The COVID-19 pandemic has damaged economies around the world, leaving many towns, cities, states, and countries with mounting debts and struggling populations. If austerity measures are enacted and relief funds are insufficient, these debts will inevitably lead to less funding for public services and nonprofits that rely on government support.
Because of reduced funding, organizations are relying on volunteers to help meet the needs of the world’s most vulnerable children, adults, and families. The good news for volunteers is that not only will you help others, but you’ll boost your own mental health, too. Volunteering connects you to others, helps counteract the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety, and can bring fun and fulfillment to your life.
If you have time to give, give it now. Find a local organization you care about, volunteer virtually from anywhere in the world, or use the links below to discover volunteer opportunities near you.
(Ray Sangga Kusuma, Unsplash) 
(Joel Muniz, Unsplash)
If you aren’t able to volunteer, please consider making a monetary donation instead!
Volunteer Networks Providing COVID-19 Relief
- Feeding America (feedingamerica.org): Feeding America operates food banks, food pantries, and meal programs across America. They need volunteers to sort and pack, assist at mobile pantries and no-contact distributions, deliver meals, and volunteer from home. Pledge to volunteer and find out what help your Local Food Bank needs.
- Meals on Wheels America (mealsonwheelsamerica.org): As part of their “America, Let’s Do Lunch” initiative, Meals on Wheels volunteers bring warm meals to isolated seniors in need. Their need for new volunteers varies by community, and some communities have temporarily adjusted their delivery methods due to COVID-10. Learn more about volunteering and then Sign Up.
- Project Giving Kids (projectgivingkids.org): PGK’s ore mission is to help teach empathy and social responsibility to young people by connecting them to high-quality, age-appropriate volunteer activities through a network of nonprofit partners across the country. Their COVID-19 Response offers six weeks of family-friendly service project ideas with daily suggested readings, activities, and reflections.
- World Central Kitchen (wck.org): WCK provides emergency food relief using volunteers in the communities they serve after a natural disaster (or a pandemic). They are looking for “people with commercial cooking experience, 4×4 vehicles to help with food purchases and deliveries, and anyone willing to serve a fresh meal with a smile.” Join the WCK Volunteer Corps.
Volunteer Virtually Around the World
- Amnesty Decoders (decoders.amnesty.org): Amnesty Decoders is a global network of digital volunteers that help Amnesty International research and expose human rights violations by using their computers or phones to sift through pictures, information and documents. Explore their volunteer projects and then register to get involved.
- Catchafire (catchafire.org): Catchafire gives you “access to flexible, virtual volunteer engagements that exercise your skills and support causes you hold dear”. You can search their database of volunteer opportunities by causes you care about, skills you can offer, and length of project. Learn more about volunteering, support nonprofits impacted by COVID-19 or find another project.
- Roots & Shoots (rootsandshoots.org): Roots & Shoots began in 1991 in Tanzania as part of the Jane Goodall Institute and now empowers youth in over 60 countries around the world. Their current initiatives include At Home Learning opportunities, a Family Toolkit with ideas on how families can work together to help their communities, and 1-Click Actions and Projects organized by theme and age level.
- Transcription Volunteer Opportunities: I wrote a whole post on ways to volunteer as a transcriber for history and archival projects, local museums, and more. Find out more here: Quarantine Pastime—Transcribing History.
- United Nations Volunteers (onlinevolunteering.org): The UNV program contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. Thousands of volunteers from 187 different countries can give their time through writing, art and design, project management, research, translation, technology development, community organizing, and more. Sign up now.
- Write Letters! Lots of organizations coordinate letter-writing campaigns to help others. Here are some of them: Write For Rights (Amnesty International campaign to stop human rights abuses), Paper Bridges (write letters to orphans), Love For Our Elders and Letters Against Isolation (write to isolated seniors), and Vote Forward (connect with voters in the United States)
Volunteer Virtually or On-Site
- AmeriCorps (americorps.gov): AmeriCorps connects 270,000 members and volunteers to communities that need help. Volunteers of all ages can search the AmeriCorps State and National programs to support organizations and volunteers over age 55 can join AmeriCorps Seniors to volunteer through its Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, and RSVP programs. Join AmeriCorps now.
- FoodPantries.org (foodpantries.org): FoodPantries.org is a “directory of Food Banks, Soup Kitchens, and non-profit organizations committed to fighting hunger” with thousands of listings from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Use their directory to search for local organizations providing hunger relief and then contact those groups directly to learn about volunteer opportunities in your area.
- Points of Light (pointsoflight.org): The world’s largest digital volunteer network offers “the most comprehensive database of volunteer opportunities around the world.” Search their database for in-person and at-home volunteer opportunities based on keywords and location, or start your own volunteer project.
- RAINN Hotline (rainn.org): The National Sexual Assault Online Hotline, operated by RAINN, provides live, secure, anonymous crisis help through a simple instant message format, giving those affected by sexual assault a safe place to receive support. Trained volunteers can provide much-needed support to victims of sexual assault and their loved ones. Learn more about how to volunteer for the Web-Based Hotline, or volunteer locally at a RAINN-Partner Crisis Center in your area.
- Reading Partners (readingpartners.org): Reading Partners is a “national nonprofit that mobilizes communities to provide students with the proven, individualized reading support they need to read at grade level by fourth grade.” They serve students in ten states and accept volunteers age 14 and up who can commit at least an hour a week. They are still recruiting volunteers for the 2020-2021 school year, with new safety measures in place and both in-person and online tutoring opportunities.
- VolunteerMatch (volunteermatch.org): VolunteerMatch helps volunteers find “virtual volunteer opportunities in cause areas like health and medicine, education, and community building, that you can do from a computer, from home or anywhere.” Currently nearly 1 million volunteers are needed for thousands of different projects. Explore all virtual volunteering opportunities or help with COVID-19 by volunteering remotely or on-site.