San Francisco “How to Volunteer” for the Holidays 2025 Guide
December is in full swing, so why not spread some holiday cheer? Give back to San Francisco with one of these great volunteer opportunities.
Spend your Christmas with the elderly, prepare meals to feed to homeless, help giveaway children’s toys to kids in need, and more. It’s the best gift you can give; no stressful shopping required.
City Impact’s Christmas Day Outreach 2025
San Francisco City Impact is reaching out to the Tenderloin community. Volunteers will serve hot meals and distribute blankets at the hospitality hub, cook and package hundreds of fresh meals, assemble and deliver meals to residents, host a Christmas party, sort and give away toys, and take part in many other opportunities to serve.
December 25, 2025 | 8 am to 2 pm | 144 Taylor St., San Francisco
RSVP online. A $25 registration fee is required and will go directly towards making this event possible. – Confirmed as of 11/3/2025
Salvation Army San Francisco Angel Tree Christmas Family Shopping Event 2025
December 18-20, 2025
The Salvation Army Kroc Center, 240 Turk Street, San Francisco, CAWant to be Santa’s Helper this year? Volunteer with the Salvation Army San Francisco as we distribute toys to low income families. To help preserve the dignity of choice, volunteers will help parents/guardians select gifts based on their children’s wish list in the pop-up toy shop. Detailed instructions/training will be provided onsite to volunteer shoppers. Sign up to volunteer. – Confirmed as of 11/4/2025
Salvation Army San Francisco’s Toy Sorting & Packing 2025
December 15-17, 2025 | 9 am-12 pm or 1-4 pm
The Salvation Army Kroc Center, 240 Turk Street, San Francisco, CAWe are looking for Elves (volunteers) to help us sort and stock Christmas toys for nearly 1,500 children in need this holiday season. To help preserve the dignity of choice, all unwrapped, donated gifts will be received to the pop-up toy shop to be sorted by type, labeled by general value, and stocked so parents/guardians have the opportunity to select toys based on their children’s wish list during their shopping appointment later in the week. Sign up to volunteer. – Confirmed as of 11/4/2025
Salvation Army Christmas Meal Delivery 2025
December 25, 2025 | 6 am – 12:15 pm
The Salvation Army Culinary Training Academy, 155 Clara Street, San Francisco, CAHelp brighten someone’s Christmas morning by delivering a fresh home-style meal with all the trimmings straight to their door. Volunteers are needed to drive and deliver meals on Christmas morning to 4,000 homebound individuals throughout San Francisco. Most deliveries will consist of 20-40 meals and will take no around 1.5 to 2 hours (no longer than 3 hours maximum) to complete. All deliveries occur within San Francisco. Sign up to volunteer. – Confirmed as of 11/4/2025
Find additional Salvation Army volunteer opportunities.
GLIDE’s Christmas Eve Prime Rib Luncheon Celebration 2025
December 24, 2025 | 11 am–1:30 pm
GLIDE, 330 Ellis St, SFVolunteer at GLIDE for their annual Christmas Eve celebration sponsored each year by Joe Betz and San Francisco’s House of Prime Rib who provide prime rib and all the sides for GLIDE’s special mouthwatering Christmas Eve Brunch to as many as 2,400 guests in the outdoor tented dining room. Additionally, GLIDE will deliver 200 meals to encampments across the city. Starting November 1, you can sign up for Holiday Volunteer Opportunities. If their volunteer needs on a particular holiday have already been met, please consider supporting GLIDE through a donation or by volunteering on another day. – Confirmed as of 11/3/2025
GLIDE’s Christmas Meals 2025
December 25, 2025 | Various shifts available starting from 6:30 am
GLIDE, 330 Ellis St, SFGLIDE invites you to volunteer on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas to help provide thousands of homeless and needy families and individuals. Volunteer shifts are available for Christmas Eve and Christmas breakfast, Christmas Eve “GLIDE on the Go” which serves thePrime Rib Luncheon out in the community, Christmas meal prep and service, and Christmas Turkey and Ham Carving. Sign up to volunteer.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day shifts open Monday, December 1 at 9am. If you don’t get one, don’t worry spots open often as plans change, so keep refreshing the calendar or join the wait list. If their volunteer needs on a particular holiday have already been met, please consider supporting GLIDE through a donation or by volunteering on another day. – Confirmed as of 11/3/2025Project Open Hand 2025 – San Francisco
Join Project Open Hand over the holidays in providing meals with love to our sick and elderly neighbors. During Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, volunteers will help assemble and prepare medically-tailored meals and sort and package groceries.
730 Polk St., San Francisco
RSVP to volunteer – Confirmed as of 11/3/2025Little Brothers: Friends of the Elderly’s Christmas Elder Visits
December 2025 | Various shifts
Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly San Francisco Bay Area, 909 Hyde Street, Suite 628, San Francisco, CAHelp spread the holiday cheer and visit our older friends in December. Little Brothers would like to invite you to participate in their upcoming December Holiday Events. There are many different ways to volunteer: In-person visits, Remote visit (limited availability), and holiday gift deliveries (In-person visits with gift bag). Please note, in order to participate in their In-Home Visit program, you must complete a volunteer orientation and background check. You are more than welcome to bring along family or friends. Sign up to volunteer. – Please note that December holiday volunteer events are yet to be announced, but check their website to stay informed on their volunteer opportunities. – Last checked 11/4/25
