Foster the City
Support Friend
Foster Family
Foster the City is a coalition of churches providing loving homes for children in foster care. Everyone can make a difference.
We invite you to take the first step by joining an upcoming interest meeting to learn more about Foster the City (zoom and in person options)
Community Kitchens
Prepare and serve meals
Cook meals at home
Deliver meals
Community Kitchens brings restaurants, community organizations and volunteers together to help feed those in need in Oakland.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer at the central kitchen preparing and packaging meals
Become a home chef stocking Town fridges with home-cooked meals
Pick up food donations and deliver to Town Fridges or community partners
Serve freshly made meals to the unhoused community
MLK Jr. Elementary
Classroom support
Tutoring
Staff appreciation
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary is a school in Oakland Unified School District located just 10 blocks from ResOakland. The school serves 350 students TK-5th grade, including a state-sponsored preschool and a large special education program.
Volunteer Opportunities
Tutor students in math or reading (with Children Rising)
Provide classroom support for teachers
Re-stock the school’s Staff Lounge with coffee and snacks on a monthly basis on your schedule. Reimbursement provided.
Assist with the school’s annual fall book fair and spring carnival
Grateful Gatherings
Donate gently used furniture
Organize donations
Grateful Gatherings furnishes homes for families transitioning from homelessness or crisis. They help families thrive by providing a safe and comfortable home.
Volunteer Opportunities
Sort and organize donations in their warehouse. Reach out to their Warehouse and Donation Coordinator Rachel Whalen if you are interested in getting involved.
Donate gently used furniture (no mattresses or bed frames)
Help set up an apartment on a Saturday for a family in need with a group of volunteers. There are opportunities to participate in these “gathering” days 3 times a year with a team of volunteers from ResOakland. You can also learn about other opportunities to serve on a Saturday by joining their email mailing list.
CityTeam
Kitchen support
Food pantries
Spiritual Mentorship
Education and Job Skills Mentorship
City Team provides care and food for our neighbors in the greatest need in Oakland. They provide hot meals, fresh groceries, and safe emergency shelter 365 days a year. In addition, they also run life-saving residential programs for men and women struggling with addiction and homelessness. There are opportunities for individuals and groups to volunteer.
Volunteer Opportunities
Help prepare and serve breakfast (6-8am), lunch (11am-1pm) or dinner (5-7pm) any day of the year
Help run pop-up food pantries throughout Alameda County
Organize donations for their clothing closet
Provide spiritual or education/job skills mentorship to men and women in their residential program
Harbor House
After school tutoring
Food distribution
Facility maintenance and gardening
Harbor House Ministries serves the families in Oakland's San Antonio neighborhood, offering a safe place for many immigrants and refugees. They provide food and clothing access, after-school enrichment for students of nearby Franklin Elementary, spiritual development, youth leadership and family literacy classes.
Volunteer Opportunities
After school tutoring
Food distribution
Facility maintenance and gardening
Children Rising
Math tutor in person or over zoom
Reading tutor in person
Children Rising is an educational non-profit founded in 2001 in partnership with Oakland United School District (OUSD) to ensure that every child gets a fair chance to learn in school and succeed in life. Educational inequality impacts many children in low-income neighborhoods throughout Oakland. Children Rising matches volunteer tutors with struggling Oakland elementary school children living in these neighborhoods for weekly tutoring in math and reading. They have over 200 trained tutors serving in 36 Oakland Unified School District elementary schools, including our partner school MLK Jr. Elementary.
Volunteer Opportunities
One on one math tutor in person or over zoom
One on one reading tutor in person
One on one homework support after school
Time Commitment: Once a week, M-F between 8:30am-4:30pm
Learn more about Children Rising