The goal of the Community Volunteer Program is to improve the quality of life for Glendale residents and volunteers through valuable public service projects.
The Glendale City Council created this fantastic program as a one-year pilot project in 1998. The reason for starting such a program was simple—involving Glendale residents and community groups in volunteer service projects develops a healthier, more livable city!
The program is now an ongoing city service in the Neighborhood Partnership Office, which gives volunteers a sense of pride by contributing to improvements in the community. In the ten years since the program was created, Glendale has benefited greatly from these projects. Since 1998, more than 25,000 volunteers have contributed nearly 95,000 volunteer hours, which are valued at more than $1.7 million.
Community volunteer projects are designed for large groups of volunteers. The average size of a group is about 25. So gather your friends, relatives or co-workers and become involved in the community. Individual volunteers are welcome to contact the office about volunteer opportunities and join a group of volunteers to help out in the community.
We do not assist those who must complete court-ordered community service. Contact the Parks & Recreation department at 623-930-2691 for assistance with court-ordered community service.
Brochure
To find out more about our Community Volunteer Program, click here for our brochure.
August 13, 2013: Project Connect
On any given day thousands of people experience homelessness in Maricopa County. Many of these individuals and families are experiencing homelessness for the first time and require only temporary assistance to get back on their feet. Project Connect is part of Valley of the Sun United Way’s long-term, multi-faceted strategy to end homelessness in our community. This monthly event offers instant access to resources people in our community need to start the journey back to health, financial stability, and housing. More than 10,000 individuals have been connected to services since Project Connect began in 2008. Volunteers are needed to work one-on-one with guests, escorting them through the array of service providers available on-site. The guest guide role is a supportive position that encourages a connection between individuals. Other roles available to volunteers include registering guests, serving food, distributing clothes, assisting with the guest check-out area and clean-up. Join us and register to volunteer today at www.vsuw.org or for groups of 10 or more, contact Cate Eckenrode at 602.631.4896 or ceckenrode@vsuw.org
October 26, 2013: Rock & Roll Paint-a-Thon
The Rock & Roll Paint-a-Thon is Rebuilding Together Valley of the Sun’s largest community service program. The City of Glendale Neighborhood Partnership Office partners with Rebuilding Together to identify homes and volunteer teams in Glendale to participate in this annual event. This community effort engages more than 3,000 volunteers valley-wide in hands-on neighborhood revitalization. Through efforts to paint the exterior of more than 100 owner-occupied homes for low-income homeowners, volunteers positively affect a sense of pride in less-affluent neighborhoods. Moreover, volunteers feel a sense of accomplishment after their house assignment is complete. Gather your team of volunteers and register at www.rebuildingtogetherphx.org
November 23, 2013: National Family Volunteer Day
National Family Volunteer Day is designed to show the benefits of families working together, to introduce community service, and to encourage those who have not yet made the commitment to volunteer as a family. National Family Volunteer Day is held the Saturday before Thanksgiving and kicks off National Family Week. This is a great opportunity for families to come together. Volunteering as a family provides quality time, strengthens communication, and provides opportunities for family members to be role models, while making significant contributions to their communities. Even though this day is geared for families, anyone with an interest to volunteer can join in. To volunteer, contact the City of Glendale Community Volunteer Program at awilkie@glendaleaz.com or call 623-930-2915.
January 2014: MLK Day, A Day On, Not Off
Each year the City of Glendale Neighborhood Partnership Office partners with HandsOn Greater Phoenix to bring together more than 200 volunteers to participate in the MLK Day, A Day On, Not Off project in Glendale. Volunteers pick citrus at Sahuaro Ranch Park that is donated to St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance to help feed the hungry in Arizona and throughout the United States. Last year, volunteers picked close to 30,000 pounds of grapefruit. During his lifetime, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. worked tirelessly toward a dream of equality. He believed in a nation of freedom and justice for all, and encouraged all citizens to live up to the purpose and potential of America by applying the principles of nonviolence to make this country a better place to live, creating the Beloved Community. The King Day of Service is a way to transform Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and teachings into community service that helps solve social problems. To volunteer, contact HandsOn Greater Phoenix at www.handsonphoenix.org
January – March 2014: Fruit Gleaning at Sahuaro Ranch Park
Each year, the City of Glendale Community Volunteer Program coordinates “fruit gleaning” projects at Sahuaro Ranch Park between the months of January – March. Volunteers are needed to help pick grapefruit and oranges at the ranch so they don’t go to waste. All of the citrus is donated to St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance to help feed the hungry in Arizona and throughout the United States. More than 60,000 pounds of fruit are picked each year by hundreds of volunteers. To volunteer, contact the City of Glendale Community Volunteer Program at awilkie@glendaleaz.com or call 623-930-2915.
February 2014: Annual Serve Day
Serve Day is a faith-based, community-oriented event organized by several local churches including the Community Church of Joy, Vineyard, Faith Bible Church, Breakthrough Life Church, Christ’s Church of the Valley, Peace Lutheran and others that encourage their members and those in other churches to participate. The City of Glendale Neighborhood Partnership Office partners with the churches on this annual event. More than 500 volunteers participated last year. Volunteer projects include neighborhood and park clean ups, painting homes, gardening, delivering food to the needy, and much more. Serve Day is typically held the Saturday after President’s Day. To volunteer, contact the City of Glendale Community Volunteer Program at awilkie@glendaleaz.com or call 623-930-2915.
March 2014: Cesar Chavez Day
Each year in March, volunteers complete a community service project in Glendale to celebrate the life of Cesar Chavez who dedicated his life to the struggle for equality and justice for all people. Throughout his work he promoted 10 Core Values which included: service to others, community, and respect for life. To volunteer, contact the City of Glendale Community Volunteer Program at awilkie@glendaleaz.com or call 623-930-2915.
April 2014: Serve-a-Thon
During the month of April, the City of Glendale Neighborhood Partnership Office partners with HandsOn Greater Phoenix for their annual Serve-A-Thon event. This event brings together 2,500 corporate, civic and individual volunteers. Neighborhoods, communities and under-resourced schools benefit from a variety of projects including: painting homes for the elderly, refurbished libraries, landscaped green spaces, restored playgrounds, and much, much more! The event provides 20,000 hours of volunteer service to schools and neighborhoods in need. To volunteer, contact HandsOn Greater Phoenix at www.handsonphoenix.org
April 2014: Earth Day
Each year during the month of April, millions of people around the globe participate in volunteer projects to promote a more sustainable and “green” environment. The City of Glendale Neighborhood Partnership Office coordinates projects that include park clean ups, sprucing up the Xeriscape Garden located at the Main Library, neighborhood clean ups, and much more. To volunteer, contact the City of Glendale Community Volunteer Program at awilkie@glendaleaz.com or call 623-930-2915.
May 2014: National Join Hands Day
Join Hands Day is a national volunteer day that specifically targets and develops relationships between young people and adults through neighborhood volunteering. Youths and adults work together on an equal basis to plan, organize and implement the day’s activities. Building relationships across generations restores confidence, trust and respect for each other, and creates a sense of community. Each year, the City of Glendale Neighborhood Partnership Office coordinates volunteer projects that involve youth and adults working together to accomplish this goal. To volunteer, contact the City of Glendale Community Volunteer Program at awilkie@glendaleaz.com or call 623-930-2915.
Note: As the dates and locations for volunteer projects taking place in 2014 are finalized, they will be updated on the website. Most volunteer events take place on Saturdays from approximately 8 a.m. to Noon.
Get Involved!
