A listing of volunteer opportunities on the South Baltimore peninsula.
Compiled November 2022
ACADEMIC TUTORING
South Baltimore Learning Center
28 E. Ostend St.
We assist learners in receiving their high school diplomas. We offer in-person and online leveled classes as well as the National External Diploma Program, academic tutoring, and workforce classes/activities, and resources to help learners transition to the next level after graduation. We also help learners with community resources and partner with other city nonprofits to broaden our outreach.
Volunteer opportunities: one-on-one academic tutoring, drop-in tutoring, office assistance, events. Academic tutors, both one-on-one and drop-in, are a current priority.
Contact: Judith Moreland
410-625-4215
jmoreland@southbaltimorelearns.org
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300 E. Gittings St.
A tuition-free independent Jesuit school for boys in grades 5-8 from underserved neighborhoods throughout Baltimore.
Volunteer opportunities:
Academic tutors work one-on-one with students who need more support in a particular subject area including math at various levels, language arts, science, history, and religion. Mondays and Wednesdays on-site from 3:30 to 5pm.
Homework helpers assist students with assignments in all subjects as well as assignment organization/tracking and time management. Mondays and Wednesdays on-site from 3:30 to 5pm.
Office assistants provide support to Admissions, Advancement, Graduate Support, and school operations. Projects may include data entry, filing, preparing mailings, and making copies.
Athletic assistants support head coaches for the Academy’s teams including soccer, cross country, wrestling, basketball, baseball, and lacrosse. They also assist with the Academy’s after-school intramurals program. Intramurals and organized athletic teams meet on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 3:30 to 5pm.
Graduate support program assistants work with current students and alumni with high school, college or career preparations. Projects may include mock interviews and essay, cover letter and resume reviews.
Corporate and group volunteers: As part of an Academy education, all students participate in community service projects throughout the year. Corporate and group volunteers work side by side with a group of students to complete a service project that benefits either the Academy or the greater Baltimore community. Projects may include preparing meals for local charities and community clean-ups. Volunteer groups may include up to 10 individuals and a donation towards project supplies is requested.
Volunteer librarian: The Academy is seeking a volunteer with library experience to help us organize and computerize our student library materials.
Contact: Malena Fiore
410-685-2145
malena.fiore@saintignatius.org
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AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM
God’s Best Family Inc’s mission is to strive to enrich the lives of the community by developing resources to assist in the daily growth of the people who live there.
Volunteer opportunities: The after-school program, which runs throughout the school year (Monday through Friday from 3:30-6:30pm), helps kids with their homework and provides enrichment activities. The Christmas Holiday Drive provides gifts for youth in our after-school program and for residents of a local shelter.
Contact: Erin Lonon
443-248-1238
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ADVOCATES FOR THE BLIND
National Federation of the Blind
200 E. Wells St.
NFB, headquartered in Baltimore, defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. Founded in 1940, the NFB is the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans with affiliates, chapters, and divisions across the country. We are a membership organization of blind people involved in various education, support, and advocacy activities.
Volunteer opportunities: The best way to participate in volunteer opportunities is to join a local chapter. Baltimore residents interested in joining the Greater Baltimore chapter, which meets at our South Baltimore headquarters, can reach out to chapter president Chris Danielsen.
Contact: Chris Danielsen
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CLEANUPS & COMMUNITY EVENTS
Volunteer opportunities: Help with Solo Gibbs Park clean-ups and community events. As long as weather permits, we try to do cleanups monthly.
Contact: Devon Conklin
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CLEAN STREETS
The SoBo Cleanup Crew weeds and cleans streets throughout the community, one block at a time.
Volunteer opportunities: Meet with the crew every other weekend for an hour or so of weeding and cleaning one street on our community.
Contact: Charles Collins
410-336-9207
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COMMUNITY GARDENS
Digital Harbor High School Community Garden
Plan, prepare, plant, and maintain this garden and the pollinator garden along E. Cross St.
Volunteer opportunities: Garden work as needed as a group activity, sometimes along with students and teachers. Produce is shared; no beds are available for individual use.
Contact: Vigdis Jacobsen
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COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENTS
Federal Hill Neighborhood Association
FHNA connects neighbors to create a safer, more beautiful, better-connected Federal Hill. We also represent the neighborhood’s interests before City and State government and other public and private groups operating in the neighborhood.
Volunteer opportunities: Public safety committee works with residents, businesses, the Baltimore Police Department, and other neighborhood associations to make a safer neighborhood, provide victim support, and help provide information to identify perpetrators. Block captains work to know everyone on their block, build more socially connected blocks, and provide important information on local events and programs to their neighbors.
Contact: ehillsider@gmail.com
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Riverside Neighborhood Association
Neighbors helping neighbors enhance the quality of life in the community surrounding Riverside Park.
Volunteer opportunities: Join working groups and committees as we address opportunities and challenges facing our community. Areas include park maintenance and plantings, pool programming and social events, streetscape enhancements and “complete streets” ideas, liaison with developers and City agencies, social events and civic engagement, membership and grant writing, communication, sustainability. A current priority is Google “placemaking” and joining an RNA working group ready to put Riverside on the map of Baltimore’s highest-regarded neighborhoods.
Contact: rnabaltimore@gmail.com
(Subject line: “RNA Volunteer”)
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South Baltimore Neighborhood Association
SBNA focuses on neighborhood improvement in the area bounded by Light, McComas, Race, and Cross streets.
Volunteer opportunities: Cleaning and greening, neighborhood advocacy, communications and social media, website design. Current priorities include communications, social media, and website design.
Contact: Megan Spindler
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COMMUNITY SERVICE
Catholic Community of South Baltimore
We are a community of faith committed to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ here in South Baltimore through prayer, service, and friendship. We gather at Holy Cross, St. Mary Star of the Sea, and Good Counsel churches.
Volunteer opportunities: Volunteering at Baltimore Station (1-2 times per month), maintaining our community garden, hands-on tasks around our campus, prepping food for community events, volunteering with our Children’s Ministry. A current priority is volunteering at Baltimore Station; contact us to learn more.
Contact: Beth Mayr
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ELEMENTARY STUDENT & FAMILY SUPPORT
Good Neighbor Collective: SHARPkids
The SHARPkids program ensures that elementary school age children and their families have the support they need in their academic and personal lives. We provide a network of mutual care through (1) after-school programming and summer camp experiences that allow children to grow and belong in community, (2) one-on-one tutoring relationships that support the individual child’s path to academic growth, and (3) mentoring relationships that connect children to caring adults who share lives and foster bonds of friendship to encourage positive social and emotional growth. Our after-school hours are Monday-Fridays, 3:30-6pm.
Volunteer opportunities: greeting and checking kids in (3:30- 4:15), manage our snack store (3:30-4:15), volunteer during free time (3:30-4:15) and support our times of play, assist during our homework hour (4:30-5:30) providing encouragement and support as kids complete assignments, one-on-one tutoring once a week for an hour that can be accommodated to your schedule; one-on-one tutoring to support the academic growth of one child, one hour a week.
Contact: Lil Gurney
443-610-0819
lil.gurney@gracecitybaltimore.org
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EVENTS & COMMUNITY BUILDING
Federal Hill South Neighborhood Association
Fun family-oriented events, happy hours, clean-ups, and community building.
Volunteer opportunities: event staff, board members, and clean-up crew.
Contact: Estella Martinez
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FOOD PANTRY & GARDEN
1530 Battery Ave.
Volunteer opportunities: Food pantry volunteers (upcoming in the spring), community garden bed growers and waterers, worship helpers. A priority is making our small food pantry more accessible to the community. We need people who can staff the pantry consistently at a certain time each week (we are flexible on what day/time that is as long as it is consistent once it is set) to allow people in and help them find what they are looking for.
Contact: Jaylene Long-Ortiz
410-576-0487
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HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT SUPPORT
A program of community volunteering with youth. The key responsibility of a Thread “Family Member” volunteer is to interact regularly with a young person at least once per week (connecting at after-school tutoring, grabbing a bite to eat or hopping on a phone call to talk about how things are going personally, sharing personal joys or frustrations, supporting them in overcoming barriers such as lack of transportation or unresponsiveness).
Volunteer opportunities: Family Member volunteers are needed at Digital Harbor High School.
Contact: Demetric Gillespie
443-219-6398
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HOMELESS WOMEN SUPPORT
Baltimore Outreach Services, Inc.
701 South Charles St.
A 40-bed homeless shelter for women and their children.
Volunteer opportunities: Bringing meals on weekends, teaching skills, reading to children, recreational activities, supply drives (feminine hygiene products, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, toothpaste, lotions).
Contact: Joann Levy
410-752-1285
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INFORMAL SCIENCE EDUCATION
601 Light St.
Volunteer opportunities: The center provides informal science education with a variety of exhibits and programs and opportunities for behind-the-scenes preparation. A current need is Field Trip Ambassadors to greet arriving buses, explain center rules to visiting school groups, and checking in groups.
Contact: Cassie Janowski
410-779-1627
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IN-SCHOOL STAFF SUPPORT
Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle school Parent-Teacher Organization
The FSK PTO supports school operations with front office support and substitute teachers.
Volunteer opportunities: Assist with specific events, part-time help throughout the day at the front office/doors, and substitute teaching. Note: If you volunteer in the school with kids, you must complete a background check. Fill out this form and tell us about your skills. We will reach out when there are specific needs that match your skills.
Contact: Talley Kovacs (PTO President)
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LIBRARY PROGRAMS & FUNDRAISING
Friends of the Light Street Branch
1251 Light St.
Supports and enhances programs at the Light Street Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library. We meet the 3rd Saturday of each month at 11am in the branch’s auditorium.
Volunteer opportunities: Current project needs include a Membership Drive and preparing for our Spring 2023 used book sale. For the book sale, we are collecting, sorting, and storing the books for the three-day event. A current priority is the Greenery Project, which involves preparing our outdoor green space for spring planting.
Contact: Rob Jacobs
FriendsOfLightStreet@gmail.com
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LOCAL BUSINESS PROMOTION
Our Mission is to create and promote a vibrant business district that meets the needs of both residents and visitors while honoring our community’s history.
Volunteer opportunities: marketing and promotion, photography (we need high-resolution photos of the neighborhood, businesses, and events), architectural/urban development design skills, grant writing, gardening, create a workshop series for small businesses, organize neighborhood cleanups (including graffiti and weed removal, street/facade cleanups), assist in planting and maintaining 100+ tree wells, create a new business welcome kit for potential and/or new businesses.
Contact: Taylor Schwartz
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LOW-INCOME FAMILY SUPPORT
Salvation Army of Central Maryland
The Salvation Army of Central Maryland sponsors programs to provide food assistance, clothing, and holiday toys to low-income families in the region.
Volunteer opportunities: Food packing program (Commodities Supplemental Food Program), Angel Tree program packing toys and clothing for low-income families and working families, bell ringing fundraising.
Contact: Samantha Bowman
410-783-2920, x50103
samantha.bowman@uss.salvationarmy.org
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MEALS FOR HOMELESS VETERANS
140 W. West St.
We work with homeless male veterans suffering from addiction and behavioral health challenges. Our men graduate with permanent housing, sustainable income and the tools they need to lead a substance-free life.
Volunteer opportunities: Prepare and serve meals, help with projects, organize donation drives, support events, and provide innovative programming such as art class. Volunteers for meal service is always a top priority.
Contact: Lilly Frazier
410-752-4454 ext. 110
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NATIONAL PARK SUPPORT
Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine
Established by an Act of Congress in 1925, Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine is a 43.26-acre park that preserves the historic Star Fort, the cultural landscape, and archeological sites and makes this valuable part of America’s heritage available to over 700,000 visitors each year.
Volunteer opportunities: Visitor services, living history, facilities maintenance, natural resource maintenance.
Contact: Emily Guss
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING & DELIVERY
South Baltimore Peninsula Post
The Peninsula Post bimonthly newspaper keeps the community informed about local news, events, and history. The all-volunteer paper, supplemented by an active social media presence, is distributed free to outlets and homes across the SoBo peninsula.
Volunteer opportunities: Writers to take on assignments ranging from 250-word news briefs to 1000-word features on a variety of local topics; some previous writing experience required. Delivery day crew to distribute copies 6 times a year on a preset schedule; time commitment is 2-3 hours per delivery day.
Contact: Steve Cole
410-340-8819
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SAILING INSTRUCTION
1425 Key Highway
The Downtown Sailing Center provides water recreation for underserved communities from all walks of life in Baltimore City.
Volunteer opportunities: Assist with our adaptive sailing programs for sailors with disabilities. Roles include skippers, crew, sailing buddies, guest hosts, and volunteers to support with rigging boats and transfer assistance. This is an excellent way to volunteer on the water with opportunities for those with little or no sailing experience available. Events are held during the warmer weather months on 1st and 3rd Saturdays, with special outreach events on weekdays. We are looking for people able to crew boats during the season or serve as sailing buddies for sailors with disabilities. Sailing crew assists the skipper by controlling the various sail sheets (ropes); buddies assist through supporting sailors in a variety of adaptive techniques on our accessible dinghies. Orientation is provided early in the season. Volunteer hours for students may count toward meeting their required service hours for graduation.
Contact: Tony Stephens
410-772-0722
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SCHOOL FUNDRAISING & SUPPORT
Federal Hill Prep Parent-Teachers Organization
1040 William St.
Volunteer opportunities: Cleaning school grounds, staffing concessions, games, and activities at the annual Spring Fling.
Contact: Delese LaCour
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Thomas Johnson Elementary/Middle School Parent-Teachers Organization
TJEMS PTO raises funds for supplemental income for the school. We strive to create school community and spirit and ensure representation of the voices of both parents and teachers. The supplemental income we raise goes to provide student scholarships for field trips, extracurricular events and clubs, school-based technology, and supplements for para-educators and teacher grants.
Volunteer opportunities: Serve on committees of parent and community volunteers, including school grounds greening and beautification, middle school experience, the Fall Festival committee, LiveWell, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Contact: tjemspto@gmail.com
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TECH EDUCATION
1045 Light St.
Volunteer opportunities: After-school assistants (adults or high school volunteers) assist with after-school programs, Monday-Thursday from 3-6pm. Guest presenters are technical experts who provide special presentations on a topic to youth. Individuals who work at local tech companies are also encouraged to set up an in-person or virtual panel of colleagues to present career opportunities to youth.
Contact: Jessica Baynon
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URBAN TREE CARE
Volunteer opportunities: Once or twice per year we gather to care for existing trees and plant new trees in South Baltimore to help beautify the neighborhood and provide shade and cleaner air. We usually gather on a weekend morning from 9am-12pm. Volunteers dig holes, place trees, spread mulch, and pound stakes; they also cut back weeds and do light tree pruning. All tools provided. No experience necessary.
Contact: Joanna Pi-Sunyer
443-745-1803
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YOUTH LEADERSHIP & ACTIVITIES
We prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes, teaching life skills, leadership, and service.
Volunteer opportunities: Youth leadership, donations of time to support activities like the Haunted House, Pinewood Derby, and outdoor activities. We are always seeking service opportunities and adults to lead our cubs in those activities. The Pinewood Derby requires adults to run the races and maintain the track. Experience with Excel, iPhone, and computer technology is needed to run a competition with up to 60 racers.
Contact: Fred Miller
202-549-5345
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YOUTH MENTORS
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore
Our primary goal is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens
Volunteer opportunities: We offer individuals and companies opportunities to make a lasting change in the lives of our Club members and the communities they call home. All year long, we actively seek individual volunteers ages 18+ who will commit at least one hour a week on weekdays between 3-6 to their designated Club. Establishing stable relationships with adult role models is a vital piece the BGCMB model. That’s why we require a minimum commitment of one hour per week for the duration of a 12-week program cycle. We also look to accommodate corporate groups of up to 50 dedicated participants to volunteer at one of our Clubs.
Contact: Davonte Johnson
410-637-3838
DJohnson@bgcmetrobaltimore.org
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YOUTH SPORTS
Youth sports organization for ages 4-13.
Volunteer opportunities: Coaching athletes, concession stand manager, field and grounds maintenance crew; Parade Day entertainment and logistics. Current priority needs include upkeep of our grounds and assistance with our concession stand. Service-learning hours available. Background check required.
Contact: Bailey Jenkins
South Baltimore Peninsula Post 