Opportunities From: Volunteer Spokane

Our next training will be held in January 2026. See the schedule below. Please reach out if you have any questions or would like to become a volunteer!

Are you looking to build your resume, network with like minded individuals, and provide meaningful services to folks in need? Then this may be the perfect opportunity for you!

This unique volunteer experience provides valuable tools for navigating crisis and conflict by empowering and supporting survivors in the aftermath of abuse and trauma. Our volunteers often refer to their service with us as life changing. We are a small team of individuals from diverse backgrounds who embrace our mission of health, justice, and hope.

The Sexual Assault and Family Trauma Center, a program of Lutheran Community Services Northwest, hosts Spokane's only Certified and Accredited Community Sexual Assault Program (CSAP). Our program provides the following services confidentially and free of charge:

Our volunteer advocates assist survivors via a 24-hour support line that can be directed to volunteers at home (no need to sit in a call center) and medical advocacy, which is provided to victims in person at area hospitals when requested.

As a non-profit, we rely on our volunteers to provide services to survivors outside of business hours. We provide a comprehensive 40-hour training and certification free of charge, as well as ongoing supervision and 24-hour support for all our volunteers. We invest in our volunteer staff and in turn, we ask for a one-year commitment of service and four evening or weekend shifts per month. Applicants are thoroughly screened and vetted for service.

Core training is a 40-hour total class teaching a foundational understanding of sexual violence and basic skills for new sexual assault service providers. Core training is a certification that is required by the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy to work as a victims' advocate in Washington state.

January Core Schedule:

For more information, please contact our Volunteer Supervisor at (509) 343-5011 or email crisisresponseteam@lcsnw.org

Find more info about the Growing Neighbors movement at www.growingneighbors.org/.

LCSNW Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Program receives refugee youth ages 14-17 and places them into foster homes and group homes in the Spokane area. These youth have fled their countries due to war, conflict, and violence in search of safety and a better life. They do not have family to care for them, so our organization works to find them loving homes and reach their goals for success.

Are you willing to open your heart and home to a foster child? We’ll be honest, being a foster parent can be challenging. At the same time, we hear from many foster parents that they have grown from the experience.

In our LCS Northwest foster programs, we recruit, license and support foster parents. We are here to help foster parents so they aren’t in this alone. Our goal is to help you provide a stable home for youth who cannot live with their families. We recruit parents for two different programs – International Foster Care and Domestic Foster Care.

Foster parents and program staff work together to provide a safe haven to refugee and immigrant children from around the world. Refugee youth will be supported in their work to heal from past trauma while they pursue goals of learning English, getting an education, and preparing for a future of independence. Foster families are asked to make a long-term commitment to care for refugee child placed in their home.

Informational meetings for the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Program are held on the second Tuesday of every month from 5:30-7:30pm at 210 W. Sprague, Spokane WA 99201.  Please contact us to RSVP.

The role of a Refugee Foster Parent is to:

Most foster parents report a positive experience with refugee children. Many say they receive more from their foster children than what they gave.

Foster families receive:

International foster youth receive:

Lunch Buddies is an in-person program requiring matches to meet during the lunch period at least once per week in the school’s cafeteria. Mentors are trained and receive ongoing support from dedicated staff to troubleshoot challenges but otherwise discuss topics of interest to their mentees.  

We depend on the kindness, love and homes of our foster parents to help us save hundreds of lives every year.  Members of our foster care program open up their homes for shelter animals.  They care for kittens or puppies until they are old enough for adoption, animals with illnesses and injuries until they are healed, and animals who need socialization or those who are not thriving in the shelter environment.  The time commitment varies upon the needs of the foster pet, but generally is between 2 weeks and 3 months. 

Fostering is a flexible, fun and rewarding volunteer experience, and requires a special person- able to invest themselves into the lives of foster pets, and let them go knowing they’ve helped save a life.  We provide all supplies foster parents need, from food and bedding to medication. While it is best to have some knowledge about animal behavior and health, we always try to match foster parents with animals whose needs are within your ability level, and we provide ongoing help and support throughout your foster experience. 

If you have your own animals, you’ll want to consider how they will adjust to having a foster pet. Some animals do very well with a temporary friend and can help socialize the foster animal. Other pets have a harder time with new animals being added to or leaving the family. You’re the best judge of your pet’s personality.  For the safety of your pets and the foster animal, it’s important to keep your pets up-to-date on vaccinations. In many cases, the foster pet will need to be isolated from your own pets, either temporarily or throughout the foster period.

Are you searching for an opportunity to serve your community? Are you interested in protecting the rights of vulnerable adults? Are you passionate about erasing barriers and ensuring the equitable treatment of people with disabilities?

Lakeland Village Residential Habilitation Center invites applications for the facility’s Human Rights Committee (HRC) in Eastern Washington. The Human Rights Committee (HRC) is mandated under multiple state codes and Department of Social and Health Services policies to serve as an ongoing oversight group tasked with safeguarding the rights of developmentally or intellectually disabled individuals living at the facility.

General responsibilities:

Terms of Appointment:

Interested or have questions? Send an email to colette.buck@dshs.wa.gov or melanie.denton@dshs.wa.gov with the subject line “Lakeland Village HRC”.

To apply, email a short description outlining your experience with the disability community and/or why you’d like to serve on Lakeland’s Human Rights Committee. Make sure to include a resume if applicable and the best contact information to reach you.

Maddie’s Place is looking for reliable, detail-oriented volunteers to assist with the ongoing organization, sorting, and management of donated items. This role is vital in helping us provide essentials to the infants and families we serve in a clean, accessible, and efficient way.

Tasks may include:

Sorting, labeling, and organizing donated items

Lifting and carrying boxes (up to 30 lbs)

Inventory tracking and restocking

Donation room tidying and storage optimization

Physical Requirements:
Volunteers must be able to comfortably lift and carry up to 30 lbs and climb stairs (our donation storage is upstairs).

We are especially looking for individuals or small groups who can commit to volunteering biweekly or monthly to keep this important area running smoothly.

This opportunity is ideal for anyone interested in nonprofit operations, logistics, or hands-on community support.

Maddie’s Place is seeking a dedicated group (student club, organization, or team) or individual volunteers interested in taking ownership of the care and upkeep of our outdoor spaces. We are in need of consistent support with landscaping, gardening, and general clean-up around our facility and surrounding property.

Tasks may include:

This is a flexible, ongoing opportunity starting immediately. Volunteers can set a recurring schedule (weekly, biweekly, or monthly) that works for their availability. We provide basic supplies and tools, but groups with their own equipment are welcome!

This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in environmental stewardship, community service, or those who simply enjoy working outdoors and making a visible impact.

Let’s work together to keep Maddie’s Place beautiful and welcoming for the families we serve!