Vote for Volunteers!

We’re participating in the Target Circle program! Vote for the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County and help direct Target’s giving to support volunteers in our community.  If you shop at Target and are a member of Target’s loyalty program, you automatically earn “votes” for local nonprofits every time you shop. These votes are turned … Read more

2023 Finding Comfort and Joy

A Letter from our Executive Director, Karen Delaney We started 2023 together in the pouring rain – and hundreds of you showed up to fill and place sandbags, help with evacuations and staff shelters.  It is hard to describe how much it changes one’s view of the world to see ordinary people show up, day … Read more

Five Ways to Give Joy this Holiday Season

Want to jump-start that feeling of holiday joy you had as a child?  Then, join a cherished local tradition: giving the gift of joy through the Volunteer Center’s Adopt-a-Family program.  Bringing joy to a child is one of the greatest feelings of all, that embodies what this season is all about. Adopt-A Family is a … Read more

Volunteer Center Requesting Community Support for its Holiday Adopt-a-Family Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Leslie LeeDirector of Community Engagementengagement@scvolunteercenter.org More Than 150 Santa Cruz County Families Still In Need of Donations of Food and Gifts This Holiday Season SANTA CRUZ COUNTY–November 23, 2023In an urgent response to the heightened needs of the community following devastating winter storms and floods, the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County … Read more

Dear Nonprofits: Volunteers are Eager to Help You this Holiday Season!

List your projects in the Volunteer Center's 2023 Holiday Volunteer Guide

If you are a nonprofit leader, here are a few facts you might find interesting: 25% of all new volunteers make their first contribution to an organization between Thanksgiving and New Year’s! -and- Over 300 NEW volunteers contact the Volunteer Center during the holidays – looking for ways to support organizations like yours. At the Volunteer Center, … Read more

US Dept. of Justice designates Santa Cruz County Women’s Recovery and Reentry progra a national Model

Media Release: October 2, 2023 Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, Gemma/NewLife Transitional Housing Partner and Janus of Santa Cruz to Serve as National Mentor Training Program The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County’s Friends Outside Program, New Life and Gemma Programs and Janus of … Read more

Environmental Volunteering in Santa Cruz County

If you love to volunteer outdoors protecting and restoring our environment, then the Environteers Weekly Update will keep you informed and inspired. The website Environteers.org and their Update e-newsletter publicize the educational and volunteer activities of all of our County’s environmental groups. Our mission is to make it easy to keep informed and in action. … Read more

Get Out and About in June!

It’s summer in Santa Cruz County and you know what that means? It’s time to Get Out and About – volunteering to foster a thriving, inclusive community! This month,we’re featuring volunteer opportunities that aim to ensure everyone in our community feels seen, heard, and valued, and get you out and about enjoying our beautiful parks, … Read more

Connecting People for Good

Martin Luther King Jr. once said “Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. … You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”  Volunteering in service to others helps our local community, and inspires and enriches our participants’ lives. Our participants in the Avenues program come to us with the … Read more

Many Hands Make Light Work

Thank you to all the volunteers who came out this weekend to help clean up Pajaro and to KSBW for reporting on these critical clean-up efforts. Watch the Clip Here There is SO much more work to be done. But, as one of our volunteers said in the video, “Many hands make light work.” Volunteer … Read more

Sign Up Now to Get Help and Help Others

Volunteer Center Executive Director Karen Delaney strategizes clean-up efforts with Team Rubicon on a sunny day in Felton Grove, Felton, CA

We’ve all seen the destruction and loss caused by last weekend’s storms and flooding. Many of you have reached out to offer help and support – thank you. Our Volunteer Mobilization team is working closely with a coalition of Watsonville nonprofits and County agencies to launch disaster clean-up Operations in Pajaro and Watsonville. And, we’re … Read more

Felton Grove Cleanup benefits from army of volunteers

A volunteer digs out the entryway to a Felton Grove home.

AMERICORPS AND VOLUNTEER CENTER TEAM UP TO HELP RESIDENTS By: DREW PENNER Scotts Valley Press BannerFebruary 3, 2023 ….It’s not that neighborhood residents were unaware of the flood risk.“Theoretically we are prepared for this,” (Felton Grove resident)  said, noting it’s the first time they’ve tapped into the Volunteer Center’s network. “We generally just recover ourselves. … Read more

Volunteers Showing Up with Love for Post-Storm Cleanup

Folks from Nebraska to North Carolina saw images of our battered coastline and the wreckage of Seacliff State Beach and Capitola Village. But the public — and the president — didn’t get to see the communities whose homes and livelihoods were impacted by the storms and they didn’t see who showed up to help. They didn’t see who it was that filled and delivered 40,000 sandbags, helped evacuate and feed seniors, or got over 5,000 hot meals to people in need. And they aren’t going to see the expert disaster case managers guiding people to resources they may be able to benefit from.