Among its many dazzling features, one of Las Vegas’s most underrated elements is the generosity of its community. The unique blend of residents who call Vegas ‘home’ leads to equally unique opportunities to give back to the community.
If you are looking for charitable ways to spend your spare time during the holidays or year-round, we hope this list will be a helpful resource.
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Where to Volunteer during the Holidays
Local food banks and shelters always have holiday events needing volunteers. Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada and Three Square Food Bank are two of Vegas’s most active resources for people facing food insecurity. Many soup kitchens and homeless shelters – such as the Las Vegas Rescue Mission – also serve specific areas if you are looking to volunteer close to home.
Volunteer shifts tend to fill up more quickly during November and December. Be sure to sign up early if you want a particular date or time. Catholic Charities’s calendar lists a variety of volunteer shifts and notes which ones are most needed.
Both Catholic Charities and Three Square allow community members to sign up for events without a formal training process, but it may take a few days to process your volunteering request, so it is good to plan in advance.
Christmas Opportunities
Many Vegas locations host Angel Tree Programs by partnering with the Salvation Army. Traditional Angel Trees have tags that provide you with a child’s gender, age, and suggested toy. Volunteers can give specific presents to a child in their community by picking up one of the tags.
Toys for Tots is another organization active across Vegas through community toy drives during the holidays. You can find donation opportunities close to you through their website’s chapter search tool.
Finally, volunteering at nursing homes and assisted living facilities allows you to spend time with other community members and connect with people who could use extra joy this holiday season.
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Year-Round Volunteering Opportunities
Environmental Groups
If you want to help our city keep shining, Keep Las Vegas Beautiful participates in clean-up events and beautification projects. The City of Las Vegas has the latest volunteer updates on its website.
The Friends of Nevada Wilderness take their beautification and preservation efforts to the great outdoors by volunteering for trail maintenance, wildlife monitoring, and other nature activities.
Animal Shelters
Voted one of Las Vegas’s best places to volunteer, the Animal Foundation is Vegas’s largest animal shelter. They allow volunteers to walk dogs, socialize cats, and assist with other animal care tasks. Volunteers must be over 18 to handle animals, but they have non-animal handling opportunities for 6-year-olds and up.
Healthcare
Most hospitals around the Las Vegas Valley have volunteering programs with specific qualifications and application processes. Check out volunteer opportunities at the hospital nearest you to see their requirements.
If you’re interested in combining a love of pop culture and volunteering in a healthcare setting, Vegas has several local charities that do just that. Critical Care Comics is a Vegas-born charity where volunteers dress as superheroes to visit children’s hospitals and care facilities and deliver toys and comics.
The Las Vegas Star Wars Collective has a similar mission, emphasizing characters from the Lucasfilm universe. Both organizations also partner with other organizations and participate in community support events.
Education and Community Centers
For volunteers interested in supporting education and youth in the community, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada and the Clark County School District (CCSD) have opportunities to work with students. Both options allow you to lead activities, provide tutoring, and mentor students.
With CCSD, you can also serve as a classroom assistant. Contact the specific school you want to work with to see how you can help.
Crisis Hotlines
You can volunteer as a crisis counselor with Crisis Support Services of Nevada to support individuals in need. No prior experience is needed; they provide all training for free.
If you’d like to help in another way, they have many non-counseling opportunities, such as office support, community outreach events, marketing, and fundraising.
The Arts
Las Vegas’s vibrant arts community allows many ways to invest in expression and creativity. From spending time in a local gallery to working with on-call musicians, you can support the arts no matter what artistic medium you prefer.
The Smith Center – Las Vegas’s premiere performing arts center – lets you engage with theatre and other performing arts as an usher, educator, tour guide, and more. They regularly hold orientations for interested individuals and have volunteer opportunities 7 days a week.
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Volunteering Tips
Now that you have some places to get started, you can find the right organization for you. No matter what age or stage of life you’re in, volunteering is a valuable and fulfilling experience. Some other things to keep in mind as you get started:
- Research organizations: Learn about their missions and volunteer needs.
- Communicate your skills and interests: Find an organization you’re passionate about and let them know how you would like to help support their mission.
- Be flexible and reliable: Most organizations ask for advance sign-ups. It’s important to keep your appointments and remember things might change based on the organization’s needs.
- Be patient and understanding: Volunteering is a rewarding experience, but it can also be challenging. Make sure you take care of your well-being.
Where do you plan on volunteering this holiday season? Where are your favorite places to volunteer in the Las Vegas area? Let us know on social!
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