“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
On the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday we celebrate the Civil Rights leader’s life and legacy as a national day of service encouraging all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.
MLK Day serves as an opportunity for all of us, despite our differences, to unite in service while helping communities that are most in need.
This year, MLK Day is a consequential one. We are grappling with the unprecedented challenges that a global pandemic is placing on our communities. In the midst of a health crisis and a struggling economy, we’re needed to address these issues the only way we can – together.
No matter where you are, or how much time you have on your hands – there are ways you can give back in your community. Most volunteer activities only require an hour or two of your time and all events will be virtual or socially distanced.
You can safely volunteer by following volunteer safety guidelines we produced with the California Department of Public Health linked below.
Join us, as we honor a civil rights leader who manifested some of America’s best values in his work by committing to a service opportunity.
Don’t see your county listed below? Visit #CaliforniansForall to find other volunteer opportunities near you.
Volunteer Opportunities
Alameda County
Organization: City of Oakland
Event: MLK 40 Days of Service
Description: Due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we are not encouraging groups to come out on Monday, Jan. 18th. Instead, we are asking volunteers to pitch in as individuals and households to clean up as well as pledge to be Oaktown PROUD and commit to actions from your home and local neighborhood!
Day/Time: 01/15/21 – 02/28/21
Location: See specific opportunity for details
Organization: Key Club
Event: MLK Day of Service: Food on Foot
Description: The COVID-19 crisis can be isolating and scary for our homeless neighbors so our club is planning on making cards to be placed in the food bags at a shelter.
Day/Time: 01/17/21, 3:00 – 4:30pm
Location: Virtual opportunity – See event page for Zoom link
Organization: Service for Peace – Bay Area/Oakland
Event: MLK Day of Service – Neighborhood Cleanup
Description: Cleaning and beautifying the neighborhood as we are honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, legacy
Day/Time: 01/18/21, 9:00am – 12:00pm
Location: 1187 Meadow Ln, Concord, CA 94520
Organization: Perfect Strangers
Event: Food Distribution
Description: On MLK Day, we’ll be delivering meals in Oakland, CA as part of our work supporting the City of Oakland’s emergency meal distribution program and we’d love your support.
Day/Time: Mon, Jan 18 – Fri, Jan 22, 10:30am – 12pm PST
Location: This event’s address is private. Sign up for more details.
Butte County
Organization: North State Food Bank – Community Action Agency of Butte County
Event: Food Distribution
Description: Help with the Tailgate Distributions! From late Spring through early Fall, we host food distributions in various locations throughout our service area. You can also work in our food bank warehouse to help pack food boxes.
Day/Time: Times vary, check the distribution calendar
Location: Locations vary. See our calendar.
Contra Costa County
Organization: Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano
Event: MLK Jr. Family Food Sort
Description: Please join the Food Bank for our Family Food Sort to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service by serving people in need in our community. Families with children as young as five years old are invited to bag or box fresh produce at our warehouse.
Day/Time: 1/18/2021 9:00am – 4:00pm Multiple shifts available
Location: Concord and Fairfield CA – Sign up for details
Eureka County
Organization: Food For People
Event: Food distribution
Description: Volunteers needed to help pack food boxes, help distribute food, off-site delivery to those in need.
Day/Time: Times vary throughout the month, please check the monthly calendar for more details.
Location: Distribution sites vary throughout the month, check the January 2021 calendar for more information
Los Angeles County
Organization: L.A. Works
Event: MLK Day of Service 2021: Minecraft Tour Guide & Tech Support: Project Leadership
Description: Zoom in @home for expert speakers, volunteer events, and advocacy actions focusing on the impact of race on food insecurity, homelessness, and the criminal justice system. Join a tour of the National Mall on Minecraft in a virtual March on Washington.
Day/Time: 1/18/2021
Location: Virtual
Organization: L.A. Works
Event: MLK Day of Service 2021
Description: Guide and support volunteers as they immerse themselves in the virtual Minecraft March on Washington exhibit.
Day/Time: 11/30/20 – 01/20/21, Sign-up for more detail
Location: Virtual
Organization: Funzone Reading Club for Homeless Kids
Event: 2021 MLK Day Fun Sports Equipment Drive 4 Homeless- Low-income Kids
Description: Volunteer to collect a backpack full of school supplies, toys, bike, books, video games, or collect sports supplies to be donated at one of our drop off sites.
Day/Time: See link for details.
Location: 488 N.Raymound Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103
Organization: Pasadena-Altadena Community Youth Assoc.
Event: 2021 MLK DAY Fun Community Clean Up In World Famous Dtla, CA
Description: Joyful volunteers come together to celebrate 2021 Grand reopening of World famous Gladys Park by cleaning out tree wells clean sweep the public sidewalks and bag trash in beautiful world famous Skid Row.
Day/Time: 01/18/21, 10:00am – 11:30am
Location: World Famous Gladys Park 808 E.6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90021
Organization: Pasadena-Altadena Community Youth Assoc.
Event: 2021 MLK Day Fun Ice Cream & Hygiene Kits Give A Way To Homeless US Vets
Description: Join the fun with other Joyful volunteers at our “2021 Day of Service Fun Give Away Tour” by bringing ice cream, cook food dish and or a backpack full of supplies to be distributed to our beloved homeless U.S Vets and other beloved homeless peoples that live on the streets of world-famous Skid Row,CA.
Day/Time: 01/18/21, 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Location: World Famous Gladys Park 808 E.6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90022
Organization: L.A. Works
Event: MLK Day of Service 2021 Volunteer Researcher
Description: Joyful volunteers come together to celebrate 2021 Grand reopening of World famous Gladys Park by cleaning out tree wells clean sweep the public sidewalks and bag trash in beautiful world famous Skid Row.
Day/Time: Jan 18, 2021 @ 10:00 am – Jan 18, 2021 @ 11:30 am
Location: World Famous Gladys Park 808 E.6th Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90021
Organization: Pasadena-Altadena Community Youth Association
Event: 2021 MLK DAY Fun Community Clean Up In World Famous Dtla,CA
Description: If you’re interested in deep dives of historical figures this is the project for you! Volunteer researchers will help curate a list of figures of past and present alongside other volunteers to help develop a reference point in our Minecraft recreation of the march on Washington.
Day/Time: 01/13/2021 – 01/18/2021
Location: Virtual
Organization: Perfect Strangers
Event: Food distribution
Description: On MLK Day, we’ll be delivering meals in Los Angeles, CA as part of our work supporting COVID meal distribution. Details are coming together in real-time and we’ll update them soon. We hope you can support through the week and for weeks to come.
Day/Time: Mon, Jan 18 – Tue, Jan 19, 8am – 4pm PST
Location: This event’s address is private. Sign up for more details.
Marin, Napa, Solano, Sonoma County
Organization: Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership
Event: MLK Day of Service 2021: Operation D.R.E.A.M.
Description: We are requesting your support by donating in-kind new children’s books, pre-packaged/non-perishable snacks, new bookmarks and/or a gift certificate to purchase such items. All donations will be distributed by CVNL to local agencies that champion youth literacy and hunger.
Day/Time: 01/18/21 – 02/19/21
Location: See specific opportunity for details
Mendocino County
Organization: Mendocino Food and Nutrition Program Inc.
Event: Food distribution
Description: Provide nutritious food that supports people in creating a healthier and better life.
Location: 910 N Franklin St., Fort Bragg CA
Day/Time: Distribution: 10-11:30 AM & 12-3 PM
Orange County
Organization: Grandma’s House of Hope
Event: ON-SITE NEED Calling all Warehouse Warriors for MLK Day of Service
Description: GHH Needs Volunteers! Are you an expert organizer? Clean warehouses and inventory efficiency is your thing? Are you able to lift heavy items? Join our volunteer team and assist Grandma’s House of Hope to help organize our donation center!
Location: 12761 Western Avenue, Unit A, Garden Grove, CA 92841
Day/Time: D 01/18/21, 10:00am – 3:00pm
Sacramento County
Organization: St. Paul COGIC
Event: Food Distribution
Description: Volunteers are needed to do the following: 1) put food on pallets 2) direct traffic of incoming people 3) bring bag to people one at a time.
Day/Time: Every Wednesday 8:00am – 12:00pm
Location: 2771 Grove Ave, Sacramento, CA 95815
Organization: St. Paul COGIC
Event: Organize food items
Description: Volunteers are needed to do the following:
1) bag up canned and sorted food items
2) store and organize food by category in tables and in designated areas
Day/Time: Every Tuesday 8:00am – 12:00pm
Location: 2771 Grove Ave, Sacramento, CA 95816
Organization: River City Food Bank
Event: Food Distribution & Food Set Up
Description: Are you an early bird? We always need extra hands to help us prep and set up for our food distribution. The food bank also needs help in the late morning/afternoon to organize and distribute bags of food to people in need.
Day/Time: Set Up: 8:30am -10:30am, Distribution: 10:15am – 2:30pm, (See calendar to select a day that works for you)
Location: Locations at Arden & Midtown. Sign up for more detail.
San Diego County
Organization: Lucky Duck Foundation
Event: Food distribution
Description: Help sort and load boxes into a “pick-up ready” configuration and then load meals into service providers’ vehicles.
Location: Chula Vista, Miramar, San Diego: Full opportunity address and directions will be sent to you by e-mail after you sign up.
Day/Time: Chula Vista: 7:30 – 9 AM, Miramar: 7:30 – 9 AM, San Diego: 8:15 – 9:15 AM
San Francisco County
Organization: San Francisco-Marin Food Bank
Event: Pop up pantry, packing food banks at the warehouse, deliver fresh groceries to homebound recipients
Description: Help in a variety of different programs from our pop up pantries to packing food boxes at our warehouse or delivering fresh groceries to homebound recipients.
Location: Locations vary based on program of interest. See the following link for more information: https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/volunteer/
Day/Time: Times vary based on program of interest.
Organization: Golden Gate Audobon Society
Event: Volunteer with Golden Gate Audubon in Golden Gate Park
Description: Restore white-crowned sparrow and other coast scrub species habitat with San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department and Golden Gate Audubon.
Location: Bison (Buffalo)Paddock, John F Kennedy Drive, San Francisco, CA 94121
Day/Time: Flexible Schedule
San Jose County
Organization: Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
Event: Sort food, food distribution, food deliver, host a virtual food drive
Description: Help us sort and box the fresh produce and healthy groceries we provide to neighbors in our community. Help your neighbors get the nutritious food they need by volunteering at one of our community food distributions. A recurring volunteer activity, load your vehicle and deliver healthy groceries to homes of seniors and other homebound clients in Santa Clara or San Mateo County. Virtual food drives – a.k.a. fundraisers – are a great way to support the cause. Create a customized fundraising page, spread the word and raise critical support.
Location: 4001 N 1st St, San Jose, CA 95134
Day/Time: Varies on position
San Mateo County
Organization: Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
Event: Fight Hunger! MLK Center Food Distribution
Description: Food distribution is a hands-on volunteer activity. Activities could include assisting with room set up, unloading and moving food from pallets to the distribution center; sorting and distributing food; and clean up.
Day/Time: Every Tuesday. Choose a shift that works best for you
Location: Martin Luther King Center, 725 Monte Diablo, San Mateo, CA 94401
Santa Clara County
Organization: Our City Forest
Event: MLK Day of Service
Description: Join Our City Forest in effecting a positive impact on our community this year! Help us connect with the community and volunteer to help us create a local scavenger hunt or decorate signs to help identify species in our urban forests!
Day/Time: 01/18/21, 9:00am – 12:00pm
Location: Virtual opportunity
Santa Cruz County
Organization: YouthSERVE
Event: Writing Hope into Our World At Home Project
Description: Join us from home to celebrate MLK Day by writing a letter of encouragement, support, or thanks to the organization or nonprofit of your choice. You are welcome to write to a social justice organization in Santa Cruz County or across the nation!
Day/Time: Volunteers needed through 01/22/21
Location: At-home opportunity
Shasta County
Organization: Dignity Health Connected Living’s Food Bank
Event: Onsite and offsite food distribution
Description: Help provide food for our communities with distributions on-site at our Redding location or off-site at many locations around the county.
Day/Time: Call (530) 226-3071 for specific hours
Location: 100 Mercy Oaks Drive, Redding CA 96003
Additional Service Opportunities
Organization: #CaliforniansForAll
Event: Check in on your neighbor
Description: Calling all Neighbors! Check-in on your neighbors to make sure they have access to food and necessary supplies. By signing up, you are pledging to do this simple yet impactful task.
Day/Time: Ongoing
Location: Virtual or from Home
Organization: Multiple
Event: Donate Blood
Description: Blood donation is essential amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The need for blood is constant, make an appointment today.
Day/Time: Make an appointment
Location: Multiple (find one near you)
Organization: #CaliforniansForAll
Event: Safely Make Masks & Face Coverings for your Community
Description: Masks and face coverings can slow the spread of the virus. By following safety guidelines you can safely equip your community, friends and loved ones with a face covering.
Day/Time: Ongoing
Location: From home
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Copyright © 2020 State of California
Powered by: CAWeb Publishing Service