Guide to Giving

Opportunities for you to make  a difference in our community by giving your time and talents or through donations of money, food, or gifts during the holiday season and beyond.

Features volunteer and donation needs of 40+ local nonprofit agencies for the holiday and beyond! Before you, your family or your business begin collecting items, check the guide to see what is on the wish lists of local agencies! Opportunities range from wrapping presents, delivering meals and holiday visits to donating food, gifts, clothing and gift cards plus a whole lot more.  

Click  icon to view in full screen.
Click here view or download .pdf version of the guide.

How to connect with agencies and opportunities in the guide

• Use this button to view and express interest in volunteer opportunities listed in the guide.

• Click on an organization name below to view and connect with the opportunities they have posted with us.

• Interested in helping in a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day? View Holiday Opportunities - Food Insecurity for agencies that may need volunteers. Please keep in mind that these organizations need help every day and that opportunities to volunteer on these specific days fill up quickly.

• Interested in collecting food to help a family in need enjoy a special meal at holiday time? Look for ❋ notations below agency requests in the guide indicating that they can identify those families.

More ways to Find an Opportunity

Use these links to search all the opportunities in our system for the given impact area. NOTE: Opportunities are constantly changing or filled. If you don't see an opportunity, check back or search "All Opportunities."

This information is derived from nonprofit and public agencies that serve Howard County and the region. When you contact the agency, please mention that you found the opportunity through the Volunteer Center Serving Howard County’s Annual Guide to Giving.

Participating Organizations

(click on organization name to learn more and link to all their posted opportunities).

• A-OK Mentoring-Tutoring, Inc.   
• Animal Advocates of Howard County
• Anna's Gift Foundation
• Arc of Howard County   
• Athelas Institute, Inc.  
• Bridges to Housing Stability  
• Build Haiti Foundation
• Champions Against Cancer
• Community Action Council of Howard County  
• Community Ecology Institute  
• FIRN, Inc.
• Girls on the Run of Central Maryland  
• Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center  
• HC DrugFree
• HopeWorks of Howard County  
• Howard County Autism Society  
• Howard County Conservancy  
• Howard County Office on Aging and Independence  
• Howard County Poetry and Literature Society (HoCoPoLitSo)  
• KidsPeace  
• Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services, Inc. (LARS)
• Leveling the Playing Field
• Linwood Center  
• ManneqART
• Maryland Horse Rescue  
• Maryland Search and Rescue Inc.
• Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland  
• Metropolitan Washington Ear  
• Mid-Atlantic Chinese Shar Pei Rescue Operation, Inc.  
• Moveable Feast  
• NAMI Howard County
• National Family Resiliency Center  
• Neighbor Ride  
• Paws4Comfort  
• Performing Arts Center for African Cultures Inc.
• Pets on Wheels  
• Prepare for Success
• Project Linus of Howard County 
• S.A.F.E. Food Pantry    (Supplying Allergy-Friendly and Emergency Food Pantry)
• The Samaritan Women
• Special Olympics Howard County  
• Success in Style   
• Voices for Children   
• WAHA Initiative
• Winter Growth