Be a Windy City hero: Chicago’s top volunteer spots, including playing with puppies

Chicagoans eager to give back can choose from a spectrum of volunteer roles, from park clean-ups to animal care. Here is the list of opportunities where people can make an impact in their community.

PAWS Chicago

PAWS Chicago invites volunteers to nurture homeless pets through walking, feeding, cleaning beds and offering affectionate snuggles—rewarded with tail wags, grateful eyes and happy head bumps in return. By joining their team, you’ll support PAWS Chicago’s mission to save lives and enhance services for these incredible animals. It truly takes a village to keep Chicago’s companion animals safe and loved.

Chicago Park District

Chicago Park District offers volunteer roles for one-day or long-term involvement. One-day volunteers can help with park clean-ups, event support, Earth Day, Special Olympics, tree mulching, and more by contacting their local park or Advisory Council and completing an online waiver (long-term volunteers are exempt). Groups can arrange service projects planting, mulching, and park improvements via a Group One Day Service Projects application. Ongoing opportunities include Natural Areas Community Stewardship, community gardening, conservatory docent programs, Park Advisory Councils, and Pitch in for the Parks. For details, visit the volunteer pages or email volunteers@chicagoparkdistrict.com.

Cleanup Club Chicago

Cleanup Club Chicago is a nonprofit volunteer group fighting Chicago’s litter pollution through land and water cleanups, city outreach, and waste reduction advocacy. In its recent Earth Month Trashapalooza challenge, volunteers collected 621 bags, over 5,000 pounds, surpassing a 500-bag goal. Founded in July 2020, the organization maintains a citywide network of Cleanup Captains to engage diverse neighborhoods. As of this May, volunteers have removed an estimated 35,478 pounds of trash. Cleanup Club Chicago hosts regular events, including the upcoming Diversey and California Cleanup on Thursday, June 12.

Chicago Tutoring

Tutoring Chicago connects volunteer tutors with 1st–12th grade students facing economic barriers for weekly 90-minute sessions, either digitally or in person, across Near North, Northwest, Southwest, or Southside neighborhoods. Programs run September through May, with applications accepted on a rolling basis until February. All tutors receive initial and ongoing training, access to curriculum and resources, and guidance from a dedicated program manager and coordinators. Volunteers meet with their matched student every week from 6–7:30 p.m. CST; those with extra availability may be matched with additional students to fulfill more service hours.

Nourishing Hope

Nourishing Hope provides food, mental health counseling, and social services, like job and housing assistance, to Chicagoans in need. To volunteer, complete the online registration form, then attend a virtual orientation to learn policies and sign up for shifts. Youth aged 13+ (with guardian supervision for under 16) can help at any site, while adults serve as drivers, loaders, personal shopping assistants, and more. Faith-based, community, and corporate groups are welcome at all locations, and those needing court- or school-ordered service can volunteer once they meet requirements.

Logan Square Mutual Aid

Logan Square Mutual Aid is a grassroots, all-volunteer group supporting Chicagoans by meeting needs like food distribution and financial aid. To get involved, join their Google Group for weekly volunteer emails or fill out the Chicagoland Food Sovereignty Coalition Volunteer Form to access their Slack. Weekly tasks include outreach (calling or texting families), Free Store & Warehouse shifts (restocking, sorting clothes), Grocery Bag Builds (packing food), and delivery driving (picking up groceries and delivering to families). Volunteers can drop in for any activity to help sustain community support.