8780 Monday through Thursday from 10 am to 3 pm or email e[email protected].  Or go online to http://citizenswhocare.us/help.html.

See also Fun Projects Around Davis

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Yolo County SPCA is always looking for volunteers to help out at their Placement event, held nearly every Saturday at Petco on Covell, from noon to four. Volunteers assist in setting up Placement, sitting with dogs and cats and introducing them to potential adopters. Volunteers are of all ages, genders and backgrounds, and are free to come and go as they please- no need to worry about staying the full four hours. 

If you are interested in volunteering for the Yolo County SPCA, contact our Volunteer Coordinator at (530) 902-9524 Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, or simply show up at one of our Placement events and you can fill out the paperwork and volunteer that same day. Please note that those under the age of 18 need a parent or guardian to help them fill out the paperwork. 

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Event-Specific Opportunities

  • Apartment Move-Out Waste Reduction Program needs volunteers from August 28 - September 1 to work whatever hours they can (morning, afternoon or evening) to help keep the donation stations organized and sort materials. Volunteers are invited to keep any items they wish that have been donated. Every year the City of Davis Recycling Program teams up with apartment managers to encourage reuse of items and to reduce the amount of waste that happens during the yearly August move-out. Davis Recycling staff sets up donation stations at participating apartment properties, and residents donate items they no longer want or need. Local non-profit groups and other apartment residents stop by and take the items they want. The end result is that good, usable items are kept out of the trash.
  • AJD Angels of Hope http://ajdangelsofhope.org On-going volunteer opportunities.
  • 4th Annual rideATAXIA bike ride! Fundraising benefits the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA). FARA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to research and finding a cure for FA - a debilitating, life-shortening, degenerative neuro-muscular disorder. For volunteer opportunities please visit our Registration page: http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1058095. Get Involved! Click on Volunteer Registration.
  • 4th Annual Davis Bicycles! Film Festival, a fundraiser for Davis Bicycles!, is seeking volunteers to submit films and help with organization for the upcoming film festival on October 14th. Contact [email protected] to help out or submit a film.
  • Yolo County CASA always needs volunteers to serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates for children in Yolo County. Also, for shorter commitments, there are two regular events in April and May related to Child Abuse Prevention Month and Foster Care Awareness month that need volunteer help. Please email [email protected] or call (530) 661-4200 to help. Great opportunity for groups, students, and retirees.
  • Celebrate Davis
  • Freedom From Hunger
  • Holiday Meal is a free holiday meal offered to the community annually, always (so far, to 2014) on December 24; volunteers are needed to help prepare, serve, deliver and clean up after the meal.
  • Mormon Helping Hands - Annual service day in Spring, fixing up sites in Davis, Woodland, Dixon, and Winters.
  • Picnic Day To volunteer either before or the day of Picnic Day please email [email protected]
  • Spay Day is held annually in late February or early March and provides low cost spaying and neutering of dogs and cats. Volunteer for Spay Day at UC Davis or through the Sacramento Area Animal Coalition.
  • UCD Ag & Environmental Science Field Day always needs more bodies to help keep track of all those high schoolers
  • Whole Earth Festival is held annually on Mother's Day weekend

Volunteering in Davis

"The community offers incredible volunteer opportunities. Our Center is proud to offer important information about what is available in Davis, Sacramento, the Bay Area and beyond. If you have an interest in community functions, organizations and events, come ask us a question. We are also a place to find out about Human Corps volunteer opportunities and can connect you with community groups in need of volunteers." website

  • UC Davis Community Service Resource is a UC Davis resource for community service in the area, and is administered through the Internship and Career Center. The website contains an online database of various organizations as well as ongoing volunteer opportunities.
  • Davis Volunteer Network lists all on-campus volunteer based groups as well as organizations centered around volunteering in the Davis community. In addition, each week the website updates upcoming events for volunteer opportunities.
  • Volunteer Davis is a message-board (like the old Upcoming Events page) for organizations to post their volunteer needs online.

Social Services

Families & Children

  • People Link needs host families in Davis for Chinese High School Students for 2 weeks: July 15-July 31, 2011. Please call 541-292-1553 for more information.
  • International Student Exchange needs volunteer families ASAP in Davis to host high school foreign exchange students for the 2009-2010 academic year! Our Area Representatives will guide you each step of the way to make this the experience of a lifetime! Please email Erin at [email protected] with interest, questions, or comments.
  • 4-H Program- Youth development program that focuses on teaching youth leadership, citizenship and life skills through experiential learning methods. website
  • ArtWise - An after-school art program that focuses on teaching drawing to 1st-6th graders. Volunteers help the program by assisting with various office duties. Contact [email protected]
  • Camp Kesem - Volunteer-run camp for children of current or former cancer patients. website
  • Campfire USA National, co-ed program for youth up to age 21, similar to Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. website
  • Connecting the Elderly to the Community
  • Boy Scouts
  • Girl Scouts
  • Yolo County CASA- Be a court appointed special advocate and provide support for children in foster care.website
  • The West Coast AAU Junior Olympic Games grants young athletes of ages 8 to 18 a chance to compete and commune among peers from all around the west coast. Those interested in volunteering for the games may download a form at the Campus Events website. The UC Davis campus will be hosting the games.
  • Explorit Science Center- Volunteers can help the local Science Center from building exhibits, maintaining the Explorit Store, to showing local youth the wonders of science. Visit explorit.org for more information.
  • Davis Art Center- Volunteers will help aide the local art center in the execution of a wide range of programs; including art classes, gallery receptions, musical performances, community outreach, and more. Please feel free to visit the front desk or email [email protected] for more information. Both long and short term volunteer positions are available.

Food & Shelter

  • Davis Community Meals - Serves free meals to homeless and low-income individuals and operates a transitional housing program/shelter.
  • Elderly Nutrition Program - Provides one hot mid-day meal to area seniors and their spouses regardless of income. website
  • Food Not Bombs - Recycle expired but still-good food from stores and restaurants to prepare vegetarian and healthy meals for everyone in Central Park. New volunteers are encouraged to come to the park and see what we do before getting involved. This is not a formal food distribution program. We share food just like you would at a picnic with friends.

  • Grace Garden raises vegetables and fruits to help feed the less fortunate and hungry of our community. Ninety percent of our harvest is donated to Friday’s Harvest, a weekly give-away at Davis Korean Church and to Davis Community Meals. https://sites.google.com/site/gracegardendavis

  • Grace In Action - A faith-based outreach ministry serving the needs of Yolo County homeless by providing spiritual companionship, food, clothing, access to health related resources and church-sponsored respite. website
  • Habitat for Humanity With local branches affiliated with Yolo County and UC Davis, this organization focuses on low-income housing development. International Website
  • Holiday Meal - An annual event, this free holiday meal is offered to the community usually on December 24.
  • Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter Collaboration between faith organizations, UC Davis organizations, community organizations and social services agencies, the shelter provides overnight accommodations to homeless individuals during winter months. website
  • Meals on Wheels
  • The Pantry - A UC Davis on campus food bank which offers non-perishable food items to students who are struggling to makes ends meet financially.
  • Short Term Emergency Aid Committee provides immediate short-term assistance with basic necessities to Yolo County families and individuals with incomes below the poverty level (website)
  • Village Harvest organizes volunteer harvests of unwanted fruit from backyard trees. The fruit goes to local food agencies to feed the hungry in Yolo County (website)

Health & Care-giving

see also Mental Health below

Human Rights

Mental Health

Other Social Services

Civic

A young aspen grows along Putah Creek in the Arboretum. Volunteer with either TREE Davis or the Arboretum to help beautify our environment.

  • The Arboretum has volunteer positions for docents as well as greenhouse helpers (website)
  • City of Davis commissions encourage public participation in a variety of city-oriented issues
  • Davis Park and Ride utilizes a volunteer work force to help promote carpooling
  • Pence Gallery is a non-profit art gallery which has art classes, lectures, and exhibits, and depends upon volunteers to greet the public, work at events, or to give tours to children. Contact them at 758-3370, or [email protected] (website)
  • TREE Davis is an organization which, in partnership with the City of Davis, educates the community in issues surrounding urban forestry, holds periodic workshops for industry professionals and interested community members, and has many planting and pruning events throughout the year. We especially need volunteers for our NeighborWoods planting events this fall. website
  • Yolo County Central Landfill relies heavily upon volunteer help during household hazardous waste drop-off days
  • Central Park Gardens is a completely volunteer run non-profit organization dedicated to renovating the gardens in Davis' Central Park. We need your help! website
  • City of Davis Want to do something meaningful in the Davis community? Whether you're looking to adopt a park, assist with community events, offer your professional skills, or lend your talents in other countless ways, you'll find there are endless opportunities to get involved in causes that matter to you right here in the City of Davis.

Animal Care

Environmental Issues

  • Tuleyome, an environmental conservation and education non-profit, needs volunteers for a variety of events throughout the year. Opportunities include; helping with youth events, helping in our community garden, restoring trails, tabling at events, and more! Visit http://www.meetup.com/Tuleyome-Home-Place-Adventures/ for current opportunities. 
  • BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag/Bottle/Beverage container) helps encourage local businesses and patrons to use reusable bags and beverage containers to reduce waste. Find out how to volunteer by e-mailing [email protected] web site: http://www.byobcalifornia.net/
  • Cache Creek Wild looks to volunteers to help protect our local rivers and wild lands
  • Campus Center for the Environment helps build environmental campaigns, runs a resource center and hosts community events
  • Putah Creek Council helps protect Putah Creek through restoration projects, tree planting, biomonitoring, workshops, and other events. The Putah Creek Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of Putah Creek and its tributaries through advocacy, education and community-based stewardship.
  • Yolo Hiker offers the community an education in our backyard wilderness.
  • See TREE Davis under the Civic heading above.
  • Sierra Club
  • Yolo Basin Foundation
  • The Apartment Move-Out Waste Reduction Program is run by the City of Davis Recycling Program at the end of August every year to reduce waste generated during the yearly August turnover at apartments. Volunteers are needed to keep donation stations tidy. Volunteers are encouraged to keep any items they want that have been donated.

Agriculture/Sustainable Ag

  • Community Alliance with Family Farmers works with local farmers to protect our environment and could use your help. Great for ag students.
  • Davis Dollars is launching a "Gardenscaping" project to create gardens in the yards of willing Davis residents for FREE. We are looking for anyone who will volunteer to create a garden, or donate materials or plants. For more information email us at [email protected]
  • See Village Harvest under the Food & Shelter heading above. (website)

Recreation

Media

Technological Issues

  • Davis Community Network
  • Davis Wiki by editing pages
  • LUGOD - "The Linux Users' Group of Davis is a 501(c)(7) non-profit computer club serving Davis, California and the Sacramento area. We are a collection of over 400 people dedicated to GNU/Linux TM (a powerful, free, Unix-like operating system), Free Software, Open Source, and other related topics." - from their website

Volunteering On Campus

Campus Clubs

Volunteering Outside of Davis

  • Food Bank of Yolo County solicits, receives, inventories and distributes donated foods and grocery products to local charitable feeding organizations
  • Mercer Veterinary Clinic for the Homeless, operated out of Loaves & Fishes in Sacramento, offers veterinary care to animal companions of the homeless; UC Davis vet med students and veterinarians provide volunteer services
  • Peace Corps - Help various countries by immersing yourself in a community through language, culture and interpersonal connection.
  • Teach for America
  • UC Davis Med Center PHUR Program - Stands for "Pets Helping Us Recover". Spend a few hours per month accompanying your well-behaved dog on hospital visits to patients who need some good dog lovin'. Dogs and their owners must have updated inoculations, pass a behavioral aptitude test, and bathe before visits. Nothing compares to the smiles your dog can bring to somebody stuck in the hospital watching Jerry Springer all day!
  • Intern or volunteer abroad with help from the EAC website
  • Amigos de las Americas (AMIGOS) is an international, non-profit organization that empowers high school and college students to develop leadership skills and increase multi-cultural understanding through training and community service in Latin America. Join the Sacramento-Davis Chapter to participate in this life-changing opportunity!
  • Heidrick Ag History Center The Heidrick Ag History Center is a non­profit organization dedicated to enhancing people’s education, understanding and appreciation of the rich heritage of agriculture and transportation. We are in need of additional volunteers to join our following teams- Gardens and Landscape, Woodworking, Office and Guest Services, Story Telling, Building Maintenance, and Special Event Outreach. Please contact Virginia at 530 666-9700
  • Yolo County Search and Rescue Team is seeking committed volunteers who enjoy the outdoors and helping others.
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