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Day of Service 2025

This is community
in action.

 

1 day. 500+ volunteers.

 

We believe that you can’t really love what you don’t know. As a collection of folks from both churches and non-religious backgrounds, we want to love our home in ways that matter. 

 

The first step is getting out into the city and meeting our neighbors. Day of Service projects are practical ways to embody a hopeful presence in San Diego.


This is local community in action.

This is love
in action.

1 county. 4 key issues.

“Hoping” for our city means that we’re invested in making it a better place for everyone. That’s why hundreds of you gather each year to dedicate 1 day to meeting the real needs of real people.

We’ve identified 4 groups of people facing the greatest needs in San Diego: at-risk youth, survivors of trafficking, refugees & immigrants, and those experiencing homelessness. 

This is love in action.

Pick from 20+ projects across the county! Click through each opportunity to find information about the locations, organizations, and kid-friendly options.

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At-Risk Youth

Gardening & Yard Work, Ocean Knoll

WHEN: 8-11a

WHERE: Encinitas

WHAT: This family work day at Ocean Knoll Elementary will support a local Encinitas school with an expansive garden space. Come out for a fun morning to help beautify and prep the farm and garden areas. Projects range from heavy-duty lifting to fun garden crafts, plentiful weeding, chicken coop repair, and more! 

WHO: 100 volunteers needed; All ages welcome

Campus Beautification, Abraxas High School

WHEN: 9a-12p

WHERE: Poway

WHAT: Abraxas High School serves hundreds students facing food and housing insecurities as they complete high school. Come help us beautify the campus so that they can start off the new quarter with refreshed garden spaces! 

WHO: 20-30 volunteers needed; All ages welcome

$500 covers mulch, gardening tools &  supplies

Family Picnic, A Step Beyond

WHEN: 10a-2p

WHERE: Escondido

WHAT: Come celebrate summer with the families of ASB, which provides  dance and academic programs to underserved families in north county. While your calendar may be packed with fun summer events, this may be the only opportunity these families have to enjoy a summer picnic in the park. Let’s help make it possible! 

Volunteers will run craft, game, and food stations and help with setup and tear down. 

WHO: 35 volunteers needed; All ages welcome

$2,500 covers food, rentals, station supplies

Back to School Prep, Monarch School

WHEN: 9a-12p

WHERE: Barrio Logan

WHAT: The Monarch School educates students impacted by homelessness and helps them develop hope for a future with the necessary skills and experiences for personal success. Volunteers are invited to come support this amazing institution through beautification tasks around campus, organizing their resource room, and cleaning throughout.

WHO: 30 volunteers needed; All ages welcome

Back to School Prep, Casa de Amistad

WHEN: 9a-12p

WHERE: Solana Beach Presbyterian Church

WHAT: Help support Casa de Amistad students as they prepare for a new school year. Casa de Amistad is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the education of underserved children, teens, and their families. They need volunteers to help assemble backpacks with classroom supplies for all Casa students, prepare materials and resource rooms for tutoring sessions, and more. 

WHO: 25 volunteers needed; All ages welcome

Garden & Yard Work, Casa de Amistad

WHEN: 9a-12p

WHERE: Carlsbad

WHAT: Help beautify Casa de Amistad’s garden space. Casa de Amistad is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the education of underserved children, teens, and their families. They need volunteers to help weed, plant, and clean their garden space.

WHO: 25 volunteers needed; All ages welcome

Garden Work, Urban Life

WHEN: 8-11a

WHERE: Urban Life Farm, City Heights

WHAT: UrbanLife empowers underserved youth in the City Heights area to learn crucial life skills and engage in their community. Their large garden site provides fresh produce for their cafe job training program.! Come out to help tackle several summer refresh projects alongside UrbanLife youth and staff! You’ll weed, harvest, plant, and help build out a children’s corner of the garden. 

WHO: 20 volunteers needed; All ages welcome

Closet Restoration, Restoration 225

WHEN: 9a-12p

WHERE: Covenant Church, North Park

WHAT: Come help restore a closet for Restoration 225 to use for foster care supplies. You’ll paint shelves, put in new carpet, install a curtain, and beautify the space. 

WHO: 10 volunteers needed; All ages welcome

$100 helps provide supplies for the boutique 

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Homelessness

Summerfest Picnic, SDRM National City

WHEN: 10:30a-1p

WHERE: National City

WHAT: San Diego Rescue Mission opened their newest Navigation Center last year in National City, and we’re excited to throw a party for the residents again. This space provides short-term safe housing and intentional programming to help houseless folks get back on their feet. Come out for a fun morning to bring some summer cheer to residents! You’ll help out with food and activities.

WHO: 20 volunteers needed; All ages welcome

Campus Beautification, Solutions for Change

WHEN: 9a-12p

WHERE: Vista

WHAT: Solutions for Change transforms lives and communities by permanently solving family homelessness. Volunteers are needed to help paint residents’ fences and host a picnic for the families. 

WHO: 30 volunteers needed; All ages welcome with parent supervision

Homeless Medical Outreach, Street Corner Care

WHEN: 9a-12p

WHERE: First Presbyterian Church, Little Italy

WHAT: During this medical outreach, health professionals provide education, health screenings, and advocacy for those who may feel abandoned by the healthcare system and experiencing homelessness. Medical professionals are especially needed, but other volunteers can offer meals, conversation, and prayer. 

WHO: 6 volunteers needed; Ages 18+ recommended

Organizing & Cleaning, Ladle Fellowship

WHEN: 9a-12p

WHERE: First Presbyterian Church, Little Italy

WHAT: Ladle Fellowship serves the homeless community with regular meals and other activities. One volunteer group will be hanging cabinets to organize a medical supply room, and another group will be deep cleaning the lunchroom floor and tables to ensure a clean, sanitary space for weekly meals.

WHO: 40 volunteers needed; All ages welcome

Organizing & Cleaning Resale Store, CRC

WHEN: 9-11a

WHERE: Encinitas

WHAT: The Community Resource Center resale store provides practical resources for families in need in the North County area. Help organize clothes and clean this space to be ready to welcome shoppers!

WHO: 10-15 volunteers needed; Ages 8+

Organizing & Cleaning Food Pantry, CRC

WHEN: 9-11a

WHERE: Encinitas

WHAT: Local nonprofits have been reporting their greatest demands for food assistance since the pandemic. The CRC food pantry provides practical resources for families in need in the North County area. Help deep clean and organize shelves to make this space ready to welcome those in need of food assistance.

WHO: 10 volunteers needed; Ages 8+

Landscaping & Cleaning, SDRM Oceanside

WHEN: 9a-12p

WHERE: Oceanside

WHAT: San Diego Rescue Mission’s Oceanside Navigation Center provides short-term safe housing and intentional programming to help houseless folks get back on their feet. A few years ago you helped us prepare for their grand opening. Now we need your help with groundwork and beautification outside the shelter, as well as cleaning projects inside!

WHO: 25 volunteers needed; All ages welcome

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Anti-Trafficking

Yard Work at Survivor Home, GenerateHope

WHEN: 9a-12p

WHERE: Coronado

WHAT: GenerateHope is looking for volunteers to help beautify and refresh their Coronado home. Your support will make an everyday difference for the women at this home as they heal from the traumas of trafficking!

WHO: 10 volunteers needed; Ages 16+, all minors need to adult supervision

Resource Center Refresh, Alabaster Jar Project

WHEN: 9a-12p

WHERE: Escondido

WHAT: One of the key ways Alabaster Jar Project serves trafficking survivors is through their Resource Center. Help sort through clothing donations to prepare them for the AJP boutique shop. Or, work outside refreshing the planter beds and landscapes around the Resource Center. 

WHO: 15 volunteers needed; Ages 15+

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Immigrants & Refugees

Large Park Cleanup, Urban Impact

WHEN: 9a-12p

WHERE: Colina Del Sol Park, City Heights

WHAT:

New Vision Urban Impact exists to inspire individuals and families from urban communities to discover their purpose through recreation, education, employment, and health. Urban Impact uses Colina Park multiple times each week to host their programs, and we can help beautify it! Volunteers are needed to help clean up the park, paint benches, clean the basketball courts, and help with landscaping. 

WHO: 35 volunteers needed; All ages welcome

Mama Care Morning, Alma Community Care

WHEN: 3p-6p on Friday, July 18th, 9a-1p on Saturday, July 19th

WHERE: Logan Heights Library

WHAT: Alma Community Care provides mental health resources and care to underserved families in the Logan Heights area. Help in one of three teams (Friday set up, Kids team, Mamas team) to provide a morning respite event for mamas in the community!

  • Team 1 – Set up the event the night before (Friday 3p-6p)
  • Team 2 – Serve inside with moms by providing food, helping with crafts, or the gift bag station (9a-1p)
  • Team 3- Serve with their kids by helping with crafts, food, and games (9a-1p)

WHO: 25 volunteers needed; All ages welcome

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