You can introduce the love of reading and imagination by giving your time to read to our students! This is an easy way to be introduced to our programs that can be a one-time or on a recurring basis. Volunteers can provide their own books, or we can provide them for you!

Let’s get crafty and help our students unlock their creative side! You will do that by leading and supporting an activity that will engage our students. From popsicle sticks to rocks, our students will turn anything into a work of art! Volunteers can provide their own activity and supplies, or we can work with you to lead a project!

Are you a musician? Do you have other skills that you can share with our children or our teachers? We are always looking for new opportunities to enrich the educational experience for our children and teachers. From special art classes to visits from athletes, and from financial planning support to dance lessons and more, we can tailor this opportunity to your unique set of skills.

Your gift of service will provide pre-made Welcome Home Kits for our clients at the Central East Regional Recovery Center. These kits include items like shampoo, soap, sheets, towels and more. Providing these for our clients gives them a sense of dignity and respect as they begin their journey with recovery. This opportunity is generously funded by a grant from the Slave2Nothing Foundation, which focuses on supporting recovery programs. 

For many of our recovery clients, laundry detergent comes at a steep price. Your support of making pre-made laundry kits will provide our clients with easy access to laundry soap and fabric softener dryer sheets. This opportunity is generously funded by the St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Thrift Shop in Del Mar. 

Too many of our recovery clients are coming directly off the street and into services without having eaten in days. But you can support them on their intake by putting together snack kits for our clients. These kits include non-perishable items like protein bars, tuna salad packets, water bottles, and more, to provide support to clients as they begin their journey on the path to recovery. This opportunity is generously funded by a grant from the Slave2Nothing Foundation, which focuses on supporting recovery programs.

Each school year, many families are faced with the challenges of providing things like backpacks and school supplies for their young children. Your support will help by organizing a drive that will collect these items, that can then be distributed to children enrolled in our behavioral health and education programs. This drive is typically done over the summer, with supplies being delivered to programs by late August or early September.  

Your support will ensure that an ECS client family has their holiday wish list fulfilled! You can sign up as an individual, team, or company to be matched with an ECS client or family. You will receive an itemized wish list for your family to help you purchase gifts for your family. Then you will be asked to deliver these gifts to the family or to our program site. Signups begin in October, and families are matched with donors in November, with gifts being delivered by mid-December.

Thanksgiving is a time to pause and take stock, and our annual Recovery Lunch is an opportunity for our clients in recovery to pause and celebrate their achievements. Volunteers are needed to help serve the Thanksgiving-style lunch, as well as to prepare appetizers, side courses and desserts. This event is usually held a week or two before the Thanksgiving holiday.

As the signature fundraising event, the Moonlight Ball provides critical funds to help meet the most pressing needs of ECS clients. Your support as a volunteer will ensure a memorable event that will help our guests want to know more about ECS. Volunteer support is needed for set-up, event support, tear-down, and more.

Working with the Family Engagement Center, these volunteers will provide support at events geared to bring Head Start families together. Events occur roughly once a quarter and are done in collaboration with other community partners and resources. Volunteers are needed for set-up, event assistance, and tear-down.