Volunteer Opportunities

Thousands of volunteers like you support The Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count every January and we could not do it without you. The 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count volunteer registration is live! The 2026 count dates are Tuesday January 20th, Wednesday January 21st, and Thursday, January 22nd. Remember to sign up early and invite your friends and neighbors! 

In the meantime, we encourage you to consider the volunteer opportunities below and to connect with the Homeless Service Provider nearest to you to learn more and get involved. 

Antelope Valley (Service Planning Area 1) 

Adults, Families, & Youth 

• Volunteer with Valley Oasis 

  • Opportunities include working at the Valley Oasis Thrift Shoppe, training to become crisis intervention advocates to support survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, and more. Email volunteer@avdvc.org for more information. 

• Volunteer with Hathaway Sycamore Child & Family Services 

  • Help distribute food at their Palmdale Food bank on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. 

• Volunteer with the Salvation Army Antelope Valley Corps 

  • Holiday bell ringers are needed to support holiday fundraising efforts. Register here and email antelopevalley@usw.salvationarmy.org with any questions.

San Fernando Valley (Service Planning Area 2) 

Adults & Families 

• Volunteer with LA Family Housing 

  • Ongoing opportunities include helping to organize game nights, kids' parties, and other special events for Interim Housing residents; providing specialized services like hair cuts, yoga, and dog grooming; and volunteering in the kitchen. 

• Volunteer with Hope the Mission

  • Ongoing opportunities include meal prep, helping at shelters, building shelters, and assembling hygiene kits. 

• Volunteer with A Bridge to Home

  • Ongoing opportunities include shelter support, client services, youth engagement, fundraising events, and administrative tasks. They are seeking front desk support volunteers to assist with answering calls, welcoming guests and clients, and handling client mail.

Youth 

• Volunteer with The Village Family Services 

  • Opportunities include hosting donation drives and providing services (haircare, yoga, art, dance, life skills classes) at their Drop-In Center. 

San Gabriel Valley (Service Planning Area 3) 

Adults & Families 

• Volunteer with Union Station Homeless Services 

  • Opportunities include volunteering for kitchen shifts, donating sack lunches, providing enrichment activities at one of their 16 locations such as bingo, meditation, and more. You could also become a Community Accountability Partner - providing social skills development and community for our program participants. 

Youth 

• Hathaway Sycamore Child & Family Services  

  • Opportunities include group projects like planting a garden, fixing up a cottage, or throwing a party. You could also offer mentorship and tutoring, and help out at local events. 

Central Los Angeles (Service Planning Area 4) 

Adults 

• Volunteer with The People Concern

  • Opportunities include training to support domestic violence survivors through the Sojourn Program (40 hour training required), providing pet related service, helping with food services, case management, donation sorting, lifeskills activities, and front desk reception. 

  • *Note there are also volunteer opportunities with The People Concern in West LA (SPA 5). 

• Volunteer with Chrysalis 

  • Opportunities include resume writing and cover letter assistance, practice interviews, and job application assistance. 

  • Requirements: 6 month commitment, volunteer at least every other week one hour minimum. 

  • Shifts available in Downtown LA, Santa Monica, and Pacoima.

• Volunteer with the Downtown Women's Center 

  • Opportunities include kitchen services, staffing the learning center to help program participants with computer use, and serving onsite at Permanent Supportive Housing locations.

• Volunteer with the Midnight Mission

  • Opportunities include in serving daily meals to the Skid Row Community, organizing through donations, tutoring adults for their GED, physical training, and special events.

  • Volunteers must sign-up through their volunteer platform called Get Connected. The Midnight Mission accepts corporations, faith-based groups, and schools. Underaged volunteers are welcome, but they must be accompanied by someone over the age of 18 and must have a parent or guardian’s signature on their waiver.

Adults and Families 

• Volunteer with PATH 

  • Opportunities include donating welcome home kits, sorting donations, hosting community workshops, and being a food rescue driver. 

  • *Note there are also volunteer opportunities with PATH in West LA (SPA 5). 

Youth 

• Volunteer with the Los Angeles LGBT Center 

  • Opportunities include direct program support, offering internship programs, helping with events, and special projects.  

West Los Angeles (Service Planning Area 5) 

Adults & Families 

• Volunteer with St. Joseph Center 

  • Opportunities include food pantry staffing and delivery, staffing the Bread & Roses Cafe in Venice, mail and voicemail service and the Homeless Service Center, and supporting the CodeTalk program which teaches women computer coding skills. 

Youth 

• Volunteer with Safe Place for Youth 

  • Opportunities include working shifts and serving meals at the Drop-In Center, picking up meals, running workshops for youth, and more.  

South Los Angeles (Service Planning Area 6) 

Adults & Families 

• Volunteer with SSG HOPICS  

Youth 

• Volunteer with CRCD 

East Los Angeles (Service Planning Area 7) 

Adults 

• Volunteer with PATH 

  • Opportunities include donating welcome home kits, sorting donations, hosting community workshops, and being a food rescue driver. 

Families 

• Volunteer with The Whole Child 

  • Opportunities include organizing donation drives, including for new books for children and teens, joining their 2025 gala committee, and spreading cheer through their Holiday Helper project. 

Youth 

• Volunteer with Jovenes 

  • Opportunities include helping youth focus on academics and employment. 
     

South Bay/Harbor (Service Planning Area 8) 

Adults, Families, & Youth 

• Volunteer with Harbor Interfaith 

  • Opportunities include helping operate the Food Pantry and Clothing Closet, tutoring children, and providing clerical support. 

Countywide/Varied Locations

All Populations

• Volunteer with Better Angels 

  • Opportunities include supporting their frequent Resource Days, graphic design, photography and videography, mentorship, and helping recruit volunteers.

You can also check out Volunteer Match/Idealist, Let's Volunteer LA and LA Works for more local volunteer opportunities.  

Homeless Service Providers: Don't see your organization on this list? Want to be included? Email LAHSA's Community Relations Unit: communityrelations@lahsa.org to join our monthly collaborative of volunteerism champions working to maximize the power of volunteers to help our most vulnerable neighbors and we will share your volunteer opportunities here and in our monthly newsletter.  

Questions: Do you have questions about volunteering, the homeless services system, the homeless count, or homelessness generally? Email communityrelations@lahsa.org and we are happy to help!