As the unofficial start of summer kicks off and the school year ends, opportunities to get involved and volunteer are plentiful. Safely gather the whole family or a group of friends to volunteer virtually or explore opportunities to give back solo. We have rounded up a list of ways to get involved and give back to the community this May in Essex County.
May 13: Latino-American Chamber of Commerce New Director Board Members Oath Fundraising Ceremony {844 McCarter Highway, Newark}
Business owners, politicians, and entrepreneurs are invited to see new board members take their oath. Attendees will support the continued education for the success of small business owners. Donations are $60 per person and can be purchased online. Learn more here.
May 13th: Boys and Girls Club of Newark Evening of the Stars 33rd Annual Gala {Virtual}
The annual fundraiser for The Boys and Girls Club of Newark is a chance to celebrate those in the community who provide support and encouragement to children and families. The event is free and open to the public with opportunities to donate available that will benefit the 1,000 young people serviced daily. Learn more here.
May 18th: Annual Spring Benefit for Newark School of the Arts “Talent in Bloom” {Virtual}
Gather for a virtual cocktail hour and reception followed by an awards ceremony and program to support the Newark School of the Arts. Honorees this year include actress Naturi Naughton and culinary expert Chef Marcus Samuelsson. The event is open and free to the public with opportunities to donate available. Learn more here.
On-Going Opportunities
Animal Fostering at Pound Animal Welfare Society
Fostering a pet could save the animal’s life. PAWS in Montclair is consistently looking for loving foster parents to provide a safe environment for cats until they find a forever home. Fostering allows for a less stressful environment than a shelter and also starts the socialization process with humans earlier. Learn more here.
Big Brother Big Sister Essex {500 Broad Street, Newark}
Serving Hudson, Essex, and Union Counties, this chapter of Big Brother Big Sister is looking for volunteers who are ready to make a positive impact on the lives of “littles” in the community. With a time, commitment of just about four hours per month, a world of difference can be made for the students involved in the program. ‘Bigs’ are asked to engage with ‘littles’ through age-appropriate activities and conversation that will showcase more of what the world has to offer. Learn more here.
Covenant House New Jersey {330 Washington Street, Newark}
For anyone interested in working with young people and have lots of skills to offer, Covenant House needs support. Direct service volunteers can lead workshops and courses such as yoga, meditation, music, fitness, job readiness, parenting, and more. Volunteers must commit to at least 6 months of consistent service to help foster a stable environment for those benefiting from the services. Learn more here.
First Seventh-Day Adventist Church Soup Kitchen {15 Elmwood Avenue, Montclair}
Every Sunday from 12:00-2:30 the soup kitchen at the First Seventh-Day Adventist Church is available to those in need in the community. Join as a volunteer to this ministry that has been in and of service for over a decade. Volunteers are needed to prepare and serve food. Learn more here.
House of Love Soup Kitchen/Pantry {589-95 Central Avenue, Newark}
Completely run by volunteers, the House of Love Soup Kitchen serves about 30 persons every Tuesday for two hours. In addition to a hot nutritious meal, guests receive spiritual guidance, connection to resources of other non-profits in the area, and ‘care packages’ of perishable and non-perishable goods. Learn more here.
Human Needs Food Pantry {9 Label Street, Montclair}
Opportunities to give back to the community are always available here. As a necessary component to the operation of the food pantry, volunteers are needed to do tasks from packaging fruits and vegetables to sorting donated clothes. For those who would like to interact with the community, the opportunity to deliver food to home-bound clients is available. Learn more about this volunteer opportunity here.
Isaiah House {239 N Munn Avenue, East Orange}
Since 1988 Isaiah House has been a force in the community working to prevent homelessness, hunger, and unemployment. Volunteers are needed daily at this organization to help with food pantry distribution, sorting of donated clothing, houseware, and electronic devices, and other areas of expertise such as yoga, meditation, public speaking, and networking. Learn more here.
Montclair Community Farms {108 Orange Road, Montclair}
The Montclair Community Farms mission is to educate and engage the community through the farm, food, and health. The community has come to love their volunteer opportunities to learn more about urban farming and help make healthy food accessible to those in the area. Opportunities to volunteer have been scarce in the past year, but ongoing opportunities are beginning again soon. Email head farmer Lana at lana@montclaircommunityfarms.org to learn about current opportunities. Learn more here.
Plant-It Forward Newark {Newark}
Every week, passionate volunteers gather to plant and beautify the neighborhoods. Volunteers will be provided with their rubber gloves and asked to bring their own face covering and latex gloves. Digging, watering, weeding, composting, and various other tasks are expected. Learn more here.
Sierra House {134 Evergreen Place, East Orange}
With just a couple of hours per month, volunteers of Sierra House are able to make a huge impact on the overall community. The mission of this non-profit is to support the homeless, youth with developmental disabilities, and low to moderate individuals and families. Volunteers are needed for educational programs, gardening projects, and more. Every 4th Friday of the month volunteers are invited to cook and serve meals to guests. Learn more here.
St. John’s Soup Kitchen {22 Mulberry Street, Newark}
Volunteers are the heartbeat of this soup kitchen. Without the generous support of individuals that come daily, St. John’s Soup Kitchen would not be possible. Starting at age 16, anyone interested can prepare and serve food to guests of the kitchen. Learn more here.
Teen Volunteer Opportunities at the Montclair Public Library {50 South Fullerton Avenue, Montclair}
During the pandemic volunteer opportunities have been difficult to come by especially for teens in search of projects to fulfill school requirements or to simply have something to do after school hours. The Montclair Public Library saw this concern and created new opportunities. For those looking for virtual volunteer opportunities, sign up to be a Reading Buddy from now until May. For those comfortable with in-person volunteering, opportunities to be involved with the Summer Reading Program are now available. Learn more here.
Toni’s Kitchen {73 South Fullerton Street, Montclair}
Serving food to the community is a daily ongoing effort. Toni’s Kitchen in Montclair is available for this support. However, they can stay in operation with the support of ongoing volunteers. Those high school age and up are eligible to help with serving food to guests. Opportunities are available for individuals and groups daily. Learn more here.
