Opportunities From: United Way of Kaw Valley

We need volunteers to help us organize the Topeka Public Schools Community Cupboard. This project includes organizing and sorting clothing, hygiene products and food. 

We would also love any hygiene projects that would like to donated!

Our Street Reach Vehicles explore all types of  terrain in Topeka. Volunteers are needed to vacuum the inside of the vehicles, wipe down interiors and wash the outside of each vehicle.  

Our kitchen dry storage area, our community serving room and our outdoor eating area for our unsheltered neighbors needs some volunteers to help clean and organize. The load is so much lighter when others offer helping hands.

Join us for Nancy Perry Day of Caring as we come together to support our community through a special Coat Drive project at The Salvation Army! Volunteers will help set up clothing racks, sort and organize coats, and prepare for our annual coat distribution event, which provides warm outerwear to individuals and families in need throughout Shawnee County.

This is a hands-on opportunity to make a meaningful impact as we gear up for the colder months. Volunteers should dress comfortably and be ready for a fun, active day of teamwork and community service. We’re excited to welcome you to be part of this important initiative that helps ensure everyone stays warm this winter!

Harvesters mobilizes the power of our community to create equitable access to nutritious food and address the root causes and impact of hunger. Volunteers serving in Harvesters’ Volunteer Engagement Center (VEC) sort and repack food, which assists Harvesters and its pantry partners in feeding more than 250,000 people each month. 

Volunteer tasks are assigned based on product availability and project prioritization. Volunteer Engagement Center opportunities include: 

Join us, Thursday, September 18th, 2025 at Topeka Civic Theatre as we tackle some great indoor and outdoor tasks! Depending on the task, there will be light lifting/moving, stairs, and potentially use of a ladder.  

Divide and conquer the following projects:

BEAUTIFICATION - Work with us to ensure all of our volunteer, patron and employee spaces are pleasant with painting and cleaning projects.  We may also have some projects located at our sister theatre, Helen Hocker that day.  We will have more information day-of!  

YARD WORK - We may need assistance with weeding, raking, digging and trimming outside the theatre (in case of rain, tasks will be moved inside).  The Topeka Civic Theatre staff member on-site during the project will Jason Smith, Director of Volunteer Engagement and Events, (785) 478-5015.

Successful Connections, a program at Child Care Aware of Eastern Kansas, provides support and community resources to pregnant women and families with children under three in Shawnee County. We partner with our local OB Clinics, hospitals, Topeka Rescue Mission, and many others, so we can reach families in need.

The cuddle blankets, which are made from volunteers in the community, are put in our packets filled with a variety of community resources including ongoing parenting support and education programs. These resource packets are given to mothers of newborns during our visits at the hospital. Parents are appreciative of the resources and really enjoy receiving a special gift for their baby.

We will provide materials for volunteers to make 150 cuddle blankets remotely. One blanket takes about an hour to complete, and teams will be able to decide when to do the project: either 9:30am-1pm or 12pm-4pm on Friday, September 19. Material provided for this will be fleece, corner piece (guide to cut the corners), and written instructions. However, volunteers will need have their own scissors to cut fleece. No special skills required outside of cutting and tying knots. A zoom meeting will be set up to talk to the team leaders on how to make cuddle blankets and answer any questions they may have. 

Successful Connections, a program at Child Care Aware of Eastern Kansas, provides support and community resources to pregnant women and families with children under three in Shawnee County. We partner with our local OB Clinics, hospitals, Topeka Rescue Mission, and many others, so we can reach families in need.

The Successful Connections packets are filled with a variety of community resources including ongoing parenting support and education programs, as well as our cuddle blankets. These resource packets are given to mothers of newborns during our visits at the hospital.

We are looking for volunteers to put together 600 packets from 12pm-4pm on Thursday, September 18, including folding brochures before they go into the packets. We will provide all of the materials needed for this project as well as drinks and snacks.

Assemble homemade activities to be used by the Parent Educators at home visits. The purpose of the activities is to increase developmental skills of infants and toddlers ages 0-5 years. 

Specific Skills Required: Scissors, paper, laminating, paper cutting, die cutting machine- All materials provided 

Under 18 needs to be accompanied by an Adult

Your team will be helping to clean, organize, and stock shelves with food and personal items. Keeping the shelves stocked with food for our community is an ongoing project, but with your help, you will allow our staff some rest as your team shares the load. Our staff and regular volunteers work very hard, and with your help, we can achieve much more than we could otherwise.

Your team will be building the raised garden beds that will become the start of the SENT Garden. The beds will be made of 2x12 treated lumber, 3 feet tall to allow everyone a chance to learn to garden, no matter their skill level.

The activity includes laying down mulch in our garden where there is cardboard and in between the garden beds. We also need a compost barrel, potting table, and a greenhouse built.

Looking for six individuals to come in and clean up our brown room pantry as well as organizing pantry and brown room and this will take place from 9 AM to 1 PM on the 18th and 9:30 am to 1 pm on the 19th. This one includes organizing files, going through boxes, going into the pantry and getting rid of anything that is no longer needed, as well as organizing the shelves and other tasks as needed.

Put down mulch, cleaning up flowerbeds, painting playground equipment and areas surrounding community center, neighborhood cleanup, bush/tree trimming.

A hands-on small/medium group painting project. We will be giving our Cubs classroom a much needed refresh with some new paint! 

Re-vamp landscaping boxes and building new boxes on three sides of our newly renovated 7th Street Complex, and planting items in the boxes.   This project will include cutting logs, stacking and building raised landscaping beds, revamping ones currently in place and then planting new plants in the boxes.

Pull totes from shelves and deep clean the shelves in our clothing rooms

Falley Scout Reservation (FSR) is the official campsite for youth and adults in the Scout program in the 11-county Northeast Kansas region. With more than 340 acres of property that includes modern latrines, dining hall facilities, program shelters and room to stretch, FSR provides robust outdoor activities such as hiking, canoeing, camping, archery and shooting sports. Falley Scout Reservation welcomes over 1,500 visitors each year and is an excellent Scout camping facility that offers a variety of program opportunities available for all ages, both young and old. Due to extreme weather conditions of heat and cold, numerous outdoor projects are needed to provide a welcoming feel as our guests arrive on the property. Priority is staining the exterior of the Welcome Center - the building visitors see when they arrive, gardening, trail clean up, etc. Certain areas on the property are in need of fence post repair as well. 

Move shelves and event storage supplies to the mechanical room. (same floor)

Volunteers will remove canned food and other supplies from the shelves. Wipe down the shelving and reorganize as needed. Other volunteers will vacuum the floors, scrub or mop as needed to freshen up the space for fall. This allows TRM to more efficiently serve our neighbors and community with food and supply items they desperately need. Donations come in daily and this opportunity gives us a chance to be well organized so we can share these items with our community. 

Volunteers will wipe down wall, clean windows and dust doorway frames for this get ready for Fall option.

We need volunteers that can help us reinforcing our blessing box-currently a snowplow ran into a leg of it and it needs replaced. As well as making a community library box for kids to be able to pick books to read with their parents while they are on visits and even prefer to stay outside. As well as put some outdoor games in our family visiting space outside. These game may include options off the trees like the ring and hook game or other games that can be put into the space to promote families to interact with one another outside. 

This will be a winterization project in the rose garden and rock garden at Gage Park. We ask that volunteers wear gloves, close toed shoes and bring their own water bottles for this project.

This group will be helping three horticulturalists tidy and winterize the gardens about the parks.

Here at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center, our 4.5 acre outdoor classroom is a a major attraction and educational resource for our guests! Join us from 1pm-4pm to help maintain and clean our outdoor space during Nancy Perry Day of Caring. Tasks may include trimming overgrowth, pulling weeds, working on our pond, and more!

*Accommodations can be made for light duty tasks, please let us know before your group arrives*

Here at the Kansas Children's Discovery Center, we have 15,000 sq. ft. of indoor activities available for our guests! Join us from 9am-12pm to help spot clean, deep clean, and paint during Nancy Perry Day of Caring. Tasks may include additional indoor tasks!

*Accommodations can be made for light duty tasks, please let us know before your group arrives*

It’s a fun, festive Friday as teams help wrap tunnels in lights as we prepare for the fifth year of Zoo lights. 

Help us by support the set-up for this great event!

Assemble homemade activities to be used by the Parent Educators at home visits. The purpose of the activities is to increase developmental skills of infants and toddlers ages 0-5 years.  Specific Skills Required: Scissors, paper, laminating, paper cutting, die cutting machine- All materials provided 

Under 18 needs to be accompanied by an Adult

Assemble homemade activities to be used by the Parent Educators at home visits. The purpose of the activities is to increase developmental skills of infants and toddlers ages 0-5 years. 

Specific Skills Required: Scissors, paper, laminating, paper cutting, die cutting machine- All materials provided 

Under 18 needs to be accompanied by an Adult

Join us in crafting unique thank you gifts for our generous sponsors and dedicated volunteers using repurposed Winter Wonderland light bulbs! This creative project aims to show appreciation while giving new life to old decorations.

Job Description:
Crafting: Use Winter Wonderland light bulbs to create personalized thank you gifts. Specific art project details will be provided on the day of volunteering.
Decorating:  Assemble the bulbs into attractive gift items.
What to Wear:
Please wear casual clothing suitable for an art project, including attire that may get glue on it.

Water, light snacks and lunch will be provided.  Minimum age for volunteers is 16.

Join us as we celebrate the adults we serve at our Adult Services Awards Ceremony! Volunteers will be helping set up, cook, serve food, clean up, and of course help us cheer on the award recipients. Come have a good time and help us make this day special!

Volunteers will be helping us deep clean some areas of the building, as well as making the grounds look better too. Put on a swimming suit and hop in the warm water therapy pool to help scrub down the walls. Mop the pool deck or help clean the locker rooms. Deep clean the Play Zone area that our pediatric therapists use with the kids they see. Go outside and help patch the parking lot or work on the landscaping. The possibilities are endless!

Looking for six individuals to come in and clean up our brown room pantry as well as organizing pantry and brown room and this will take place from 9 AM to 1 PM on the 18th and 9:30 am to 1 pm on the 19th. This one includes organizing files, going through boxes, going into the pantry and getting rid of anything that is no longer needed, as well as organizing the shelves and other tasks as needed.

Deep cleaning & preparing the floors for a wax finish, and painting trim and doors. 

If getting down and up off the floor is difficult, we'd be happy to have you help us paint! 

Having a clean kitchen & dining room allows us to safely serve food to over 400 people every week! Thank you for helping us accomplish LINK's mission! 

The Hope Center for Women and Families needs some extra TLC. Volunteers will be organizing book shelves, disinfecting toys in the playroom, and completing other cleaning and organizing tasks to get the Hope Center sparkling for the Fall. 

The Children's Palace Education rooms are used every week to guide our guests towards employment and provide training in life skills that empower them to move out into housing. These rooms need volunteers who enjoy decluttering and organizing spaces. They will also wipe down the equipment, tables and chairs used for the classes.  

Education classes are open for our guests to attend each week. The Truama Education Department would like to create Completion Certificates for each guest to receive acknowledging their steps moving forward to stability and housing. This opportunity will have a brainstorming session to come up with ideas for the certificates and then creating for each guest a special recognition to keep.

Every holiday season, Midland Care builds and presents a gift bag full of useful and fun items for our Meals on Wheels and PACE clients. A total of 2000 gift bags are made over the course of the autumn and delivered to clients in December.

We are asking organizations to gather the items on the provided list and build a set of 25 gift bags for our clients as project. The completed bags will be brought in boxes or totes to the Midland Care Campus on Friday, Sept 19, or another date arranged with Volunteer Services.

If you wish to add additional items, please check with Volunteer Services to ensure the items are appropriate, as these will be held for a few months until the holidays. 

Braided Haven needs prepared casseroles that can be frozen.  Our staff and residents share in the cooking for the house but to keep our food budget low and to free up time for after school activities, we would like to have frozen meals on hand.  Our residents will never total more than 7, but with teenagers, we know they like to eat so we are asking for frozen casseroles that will serve 12.  Ingredients should be listed on the outside of the casserole and it should be in a disposable aluminum container. suitable for freezing.

Your team will be continuing the building of the raised garden beds. You will be putting a plastic liner in the raised bed and filling the beds with dirt. The liner will protect the wooden structure of the beds to allow them to last longer while keeping the dirt inside the garden bed.

Join us in beautifying outdoor spaces and keeping our fleet of vehicles spotless and ready for action through this rewarding volunteer opportunity! As a volunteer, you will play a vital role in maintaining and enhancing our existing flower beds and maintaining the cleanliness and professional appearance of our vehicles. Your tasks will include weeding, spreading mulch, and ensuring our gardens are tidy and vibrant. As a volunteer, your role will be essential in maintaining the cleanliness and professional appearance of our vehicles.

Job Description:

Weeding: Help keep our flower beds free from weeds to promote healthy growth and aesthetic appeal.
Mulching: Spread mulch to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and provide a neat appearance to our gardens.
Sprucing Up: Assist in general maintenance tasks to ensure our outdoor areas look inviting and well-maintained.
What to Wear:
Please wear appropriate clothing for outdoor work, and suitable for the weather conditions. Closed-toed shoes are mandatory to ensure your safety while working with tools and mulch.

Job Description:
Exterior Washing: Thoroughly clean the exteriors of vans to remove dirt, grime, and road residue.
Interior Cleaning: Vacuum and wipe down interior surfaces, including seats, floors, and windows.
Assist with Supplies: Help organize and replenish cleaning supplies to ensure efficiency.
What to Wear: Please wear clothing suitable for cleaning tasks, including items that can get dirty. Closed-toed shoes are required for safety during cleaning activities.

Water, light snacks and lunch will be provided.  Minimum age for volunteers is 16.

This is manual labor outdoors. We will need a small group to go to 4-5 sites in Topeka to install several bike racks to further the growing and extensive number of locations where you can ride to. Bike lanes and paths are great, but without secure places to lock consistently across town, we aren't offering a solid alternative for transportation option. Join us if a hammer, drill and bolts are your thing! 

(Wear jeans and boots if possible and bring work gloves and eye protection)

We will meet at my house to start and then travel to the various sites by personal vehicle. Groups can feel free to call my cell closer to and I'll have the locations determined.

Volunteers will refresh Winter Wonderland displays.

Duties include removing old lights and cord from displays, rewrapping displays with new cord, and adding new lightbulbs.

This opportunity will take place outside in the shade. Weather permitting, will be moved inside.

Recommended dress is casual as clothing may get dirty due to dust on displays. Wear closed-toed shoes. 

Water, light snacks and lunch are provided. Minimum age for volunteers is 16.

Harvesters mobilizes the power of our community to create equitable access to nutritious food and address the root causes and impact of hunger. Volunteers serving in Harvesters’ Volunteer Engagement Center (VEC) sort and repack food, which assists Harvesters and its pantry partners in feeding more than 250,000 people each month. 

Volunteer tasks are assigned based on product availability and project prioritization. Volunteer Engagement Center opportunities include: 

Harvesters mobilizes the power of our community to create equitable access to nutritious food and address the root causes and impact of hunger. Volunteers serving in Harvesters’ Volunteer Engagement Center (VEC) sort and repack food, which assists Harvesters and its pantry partners in feeding more than 250,000 people each month. 

Volunteer tasks are assigned based on product availability and project prioritization. Volunteer Engagement Center opportunities include: 

Harvesters mobilizes the power of our community to create equitable access to nutritious food and address the root causes and impact of hunger. Volunteers serving in Harvesters’ Volunteer Engagement Center (VEC) sort and repack food, which assists Harvesters and its pantry partners in feeding more than 250,000 people each month. 

Volunteer tasks are assigned based on product availability and project prioritization. Volunteer Engagement Center opportunities include: 

Hosting a Give Lunch event is a fun, meaningful way to build team spirit while directly helping our neighbors. A Give Lunch packing event provides food-insecure families a ready-to-eat meals.

Food / Fund Drive:

Each sack should include:

Volunteer Packing Activity