Giving Back: Denver Volunteer and Community Service Opportunities

By Brian Trampler, Corcoran Perry & Co.

Written November 2026. Programs, shifts and sign-up rules change, so confirm with each group before you go.

Giving Back: Denver Volunteer and Community Service Opportunities

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

Short answer: you can help in Denver in an afternoon, with no experience, at places that are already set up for new volunteers. Food banks, meal programs, and neighborhood tree and garden projects all take first-timers, and several need only a few hours. Animal shelters are a longer commitment, so I have listed them separately.

Today is Día de los Muertos, a day for remembering the people who shaped us. It is a good reminder that most of us were helped by someone along the way. Early giving for Colorado Gives Day opened yesterday, and the day itself is Tuesday, December 8. The next few weeks are a natural time to pick a place to give your time or your money.

Food and Meals

• Food Bank of the Rockies has volunteers sort and package food boxes. Training is required, and shifts run most days of the week.
• Metro Caring needs people to greet shoppers at its no-cost grocery market and keep the market and warehouse organized.
• Project Angel Heart prepares and delivers meals for people with serious illnesses. New volunteers start with an orientation. Younger kids can help from home by decorating meal bags.
• Denver Rescue Mission has openings in meal prep and warehouse support.

Outdoors and Neighborhoods

• Groundwork Denver plants trees, builds gardens and restores habitat, and its projects are open to all ages.
• Denver Urban Gardens supports about 200 community gardens and food forests around the metro area, and it lists volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups.
• Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver takes volunteers 14 and older, and some tool work needs an adult on site.

Neighbors and Animals

• A Little Help pairs volunteers with older Coloradans for rides, errands, yard work and friendly visits.
• Denver Snow Angels is a city program that matches volunteers with Denver residents who cannot shovel their own sidewalks, such as older adults and neighbors with a disability. Volunteers apply online. That one matters more every week from here.
• Denver Animal Shelter and Dumb Friends League are a bigger commitment, usually two to three hours a week for six months or longer, plus fostering. Both ask for volunteers 16 and older, and the shelter runs an orientation and a background check.

How to Pick One

Choose something close to home so you will keep showing up. One regular shift matters more than one big day. If you are not sure, call or look at the group’s volunteer page and ask what they need most this month.

Click the above image to visit the DAF website

Where I give. I give to the Denver Actors Fund every year through Colorado Gives Day. After more than 50 years in Colorado theatre, I have seen what a medical bill can do to people who work in the arts, and the fund steps in with money and practical help when someone in the theater community has an unexpected health need. Yours may be a food bank, a shelter, or a school garden. The point is to pick the place that means something to you.

Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash

Quick Answers

How do I start volunteering in Denver if I have never done it?
Pick one group and sign up for an orientation or a single shift. Food Bank of the Rockies and Project Angel Heart both start new volunteers with training or an orientation.

Can kids volunteer in Denver?
Often yes, with age limits that vary. Groundwork Denver welcomes all ages, Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver starts at 14, and Project Angel Heart lets younger kids decorate meal bags at home.

What is Colorado Gives Day?
A statewide day of online giving to Colorado nonprofits, started by the Colorado Gives Foundation in 2010. In 2026 it is Tuesday, December 8, and early giving starts November 1.

Where can I volunteer if I only have a few hours?
Food sorting, meal prep and tree planting projects use one-time and short-shift volunteers. Check the volunteer page of each group for current openings.

Can I help my neighbors in winter?
Yes. Through the city Snow Angels program, volunteers shovel snow for Denver residents who cannot clear their own walks, and A Little Help matches volunteers with older neighbors.

 

The Bottom Line

You do not need a free week or a special skill. Pick one place, give it a few hours, and see how it feels. If you are not sure where to start, call me. I know a lot of Denver, and I am happy to point you toward somewhere that fits.

Sources

• Colorado Gives Foundation, Colorado Gives Day Toolkit
• Denver Actors Fund on ColoradoGives.org
• Food Bank of the Rockies, Volunteer
• Metro Caring, Volunteer
• Project Angel Heart, Volunteer
• Denver Rescue Mission, Volunteer
• Groundwork Denver, Volunteer
• Denver Urban Gardens, Volunteer
• Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver, Volunteer
• A Little Help, Volunteer Application
• City and County of Denver, Denver Snow Angels
• City and County of Denver, Animal Shelter Volunteer Opportunities
• Dumb Friends League, Volunteer and Foster

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