Volunteer Initiative Program (VIP)
The Volunteer Initiative Program matches interested community members with volunteer opportunities throughout Santa Cruz County Government. VIP was started in 1984 as a partnership between the County of Santa Cruz and the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, and is fully funded by the Board of Supervisors.
We work with all County departments including the District Attorney’s Office, the Health Services Agency, the Human Resources Agency, DA's Office, Parks and Open Spaces, Personnel, Probation, and the Sheriff’s Department.
VOLUNTEER WITH OUR COUNTY
VIP volunteers offer a wide range of services that include helping with juvenile diversion, providing tutoring to children, researching cases for the District Attorney, gathering information on crime victim impacts, or aiding children who struggle with mental illness. Volunteer positions are available to anyone ages 18 and over.
JOIN OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Internships are an ideal way to gain skills, update your resume, and help County government serve our community. Many interesting internships exist within County departments, and we do our best to find or create a position where you will gain valuable experience in accordance with your area of study.
SUBMIT YOUR VOLUNTEER HOURS
Your time is valuable to our county. Since we began tracking in 1987 VIP volunteers have contributed nearly 750,000 hours and over $13,000 million dollars of their time. Tracking these hours helps us articulate the importance of civic engagement.