United Way of Anchorage is hosting 2024 Day of Caring on Tues., Sept. 10. We’re excited about our volunteer events and working with you to improve our community!
This year, we’re collaborating with Catholic Social Services – Alaska and the Mountain View Boys & Girls Club. We’ve coordinated three projects in Mountain View for you to support.
Mountain View Boys & Girls Club | Grow North Farm | Fresh International Gardens
We have other community projects available throughout the Municipality of Anchorage.
Day of Caring is a great way to engage with your community and team build while providing a service that uplifts our funded partners.
Supplies and donations can be dropped off at 3350 Commercial Dr., Anchorage, AK 99501. To schedule and coordinate volunteers shifts, please contact Aud Pleas, Volunteer Engagement and Events Coordinator, at apleas@ak.org.
Fresh International Gardens is an agricultural program that encourages wellbeing, expands food-access, and supports small-business development in refugee communities. New arrivals to Alaska are welcome to participate in the Fresh International Gardens co-op to earn supplemental income, practice English-language skills, and access fresh vegetables.
Volunteers would help winterize the farm for the winter. This is a four to five hour time commitment. Shifts will be coordinated by Aud.
Address: N Pine St &, McPhee Ave, Anchorage, AK
Grow North Farm empowers and equips refugee and immigrant owned food businesses with support and community in order to plant the seeds of self sufficiency, generational wealth, and well-being. We invite Anchorage to meet their neighbors by experiencing community through locally grown and prepared foods.
Volunteers would help prep the farm for the winter. This is a four to five hour commitment. Shifts will be coordinated by Aud.
Address: 3601 Mountain View Dr, Anchorage, AK 99508
The Mountain View Boys & Girls Club is requesting assistance in tending to their grounds including tree planting, shaping the Christmas tree and weed whacking. Another group to touch up and repaint areas within the clubhouse. Their bike shop also needs some love with wrenching bikes and updating inner tubes. This is a two hour time commitment. Shifts will be scheduled during 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Participating volunteers are encourage to bring gardening tools and other supplies.
Address: 315 Price St, Anchorage, AK 99508
Looking to spread some kindness and make a difference in the lives of our unsheltered neighbors? Join us as we assemble outreach kits for those forced to sleep outside. These kits include essentials like hygiene products, snacks, basic first aid and more!
This is a one hour time commitment from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
There are dates available before and after our Day of Caring on September 9, September 23 and October 7.
Address: 3427 E Tudor Rd A, Anchorage, AK 99507
Bean's Cafe is in need of clean up support around their administrative offices. Volunteer opportunities include:
Clean up in our downstairs kitchen (located in the Bean’s Cafe admin office) this includes anything with wiping down chairs, tables and even mopping our floors. This will help Bean’s Cafe prep this space as they prepare to host their new and upcoming volunteer opportunity where we are serving Breakfast & Dinner.
Landscaping and cleaning outside. Breakfast is served from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and this will help reset the area for future meal service. This includes trimming the bushes, general landscaping and repainting of the parking lot lines (whether permitting).
Demo project with our freezers downstairs in our Kitchen (This project will need to include man-power and one also good with electrician wiring).
Bean’s Cafe will provide the materials if needed and it would be greatly helped if there were any individuals that had any contributions to apply as well.
Address: 1020 E 4th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501
There are many ways that you can get involved and help us meet the growing need in our community. From helping a refugee family move into their new home to preparing meals for guests residing in our emergency shelter — there are a variety of ways to join us and volunteer in Anchorage.
Meal Team Monthly Slots
This is a great group volunteer effort; 120 sack breakfast and lunches must be prepared and dropped off at the Brother Francis Shelter. We are looking for teams to fill up monthly slots. Meal Team volunteers help to fill new arrivals' fridge with food for a week while our staff assists the family with signing up for SNAP benefits. Meal teams help provide families with items like potatoes, carrots, onions, eggs, milk and more.
Address: 1021 E 3rd Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501
Senior Box Build (Monday through Friday, mornings & afternoons)
Food Bank of Alaska works with volunteers in an assembly line to build and pack 2100 Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) boxes each month for Senior Box Build (Mon-Fri, mornings & afternoons). The CSFP works to improve the health of low-income persons at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA Foods.
This is a three hour commitment available starting August 13 through September 27.
Food Bank of Alaska's Mobile Food Pantry distributes perishable food free of charge at multiple locations each week. Depending on availability items may include: fresh veggies, fruit, bread, dairy, and/or refrigerated/frozen food.
Address: Food Bank of Alaska 2192 Viking Drive Anchorage, AK 99501
The Mobile Food Pantry (Volunteers need to be there at 9:00 a.m.)
The Jewel Lake Church of the Nazarene will be prepackaging the food to then load into cars. Setup, packaging, distribution, and tear down of the Mobile Food Pantry lasts 2.5 hours. Please park around the back of the church (the parking lot closest to Jewel Lake Road). The main parking lot is used as a rolling parking lot since we're doing a drive thru model. This is a two to three hour time commitment starting August 17 through October 26.
Volunteers must be at least 10 years of age to sign up. This activity occurs outside, please dress according to the weather.
Address: Jewel Lake Church of the Nazarene 4025 W 88th Ave
The Children’s Lunchbox originated with a dedicated emphasis on enhancing child nutrition and addressing food security concerns. Over time, our mission has expanded to support entire families, broadening our impact. We offer a diverse range of nourishing options, including fresh and non-perishable meals packed in pantry boxes. These boxes are distributed through local community programs tailored to serve both children and families. Our prepared meals are delivered to partner sites, ensuring that the essential nutritional support reaches those who need it most. Each pantry box provides a breakfast, lunch, or dinner meal for a family of four and is given out in multiples to feed the whole family.
Pantry Pack Food Ideas will be provided to your group as your purchase the items the for these kits.
Food donations are accepted Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm
Address: 1020 E 4th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501
STAR, Inc. would love it if a team of volunteers could help make buttons. These are the most popular swag items when they attend events throughout the community like health fairs and conferences. The buttons feature various images and messages of support, as well as our 24/7 crisis line number. The task includes cutting or punching out paper images and assembling them with our button makers. This is a three to four hour time commitment.
Address: 1057 W Fireweed Ln Ste 230 Anchorage, AK 99503, US
Bean’s Cafe is in continual need of food and funds to distribute and provide meals to individuals in shelter and experiencing homelessness and to provide meals for children and entire families. There is a specific request for shelf food (non perishables), produce, beef and single serve items. They will not turn away any donations and will make good use of each item dropped off!
All food items can be dropped off at our warehouse, Monday- Friday, 9am - 4:00 pm
Address: Warehouse on 1524 Ship Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501
Saint Francis House Food Pantry (SFH) is one of the largest food pantries in the state of Alaska, providing emergency food assistance for an average of 1,300 families every month. The food distributed through St. Francis House Food Pantry comes from The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), Food Bank of Alaska, and many generous individuals and local grocery stores. SFH serves any adult or family seeking food assistance and can serve as a gateway point for many people to connect to other resources. We are open 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Monday – Thursday and 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. on the 4th Wednesday of the month.
Address: 3710 E 20th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99508
The UAA Seawolf Food Pantry serves all UAA students who are experiencing some type of food insecurity and provides a three-day supply of shelf-stable food for individuals and households of up to four people. The food pantry can be used twice every month by each UAA student.
Bins are placed around the campus including the Professional Studies Building, Student Union, and UAA/APU consortium library where community members and organizations can donate food and combat food scarcity on campus. This drive is open to the community.
Address: 2533 Providence Dr, Anchorage, AK 99508
Here is the wish list:
