10 Charity Events and Volunteering Trips for Families

You can strengthen family bonds while making a meaningful impact through diverse volunteering opportunities that welcome all ages. Consider cause-themed 5K runs with fun activities, hands-on meal-packing sessions with Feed My Starving Children, or food bank volunteer shifts requiring just 2-3 hours. Explore Give Kids The World Village support, Project Sunshine hospital programs, or domestic service-learning trips lasting 3-10 days. Virtual volunteering offers flexible home-based options, while international mission projects provide culture experiences that’ll transform your family’s perspective on global citizenship.

Cause-Themed 5K Walk/Run Events for All Ages

While traditional charity events might seem overwhelming for families with young children, cause-themed 5K walk/run events have emerged as the perfect solution that welcomes everyone from toddlers in strollers to competitive runners. These events don’t require age minimums or maximums, making them perfect for multi-generational family participation.

You’ll find options like bubble runs with foam zones and music, or events featuring Easter egg hunts along the course. Many offer both 5K distances for serious participants and shorter 1-mile family walks for younger children. The 5K format aligns perfectly with current running trends, as 5K remains the most popular race distance nationwide, accounting for nearly half of all race finishers.

With average fundraising reaching $568 per participant and some events raising hundreds of thousands, you’re contributing to meaningful causes while creating lasting family memories through shared physical activity.

Meal-Packing Sessions With Feed My Starving Children

Beyond walking or running for causes, families seeking hands-on volunteer experiences can pack life-saving meals together through Feed My Starving Children (FMSC). You’ll spend two hours at one of eight permanent sites or temporary MobilePack™ events, hand-packing rice, soy, dried vegetables, and vitamins into MannaPack™ meals.

Each family member gets a specific role—measuring, filling, weighing, sealing, or boxing—while upbeat music keeps energy high.

Your group of 45 volunteers typically fills 100 boxes containing 21,600 meals, enough to feed 59 children for one year. At less than 30 cents per meal, your $50 donation funds one box that sustains a child for seven months. The organization produces nearly 900 million meals annually through this volunteer-driven process.

With over one million volunteers annually, you’re joining a massive effort reaching nearly 70 countries.

Food Bank and Pantry Volunteer Shifts

How can your family make a direct impact on hunger relief in your community? Food bank and pantry volunteer shifts offer meaningful opportunities for families to serve together while teaching children about giving back.

You’ll need to register in advance through the Volunteer Hub, with each family member signing up individually. Most shifts last 2-3 hours and include tasks like packing Power Packs, sorting donations, providing customer service at markets, or helping with warehouse operations.

Children must be at least 13 years old for distribution center work, though age requirements vary by activity. Minors under 16 require adult supervision and must bring signed parental consent forms.

Your family can choose from flexible scheduling options, including morning and afternoon shifts at various locations. First-time volunteers receive safety orientation and buddy pairing, making the experience welcoming for newcomers.

Give Kids The World Village Wish Vacation Support

Your family’s desire to help vulnerable children extends far beyond local communities to places like Give Kids The World Village in Kissimmee, Florida. This 89-acre nonprofit resort creates magical weeklong vacations for children with critical illnesses, serving families from all 50 states and 78 countries since 1986.

You’ll find meaningful volunteer opportunities as “Angels” who fill hundreds of daily shifts supporting operations. Your family can contribute time and talent through various on-site roles listed on their website.

The resort provides fully-furnished villas, meals, theme park tickets, and entertainment—all cost-free for families facing medical challenges. The organization has earned recognition with a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator for its excellence in operations and transparency.

With over 27,000 children diagnosed annually with life-threatening illnesses, your volunteer efforts help create priceless memories away from hospital visits, emphasizing joyful “YES” experiences for wish kids.

Project Sunshine Hospital Play Activities

The healing power of play transforms pediatric hospital environments through Project Sunshine‘s volunteer-driven programs that bring joy directly to children facing medical challenges. You’ll find three core programs that make family volunteering accessible and impactful.

Through Here To Play, your family participates in hands-on creative arts activities during hospital visits.

TelePlay connects you virtually as “Sunshine Buddies,” offering games and companionship via HIPAA-compliant platforms.

Kits for Play lets you pack activity supplies that reach children across medical facilities.

Your family can commit just two hours monthly at partner hospitals or join Thursday evening kit-packing sessions.

These programs serve 250,000 children annually through 18,000 volunteers working across 500 medical facilities. Project Sunshine operates in 175 cities spanning the U.S., Canada, Kenya, and Israel.

You’re directly reducing patient stress while building resilience during difficult medical journeys.

Society of St. Vincent De Paul Shelter Services

Compassion meets action when your family volunteers with Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s shelter services. You’ll discover meaningful ways to support neighbors experiencing homelessness through their extensive programs that feed, clothe, house, and heal vulnerable community members.

Your family can volunteer at facilities like Phoenix’s Washington Street Shelter, which provides 200 beds with wraparound services, or help at transitional housing communities such as Ozanam Manor and De Paul Manor. These programs serve individuals, older adults, and families through emergency beds and structured pathways to permanent housing.

You’ll contribute to services including meals, case management, workforce readiness support, and financial literacy education. The organization’s Housing 2025 initiative demonstrates remarkable efficiency by preventing homelessness for 12 people for every one rehoused. With over 98% of transitional housing graduates remaining housed after one year, your family’s volunteer efforts create lasting impact in breaking cycles of homelessness.

Volunteers of America Community Programs

Building on shelter support efforts, Volunteers of America opens doors to diverse community programs where your family can make meaningful contributions across multiple causes. You’ll find opportunities spanning homelessness prevention, veteran support, and senior care assistance that welcome volunteers of all ages.

Your children can participate in Operation Backpack®, helping pack school supplies for homeless and at-risk students. Meanwhile, you can volunteer at food pantries or assist with hot meal deliveries to isolated older adults. The organization’s pop-up distributions during school closures offer perfect family volunteering moments.

With programs operating in 47 states, you’re likely to find local opportunities nearby. Whether supporting substance abuse recovery programs or helping at thrift stores, your family’s volunteer efforts directly impact the 2 million people served annually through these extensive community initiatives. The organization’s approach emphasizes compassion and acceptance as core values that guide every volunteer interaction and service delivery.

Domestic Service-Learning Trips Within Your Country

Why not combine your family’s desire to explore your own country with meaningful service work that creates lasting memories and valuable lessons? Domestic service-learning trips offer structured 3-10 day experiences that blend community service with intentional learning.

You’ll find opportunities through schools, faith organizations, universities, and nonprofits targeting rural towns, Indigenous communities, disaster areas, and under-resourced neighborhoods.

These trips strengthen family bonds while developing your children’s understanding of social issues. Research shows 89% of participants gain awareness of health challenges facing marginalized communities.

Your family will engage in activities like rebuilding, tutoring, and health outreach alongside educational sessions on local history and policy. The experience enhances communication skills, cultural humility, and critical thinking while creating deeper family connections away from daily routines. Studies indicate that 97.9% of participants agree these trips enhance their overall educational experience.

International Family Mission Projects Abroad

While domestic service trips build strong foundations, international family mission projects take your impact global and expose your children to diverse cultures, languages, and perspectives they can’t experience at home.

The volunteer abroad market’s projected growth from $8.5 billion to $22.4 billion by 2033 reflects expanding opportunities for families seeking meaningful international experiences.

You’ll find programs accepting children as young as 6-8 years old, with activities like English conversation support, light construction, and community gardening.

Popular destinations in Asia and Africa offer education-focused projects and healthcare support roles.

These 1-3 week programs typically maintain high supervision ratios and combine daily service with culture through homestays, language lessons, and local excursions that reinforce learning for your entire family. Organizations with over 30 years of experience have facilitated cultural exchange opportunities that emphasize responsible travel and personal growth for volunteers of all ages.

Virtual Volunteering Opportunities From Home

The digital revolution has transformed how families can serve their communities, with virtual volunteering now representing 63% of all volunteer positions globally and offering unprecedented flexibility for busy households. You’ll find thousands of opportunities ranging from one-time tasks to ongoing commitments that fit your schedule.

Virtual volunteers actually contribute more hours annually—95 compared to 64 for in-person volunteers—and they’re 11% more likely to donate to charity afterward.

Your family can participate in everything from tutoring students online to organizing digital fundraising campaigns. These opportunities remove geographical barriers and accommodate different schedules, making volunteering accessible even with disabilities or transportation challenges. Organizations now offer microvolunteering options that include quick, one-off tasks specifically designed to increase family engagement.

Organizations save up to 35% in operational costs, meaning your digital contributions create maximum impact while teaching your children valuable civic engagement skills.

The Sum Up

You’ve got countless ways to make a difference together as a family. Whether you’re running for a cause, packing meals, or volunteering abroad, these experiences will strengthen your family bonds while helping others. Start small with local food banks or virtual opportunities, then work up to bigger adventures. Your kids will develop empathy and service hearts that’ll last a lifetime. Choose what fits your family’s schedule and jump in today!