Family Friendly Volunteer Opportunities in Kansas City

Looking for a way to bring meaning to the holiday season? Give back with these family friendly volunteer opportunities in the Kansas City area.

KVC Holiday Heroes Program

KVC’s Holiday Heroes Program is a way for individuals, families and businesses to work together to make the holidays brighter for children and teens involved in the child welfare system. As a Holiday Hero, you are making a commitment to give them the gifts they have their hearts set on. Our team is collecting presents, gift cards and monetary donations to make sure children who are in foster care, have safely reunited with their family or have been adopted have a happy holiday. Sign up online.

Metro Lutheran Ministries Christmas Store

The MLM Christmas Store, held December 5-11, 2021, is one of the largest gift-giving programs in the Greater Kansas City area.  The store provides over 1,000 families with a joyful and dignified Christmas experience. This year due to Covid-19 families will not be allowed to shop, families will provide a wish list and items will be picked for them by volunteers. Each family member should expect a coat, clothing, and a gift. Each household should expect a small kitchen appliance, blanket or quilt, a gift card to help purchase their meal, cookies, and a Bible or devotional. Sign up to volunteer here.

Salvation Army Bell Ringing 

In most locations across the Midwest, the easiest way to help from early November through Christmas Eve is to ring a bell at one of our iconic red kettles. Volunteer bell ringers are the difference between an empty kettle and one that raises the funds that sustain the help we give all year long. The Salvation Army relies on money raised in red kettles to serve more than 25 million people in need each year. Find a shift here.

Ronald McDonald House

Ronald McDonald House keeps families close to their sick children while they get the care and supportive services they need. On any given night, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City (RMHC-KC) serves 87 families. You can a send a meal to the families or sign up to provide a meal in person. Find out more here.

Children’s Mercy Happy Kits Assembly

Help make a child or parent’s day by assembling a Happy Kit! Kits are used in a variety of areas throughout the hospital and clinics to make our patients and families feel welcome and happy during their visit with us. These are some of our most needed items! You can make 10 Happy Kits with your Girl Scout troop or over 100 with your coworkers! Any way you can help kiddos in need is what matters and is much appreciated. Learn more here.

ScrapsKC

Scraps KC is a place to let go of your unwanted materials, inspire creativity and a refuge for the homeless from the streets. Donated items are used for programs and workshops, or are sold for pennies on the dollar and used by artists, teachers, children and other creative-minded individuals for creative and educational purposes. Sale proceeds provide meals, dignity, and survival items for the homeless and helpless throughout the metro area.

They accept donations of clean and usable art and craft supplies, school and office supplies, fabric and notions, and miscellaneous creative materials . We greatly appreciate if you organize your materials in advance. For example: fabric folded, small items bagged, similar items grouped together. Check their site for currently accepted items.

Sleepyhead Beds

Sleepyhead Beds improves the quality of life for children and their families by providing clean, reusable beds and bedding. And we contribute to the health and environment of our community by sanitizing beds and keeping them out of landfills. By donating your time to Sleepyhead Beds you will help children get the beds they deserve. On Saturdays, volunteers need to show up at 8:00 a.m. and are generally finished by no later than 11:30 a.m. Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age or accompanied by a parent. Our weekday distributions are held 9am till 3pm and offer two volunteer shifts. Learn more.

Catholic Charities

Volunteers serve in a number of ways, hosting food drives to help feed hungry families, selling donated items with our ebay store team, organizing the clothing at TurnStyles, and so much more! You can handout fliers during a Hy-Vee Food Drive, work a mobile food distribution, or work in a thrift store. Find requirements here.

Foster Adopt Connect

FosterAdopt Connect’s mission is to provide foster and adoptive children a stable, loving and nurturing family environment by support and advocacy for abused and neglected children and the families caring for them. Sign up to bring joy to a child during the holidays.

Harvesters

All volunteer opportunities at Harvesters require pre-registration so we can make sure we are prepared for every volunteer shift. Sign-up is easy online. Just look through the opportunities and register for the opportunity that will work best. Some opportunities are available for families with kids ages 8 and up.

Sarah McGinnity
Sarah grew up in Manhattan, Kansas (Go Cats!), she moved to Minnesota where she met her husband, Shea. Realizing how much she hated snow in May, she convinced him to move to Kansas City in 2010. Together they have lived in Midtown, Waldo, the Plaza, and now Overland Park. Sarah is mom to 10-year-old, Henry, 7-year-old Clark and 5-year-old Lucy. She has her master’s in urban administration and is passionate about making Kansas City a more equitable and supportive community. In between the crazy, she likes to drink coffee, run, hike, travel as much as possible, and experience all things Kansas City!