All to often, people are turned off by the prospect of volunteering with the sick and disabled because of fear and/or a lack of understanding of their conditions. Yet volunteering with the sick/disabled has a myriad of benefits for all involved. Click here for more information.

• Be a special friend to a person with disabilities
• Take your friend on your fun family outings and adventures
• Go on a walk together
• Become a best buddy to a child with developmental disabilities
• Help with setup and decorations and/or cleanup of a party
• Put on a special party with a holiday, birthday or other fun theme
• Have a special story time or reading hour
• Tell funny stories
• Help run an event or cheer and support athletes for the Special Olympics
• Tutor at an after school program for children with mental retardation
• Deliver meals to people with AIDS
• Walk or Run to educate and raise money for cancer research (or another important disease)
• Sort through donations for families being sheltered from abuse
• Support the Red Cross disaster relief programs in your area
• Provide housing for out-of-town hospital patients' families
• Groom, care for, and lead horses that give therapy to people who are disabled
• Do craft projects and wrap gifts for a women's shelter
• Accompany people with disabilities to fun plays, concerts, or other events in the community
• Teach arts and crafts to children with disabilities
• Help with painting projects and/or horticulture
• Play soccer or other sports with youth who have developmental disabilities
• Grant “wishes” for children who are sick
• Deliver or serve meals to people who are bedridden or their families
• Make food for families with relatives in the hospital
• Put on a concert for people with disabilities
• Donate your hair for children with cancer

Find a volunteer opportunity in your community

Do you have another idea for us? Let us know! Send an email here.

Have you had a great (or perhaps not so good!) volunteering experience with your family that you would like to share? Fill out our volunteer reflection form, and we might showcase your experience and reflections on our website!