Where to volunteer in Westchester County

One of the things we hear from Club West members is that they moved to Westchester and don’t know anyone. Volunteering solves two problems at once — you do something useful and you meet people in your town who care about the same things.

Here’s where to start.

Food and hunger

Feeding Westchester — Elmsford
The county’s largest food bank. They always need volunteers for warehouse sorting and packing, and they make it easy to sign up online for a single shift. Good option if you want to try volunteering once before committing to anything regular. feedingwestchester.org

Community Center of Northern Westchester — Katonah
Runs a food pantry and community meals program. They also need help with after-school programs and holiday food drives.

Midnight Run
Not Westchester-based, but a lot of Westchester residents do this. You prepare food and supplies, then drive into Manhattan to distribute them to people experiencing homelessness. Groups go out late at night. It’s an experience that stays with you. midnightrun.org

Environment and parks

Westchester Parks Foundation
Organizes trail cleanups, tree plantings, and park maintenance across the county park system. Their volunteer days are usually on Saturday mornings and they’re well-organized. thewpf.org

Teatown Lake Reservation — Ossining
A nature preserve that uses volunteers for trail maintenance, education programs, and their annual fall festival. If you’d rather be outdoors than in a warehouse, this is a good fit. teatown.org

Saw Mill River Audubon
Bird walks, habitat restoration, and conservation projects across multiple Westchester locations. You don’t need to be a birding expert to join. sawmillriveraudubon.org

Working with kids

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Family Services of Westchester
One-on-one mentoring. This is a bigger commitment — they ask for at least a year — but it’s the kind of volunteering that changes someone’s life. familyservicesofwestchester.org

STEM Alliance — various locations
Runs after-school STEM programs in underserved Westchester communities. If you have a professional background in science, tech, engineering, or math, they can use you.

My Sisters’ Place — Valhalla
A domestic violence shelter that needs volunteers for their children’s programs, donation sorting, and administrative support. myvsp.org

Animals

SPCA of Westchester — Briarcliff Manor
Dog walking, cat socialization, shelter cleaning, and event support. They have an orientation process but once you’re in, you can sign up for shifts that work with your schedule. spca914.org

Wolf Conservation Center — South Salem
Yes, there’s a wolf sanctuary in Westchester. They use volunteers for educational programs, grounds maintenance, and special events. nywolf.org

Getting started

If none of these feel right, two good search tools:

• Volunteer New York! (volunteernewyork.org) — a Westchester-based organization that matches volunteers to local nonprofits. They run a big volunteer day each April.
• Idealist.org — search by ZIP code to find openings near you. Filters by cause area, schedule, and whether it’s remote or in-person.

Most organizations will ask you to attend an orientation before they put you to work. Show up to that and you’re ahead of 90% of people who say they want to volunteer.

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Club West members organize group volunteer days a few times a year. It’s one of the ways we get to know each other outside of brunches and happy hours. If you’re looking for a group to go with, learn more about Club West.

Browse all of our local guides at the Westies’ Guide to Westchester County. Or read more about what Club West is and how it works.