Ages 13+

You will work alongside our staff to cultivate a variety of organic vegetables on one of our two urban farm sites. Tasks may include composting, weeding, harvesting, planting, mulching, site maintenance, beautification and many other farm duties. The farm work often includes moving objects around the site and working close to ground for extended periods of time. 

These are just some components of typical activities you would get involved in during either shift, but there are many other farm duties you can get involved in during your time at Red Hook Farms!

Additional waiver will be required prior to volunteering. You will receive an email 2 days prior to project.

About the Columbia Street Farm

Formerly a concrete baseball field, the Columbia Street Farm was founded in 2001 and is now a thriving 2.75 acre produce production, compost site and outdoor classroom that supplies our farms stands and CSA. We harvest over 15,000 pounds of produce each year, welcome hundreds of volunteers and host community events throughout the growing season.

5-60 Columbia Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231

Ages 13+

Suggested $20 per volunteer to help support the costs associated with this program

Help set up a pumpkin patch and decorate for Halloween! Help kids find hidden pumpkins during the pumpkin hunt and decorate and carve them for the fall season. Help serve refreshments and with other fall themed crafts and activities.

About the Arbor Inn

Arbor Inn offers short-term housing for 44 homeless mothers, each with one child up to the age of eight. Families are referred by the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS).Arbor Inn provides a secure environment where homeless women, many of whom have escaped domestic violence situations, begin to feel safe and achieve stability.

Residents receive assistance that includes case management, mental health counseling, on-site recreation, and nursing care, while regular support groups, parenting skills and household budgeting sessions, and vocational training classes are held as well. BCHS staff members help Arbor Inn moms find permanent jobs and permanent housing in the community.

This past year, 100% of the homeless families who were deemed housing ready by DHS were placed into permanent housing of their own in the community, with an average time to placement of 8 months.

Ages 14+

Kindred Bakery is an inclusive bakery program for youth of all abilities. Volunteers will learn how to prep dough and assist youth bakers and staff with all baking duties and all kitchen duties, including set up and clean up.

About Kindred Bakery

Founded  by the parents of a young adult with autism, our inclusive culinary program brings together individuals of all abilities to learn and grow in a supportive environment. Participants engage in hands-on experiences in professional kitchen settings, focusing on baking, social-emotional learning, and STEAM-based activities. The program promotes skill-building, community inclusion, and personal development—empowering each individual to build confidence, foster independence, and actively participate in meaningful community life.

Suggested donation of $20/volunteer to help support The Service Collective and offset costs of organizing opportunities for youth to engage in volunteering our community. Add a donation upon sign up!

Ages 8-16 without guardian

We are excited for our new program with our partners at CHiPS that JUST FOR KIDS! For the first time, we will invite youth volunteers ages 8-16 inside the CHiPS kitchen to pitch in on various projects such as sandwich making, snack and lunch bag packing, clean up, cutlery packing and more.

We’ll all learn a little bit about how CHiPS helps feed hundreds of people each day. We will learn new skills, gain confidence, and make new friends. Can’t wait to see you there!

Suggested Donation: $30/volunteer supports CHiPS and The Service Collective in our missions to engage youth in volunteer service to help fight food insecurity.

NOTE: This is an opportunity for youth volunteers ages 8-16 only.

About CHiPS

Founded over 50 years ago, CHiPS is a soup kitchen, food pantry, and shelter for women with young children. Our building is on 4th Avenue, right between Park Slope and Gowanus in Brooklyn. Our mission is two fold: to ameliorate food insecurity and homelessness in New York City. With our soup kitchen and food pantry open six days a week, CHiPS  serves as a beacon of hope to thousands of our friends and neighbors in need, and our success comes from people like you. Our supporters and volunteers keep the doors open, the meals hot, and the food plenty. 

Ages 13+

Suggested $20 per volunteer to help support the costs associated with this program

Help kids will dress in costumes and form a haunted parade! The haunted walk will flow throughout the back garden and conclude in the community room. Help decorate, serve treats, and run activities. You’ll be expected to help staff set up and clean up. 

About the Arbor Inn

Arbor Inn offers short-term housing for 44 homeless mothers, each with one child up to the age of eight. Families are referred by the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS).Arbor Inn provides a secure environment where homeless women, many of whom have escaped domestic violence situations, begin to feel safe and achieve stability.

Residents receive assistance that includes case management, mental health counseling, on-site recreation, and nursing care, while regular support groups, parenting skills and household budgeting sessions, and vocational training classes are held as well. BCHS staff members help Arbor Inn moms find permanent jobs and permanent housing in the community.

This past year, 100% of the homeless families who were deemed housing ready by DHS were placed into permanent housing of their own in the community, with an average time to placement of 8 months.

Share your Halloween candy with neighbors in need!

TSC Candy Donation Stand

November 1st, 10a – 2p, 157 Montague St. (side door of St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church)

Volunteers will be on hand to receive your candy and will be packaging treat bags for local food pantries and senior centers. See you there! NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

Ages 13+

Help package up desktop computers for local families who otherwise wouldn’t have the technology they need in their homes to do school work and household functions. You can help level the playing field for these families by assisting in getting them the computers they need.

Our partners at TECHFin help narrow the digital divide by addressing a major hurdle to computer hardware ownership: its cost. By collecting PC-based laptops and desktop computers they are able to revitalize these machines and distribute them to low-income households at no cost to them. It’s sustainable, scalable, and cost-effective.

This is a family opportunity. Children 8+ are welcome with an adult. Kids 14+ w/guardian.

Next Step Community Church is focused on helping people in need—whether hungry, homeless, or seeking recovery from substance abuse. On Saturday mornings, volunteers are needed to serve at the Community food pantry which provides quality food to restore health and dignity for families in need. Volunteers help distribute grocery items to guests from the community. 

• Make sure to wear comfortable clothes that you do not mind getting dirty as well as closed toe shoes.
• Please be aware that there is some lifting and other activities that require physical activity. 
• Children ages 8+ are welcome and must be accompanied by an adult.

Ages 13+

You will work alongside our staff to cultivate a variety of organic vegetables on one of our two urban farm sites. Tasks may include composting, weeding, harvesting, planting, mulching, site maintenance, beautification and many other farm duties. The farm work often includes moving objects around the site and working close to ground for extended periods of time. 

These are just some components of typical activities you would get involved in during either shift, but there are many other farm duties you can get involved in during your time at Red Hook Farms!

Additional waiver will be required prior to volunteering. You will receive an email 2 days prior to project.

About the Columbia Street Farm

Formerly a concrete baseball field, the Columbia Street Farm was founded in 2001 and is now a thriving 2.75 acre produce production, compost site and outdoor classroom that supplies our farms stands and CSA. We harvest over 15,000 pounds of produce each year, welcome hundreds of volunteers and host community events throughout the growing season.

5-60 Columbia Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231

Ages 13+

Suggested $20 per volunteer to help support the costs associated with this program

Help set up a pumpkin patch and decorate for Halloween! Help kids find hidden pumpkins during the pumpkin hunt and decorate and carve them for the fall season. Help serve refreshments and with other fall themed crafts and activities.

About the Arbor Inn

Arbor Inn offers short-term housing for 44 homeless mothers, each with one child up to the age of eight. Families are referred by the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS).Arbor Inn provides a secure environment where homeless women, many of whom have escaped domestic violence situations, begin to feel safe and achieve stability.

Residents receive assistance that includes case management, mental health counseling, on-site recreation, and nursing care, while regular support groups, parenting skills and household budgeting sessions, and vocational training classes are held as well. BCHS staff members help Arbor Inn moms find permanent jobs and permanent housing in the community.

This past year, 100% of the homeless families who were deemed housing ready by DHS were placed into permanent housing of their own in the community, with an average time to placement of 8 months.

For Families, Kids 13+ may come without a guardian

Join us for our monthly Community Dinner and share community, connection, and delicious food with recently arrived refugee families. Our new neighbors will cook the main part of a meal and you will contribute side dishes, salads and desserts. We will all listen to and learn from each others stories. This evening gives the refugee families the chance to earn extra money and meet community members. Hosts and attendees get to sample international cuisine and help make new connections with neighbors, new and old!

Kids can expect to have a blast running around and making art with their new friends. Everyone is expected to help clean up.

Closer to the date we will circulate a dinner theme and a way for you to sign up to bring a potluck dish to contribute. All ages are welcome so please bring the whole family!

Suggested Donation: $25 per person. Funds go to compensating the refugee families for cooking for our group

This is a family opportunity. Children 8+ are welcome with an adult. Kids 14+ w/guardian.

Next Step Community Church is focused on helping people in need—whether hungry, homeless, or seeking recovery from substance abuse. On Saturday mornings, volunteers are needed to serve at the Community food pantry which provides quality food to restore health and dignity for families in need. Volunteers help distribute grocery items to guests from the community. 

• Make sure to wear comfortable clothes that you do not mind getting dirty as well as closed toe shoes.
• Please be aware that there is some lifting and other activities that require physical activity. 
• Children ages 8+ are welcome and must be accompanied by an adult.

ALL AGES! Youth 12+ may volunteer without a guardian.

Grocery shop for neighbors who are homebound, experiencing hardship, elderly, or otherwise lacking time, resources, or ability to shop for groceries themselves.  

Volunteers will shop for items on a provided list(s) and attempt to stay within the budget assigned by our partner, West Brooklyn Waterfront Mutual Aid. A WBWMA veteran volunteer will be there to assist you should you have questions. WBWMA will pay for the groceries at check out and deliver them.

Parent/guardian required for volunteers under 12 years old. Volunteers 12+ may come without a guardian. Waiver required for every participant under 18. Waivers are located in your profile – you will be prompted to set up a profile upon registration. 

Suggested donation of $10 per volunteer helps support TSC’s programs.

About our Partner

West Brooklyn Waterfront Mutual Aid is a grassroots community collective created by neighbors, for neighbors. We aim to build solidarity in our neighborhoods by pooling resources, supporting each other’s needs and finding help for our most vulnerable neighbors. Donate to WBWMA HERE.

Ages 14+

Kindred Bakery is an inclusive bakery program for youth of all abilities. Volunteers will learn how to prep dough and assist youth bakers and staff with all baking duties and all kitchen duties, including set up and clean up.

About Kindred Bakery

Founded  by the parents of a young adult with autism, our inclusive culinary program brings together individuals of all abilities to learn and grow in a supportive environment. Participants engage in hands-on experiences in professional kitchen settings, focusing on baking, social-emotional learning, and STEAM-based activities. The program promotes skill-building, community inclusion, and personal development—empowering each individual to build confidence, foster independence, and actively participate in meaningful community life.

Suggested donation of $20/volunteer to help support The Service Collective and offset costs of organizing opportunities for youth to engage in volunteering our community. Add a donation upon sign up!

Ages 8-16 without guardian

We are excited for our new program with our partners at CHiPS that JUST FOR KIDS! For the first time, we will invite youth volunteers ages 8-16 inside the CHiPS kitchen to pitch in on various projects such as sandwich making, snack and lunch bag packing, clean up, cutlery packing and more.

We’ll all learn a little bit about how CHiPS helps feed hundreds of people each day. We will learn new skills, gain confidence, and make new friends. Can’t wait to see you there!

Suggested Donation: $30/volunteer supports CHiPS and The Service Collective in our missions to engage youth in volunteer service to help fight food insecurity.

NOTE: This is an opportunity for youth volunteers ages 8-16 only.

About CHiPS

Founded over 50 years ago, CHiPS is a soup kitchen, food pantry, and shelter for women with young children. Our building is on 4th Avenue, right between Park Slope and Gowanus in Brooklyn. Our mission is two fold: to ameliorate food insecurity and homelessness in New York City. With our soup kitchen and food pantry open six days a week, CHiPS  serves as a beacon of hope to thousands of our friends and neighbors in need, and our success comes from people like you. Our supporters and volunteers keep the doors open, the meals hot, and the food plenty. 

Ages 13+

Suggested $20 per volunteer to help support the costs associated with this program

Help kids will dress in costumes and form a haunted parade! The haunted walk will flow throughout the back garden and conclude in the community room. Help decorate, serve treats, and run activities. You’ll be expected to help staff set up and clean up. 

About the Arbor Inn

Arbor Inn offers short-term housing for 44 homeless mothers, each with one child up to the age of eight. Families are referred by the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS).Arbor Inn provides a secure environment where homeless women, many of whom have escaped domestic violence situations, begin to feel safe and achieve stability.

Residents receive assistance that includes case management, mental health counseling, on-site recreation, and nursing care, while regular support groups, parenting skills and household budgeting sessions, and vocational training classes are held as well. BCHS staff members help Arbor Inn moms find permanent jobs and permanent housing in the community.

This past year, 100% of the homeless families who were deemed housing ready by DHS were placed into permanent housing of their own in the community, with an average time to placement of 8 months.

Share your Halloween candy with neighbors in need!

TSC Candy Donation Stand

November 1st, 10a – 2p, 157 Montague St. (side door of St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church)

Volunteers will be on hand to receive your candy and will be packaging treat bags for local food pantries and senior centers. See you there! NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

Ages 8-16 without guardian

We are excited for our new program with our partners at CHiPS that JUST FOR KIDS! For the first time, we will invite youth volunteers ages 8-16 inside the CHiPS kitchen to pitch in on various projects such as sandwich making, snack and lunch bag packing, clean up, cutlery packing and more.

We’ll all learn a little bit about how CHiPS helps feed hundreds of people each day. We will learn new skills, gain confidence, and make new friends. Can’t wait to see you there!

Suggested Donation: $30/volunteer supports CHiPS and The Service Collective in our missions to engage youth in volunteer service to help fight food insecurity.

NOTE: This is an opportunity for youth volunteers ages 8-16 only.

About CHiPS

Founded over 50 years ago, CHiPS is a soup kitchen, food pantry, and shelter for women with young children. Our building is on 4th Avenue, right between Park Slope and Gowanus in Brooklyn. Our mission is two fold: to ameliorate food insecurity and homelessness in New York City. With our soup kitchen and food pantry open six days a week, CHiPS  serves as a beacon of hope to thousands of our friends and neighbors in need, and our success comes from people like you. Our supporters and volunteers keep the doors open, the meals hot, and the food plenty. 

Ages 13+

Help package up desktop computers for local families who otherwise wouldn’t have the technology they need in their homes to do school work and household functions. You can help level the playing field for these families by assisting in getting them the computers they need.

Our partners at TECHFin help narrow the digital divide by addressing a major hurdle to computer hardware ownership: its cost. By collecting PC-based laptops and desktop computers they are able to revitalize these machines and distribute them to low-income households at no cost to them. It’s sustainable, scalable, and cost-effective.

ALL AGES! Youth 12+ may volunteer without a guardian.

Grocery shop for neighbors who are homebound, experiencing hardship, elderly, or otherwise lacking time, resources, or ability to shop for groceries themselves.  

Volunteers will shop for items on a provided list(s) and attempt to stay within the budget assigned by our partner, West Brooklyn Waterfront Mutual Aid. A WBWMA veteran volunteer will be there to assist you should you have questions. WBWMA will pay for the groceries at check out and deliver them.

Parent/guardian required for volunteers under 12 years old. Volunteers 12+ may come without a guardian. Waiver required for every participant under 18. Waivers are located in your profile – you will be prompted to set up a profile upon registration. 

Suggested donation of $10 per volunteer helps support TSC’s programs.

About our Partner

West Brooklyn Waterfront Mutual Aid is a grassroots community collective created by neighbors, for neighbors. We aim to build solidarity in our neighborhoods by pooling resources, supporting each other’s needs and finding help for our most vulnerable neighbors. Donate to WBWMA HERE.

For Families, Kids 13+ may come without a guardian

Join us to host and serve our newly arrived refugee friends! This is a little different than our regular community dinners. We will be hosting a large group of refugee families allowing them to come together in community with each other. Volunteers can expect to be greeters, cleaners, servers, help watch smaller children, and more! Families welcome and encouraged!

Suggested Donation: $25 per person. Funds help support the food we will serve and overall programming.

Age 10+ with guardian, age 13+ no guardian required

Support The Service Collective’s efforts to fill 490* neighbor’s cupboards with Thanksgiving nonperishables this Thanksgiving! We will aim to provide a bag work $20 of groceries (TSC will purchase the food in bulk) and come together as community to help pack. We’ll work together to get everything packed up and then walk them over to our neighbors at 90 Sands St., a Breaking Ground building for people and families transitioning out of homelessness.

Suggested donation is $100 per volunteer to cover the cost of 5 families pantry supplies. Please enter a donation of any amount upon check out – minimum price for this project is $20 per volunteer.

This project is great for families with slightly older kids (age 10+). If you have younger kids, please join TSC’s Sunday afternoon Thanksgiving project (from 3p – 5p) supporting local seniors! We’ll create art for meal delivery bags. It’s a wonderful festive event for all.

About Breaking Ground

Breaking Ground’s mission is to strengthen individuals, families and communities by developing and sustaining exceptional supportive and affordable housing as well as programs for homeless and other vulnerable New Yorkers. Recently, Breaking Ground refurbished a former Watchtower building at 90 Sands St. into a permanent housing residence. Of the 491 apartments, 305 units will be permanent homes for former homeless single adults and 186 units will be low-moderate rental units. It also has a gym, computer lab, laundry and other amenities.

*This is 150 more bags that in 2024! We may need some cars/drivers this year to ensure smooth delivery. If you have a care and would like to volunteer to be a driver, please email amanda@theservicecollective.org

All ages

Our partner, Heights & Hills, has asked The Service Collective to help their mission by creating meal bag artwork for 250+ bags that will be delivered with Thanksgiving meals to local homebound seniors. The theme of this communal art project is “Community.” This project is for ALL AGES and great for families looking to reflect on gratitude this holiday season.

What to expect

• To work hard. This is a big job! Each person should plan to design 3-5 bags + cards
• To be inspired. We will have a gallery wall of bags created in advance by local artists, youth from the boys and girls club, and kindergartners to help get us going. 
• To have fun. DJ’d music will keep us motivated and there might be a sweet treat or two for dedicated volunteers! 

We are asking for a suggested donation of $30 per volunteer. These funds help us run our programs and keep them open to all Brooklyn youth.

Ages 10+ with guardian, 16+ no guardian required

Soup kitchen help needed! You’ll work along side the head chef to chop, peel and other light food prep to help the staff prepare to serve 100+ people in need on Thanksgiving Day.

Next Step Community Church is focused on helping people in need—whether hungry, homeless, or seeking recovery from substance abuse.

Ages 10+ with guardian, 16+ no guardian required

Soup kitchen help needed! You’ll work along side the head chef to chop, peel and other light food prep to help the staff prepare to serve 100+ people in need on Thanksgiving Day.

Next Step Community Church is focused on helping people in need—whether hungry, homeless, or seeking recovery from substance abuse.

Ages 10+ with guardian, 16+ no guardian required

Soup kitchen help needed! You’ll work along side the head chef to chop, peel and other light food prep to help the staff prepare to serve 100+ people. You will help run food, bus tables, and clean up.

Next Step Community Church is focused on helping people in need—whether hungry, homeless, or seeking recovery from substance abuse.

Ages 10+ with guardian, 16+ no guardian required

Soup kitchen help needed! You’ll work along side the head chef to chop, peel and other light food prep to help the staff prepare to serve 100+ people in need on Thanksgiving Day.

Next Step Community Church is focused on helping people in need—whether hungry, homeless, or seeking recovery from substance abuse.

ALL AGES! Youth 12+ may volunteer without a guardian.

Grocery shop for neighbors who are homebound, experiencing hardship, elderly, or otherwise lacking time, resources, or ability to shop for groceries themselves.  

Volunteers will shop for items on a provided list(s) and attempt to stay within the budget assigned by our partner, West Brooklyn Waterfront Mutual Aid. A WBWMA veteran volunteer will be there to assist you should you have questions. WBWMA will pay for the groceries at check out and deliver them.

Parent/guardian required for volunteers under 12 years old. Volunteers 12+ may come without a guardian. Waiver required for every participant under 18. Waivers are located in your profile – you will be prompted to set up a profile upon registration. 

Suggested donation of $10 per volunteer helps support TSC’s programs.

About our Partner

West Brooklyn Waterfront Mutual Aid is a grassroots community collective created by neighbors, for neighbors. We aim to build solidarity in our neighborhoods by pooling resources, supporting each other’s needs and finding help for our most vulnerable neighbors. Donate to WBWMA HERE.

For Families, Kids 13+ may come without a guardian

Join us for our monthly Community Dinner and share community, connection, and delicious food with recently arrived refugee families. Our new neighbors will cook the main part of a meal and you will contribute side dishes, salads and desserts. We will all listen to and learn from each others stories. This evening gives the refugee families the chance to earn extra money and meet community members. Hosts and attendees get to sample international cuisine and help make new connections with neighbors, new and old!

Kids can expect to have a blast running around and making art with their new friends. Everyone is expected to help clean up.

Closer to the date we will circulate a dinner theme and a way for you to sign up to bring a potluck dish to contribute. All ages are welcome so please bring the whole family!

Suggested Donation: $25 per person. Funds go to compensating the refugee families for cooking for our group

Ages 8-16 without guardian

We are excited for our new program with our partners at CHiPS that JUST FOR KIDS! For the first time, we will invite youth volunteers ages 8-16 inside the CHiPS kitchen to pitch in on various projects such as sandwich making, snack and lunch bag packing, clean up, cutlery packing and more.

We’ll all learn a little bit about how CHiPS helps feed hundreds of people each day. We will learn new skills, gain confidence, and make new friends. Can’t wait to see you there!

Suggested Donation: $30/volunteer supports CHiPS and The Service Collective in our missions to engage youth in volunteer service to help fight food insecurity.

NOTE: This is an opportunity for youth volunteers ages 8-16 only.

About CHiPS

Founded over 50 years ago, CHiPS is a soup kitchen, food pantry, and shelter for women with young children. Our building is on 4th Avenue, right between Park Slope and Gowanus in Brooklyn. Our mission is two fold: to ameliorate food insecurity and homelessness in New York City. With our soup kitchen and food pantry open six days a week, CHiPS  serves as a beacon of hope to thousands of our friends and neighbors in need, and our success comes from people like you. Our supporters and volunteers keep the doors open, the meals hot, and the food plenty. 

Ages 13+

Suggested $20 per volunteer to help support the costs associated with this program

Spread some holiday cheer! Help decorate the community spaces for the holidays and support families and children with holiday themed crafts and activities.

About the Arbor Inn

Arbor Inn offers short-term housing for 44 homeless mothers, each with one child up to the age of eight. Families are referred by the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS).Arbor Inn provides a secure environment where homeless women, many of whom have escaped domestic violence situations, begin to feel safe and achieve stability.

Residents receive assistance that includes case management, mental health counseling, on-site recreation, and nursing care, while regular support groups, parenting skills and household budgeting sessions, and vocational training classes are held as well. BCHS staff members help Arbor Inn moms find permanent jobs and permanent housing in the community.

This past year, 100% of the homeless families who were deemed housing ready by DHS were placed into permanent housing of their own in the community, with an average time to placement of 8 months.