This hub is for people in Utah Valley who want to give time: a student who needs hours a scholarship committee will count, a family looking for a Monday-night project, a retiree with free mornings, or a ward, club or company group of twenty. It is sorted by cause rather than by city, because a pantry, a shelter, a classroom and a trailhead each come with different owners, different age rules and a different sign-up process, and those differences decide whether you can help this week.
Read the volunteer directory first; it lists the standing opportunities across Provo, Orem and the rest of the county. Then pick a cause below. Before a group commits to anything physical, spend five minutes on volunteer liability in Utah: the state has two separate laws protecting volunteers, and they do not cover the same people.
Planning around a child's age or a group of twenty? The Volunteer Matcher filters the opportunities in these guides by the youngest person coming, one-time or weekly, cause, city and group size, and marks the ones whose age or group rule is not published.
By cause
Food and basic needs
- Food banks and pantries: Where the food comes from, which shifts take families, and the rules that let pantries give freely.
- Holiday giving: How Sub for Santa works, and why a February gift can do more than a December one.
- Blood drives: The federal eligibility rules, deferrals, and when shortages hit.
Shelter and housing
- Shelters and housing nonprofits: How the county's voucher model works, who gets beds, and which roles need a background check.
Schools and young people
- Tutoring and mentoring: Student-record privacy rules, background checks and the programs inside local schools.
Trails, canyons and water
- Trail and watershed work: Who owns the trail you want to fix, and how each land manager takes volunteers.
Emergencies
- CERT, Neighborhood Watch and search and rescue: What each city offers, Provo's ham radio team and the Medical Reserve Corps.
The recurring-shift calendar
When each organization in the Volunteer Matcher says it needs people, in its own words. Shifts change; confirm on the organization's page before you go.
| Opportunity | City | When |
|---|---|---|
| Pantry shifts at Tabitha's Way, Spanish Fork | Spanish Fork | Evening shift Tuesday 5 to 8 p.m.; closed to volunteers Sunday and Monday |
| Pantry shifts at Tabitha's Way, Pleasant Grove | Pleasant Grove | Monday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; evening shift Wednesday 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. |
| Pantry shifts at Tabitha's Way, Saratoga Springs | Saratoga Springs | Evening shift Wednesday 4 to 7:30 p.m.; closed Saturday to Monday |
| Run a food and supply drive for Tabitha's Way | From home | Pleasant Grove contact line answered Tuesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Group shift at the Community Action pantry, Provo | Provo | Weekdays 2 to 4 p.m., or Wednesday 4 to 7 p.m. |
| Stock, sort and guide shoppers at Community Action | Provo | Booked through an account on its volunteer hub; published pantry hours have changed, so confirm before going |
| Breakfast and lunch service at the Food and Care Coalition | Provo | Recurring shifts; asks for about a three-month commitment, closed-toe shoes, and staying the full shift |
| Hygiene or collection drive for the Food and Care Coalition | From home | Drop-off Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., no appointment |
| Habitat for Humanity build days | Countywide | Build days, not evening shifts; booked through the volunteer coordinator |
| Habitat ReStore shifts, Orem | Orem | Tuesday through Saturday |
| Welcome Baby home visits and playgroups | Countywide | Training first; semester internships available |
| Free tax preparation (VITA) | Countywide | Training in fall and winter; the work is filing season |
| Sub for Santa application helpers, sorters and drivers | Countywide | Applications run in the fall; gift sorting and delivery in December |
| Adopt a Sub for Santa family | Countywide | Matching fills earlier than people expect; deciding in early fall is safer than December |
| Utah Valley Refugees volunteers and interns | Provo | Relationship work; the organization prefers six months from one person over a single visit from many |
| Walk a dog at the South Utah Valley Animal Shelter | Spanish Fork | Business hours; Google listed Monday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in October 2026 |
| Foster or volunteer at North Utah Valley Animal Services | Lindon | Google listed Monday 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in October 2026 |
| Volunteer shifts at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary | Outside Utah County | 8:15 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:15 to 3:30 p.m., every day of the year; book up to a year ahead |
| Meals on Wheels delivery routes | Countywide | A route takes about an hour, once a week |
| Hospice companion | Countywide | Training required before the first visit |
| CERT training, Spanish Fork | Spanish Fork | In-person training typically in April and October |
| Utah County Sheriff's Search and Rescue | Countywide | On call |
| Utah County Medical Reserve Corps | Countywide | Training schedule is on the MRC sign-up site |
| Give blood in July or late December | Countywide | Whole blood takes 8 to 10 minutes in the chair; allow longer for screening |
| Host a blood drive | Countywide | Book well ahead; drives in summer and late December are worth the most |
| Event volunteering at the 2002 Olympic venues | Outside Utah County | Events every year |
| Coach, referee or keep score for Jr. Jazz | Countywide | Grades 3 to 6 play a league schedule, usually seven or eight Saturday games |
| BYU Y-Serve programs | Provo | Filter programs by time commitment |
| BYU Gathering Gardens volunteer hour | Provo | Tuesday 5 to 6 p.m. (listed October 2026) |
| Bishops' storehouse shifts | Countywide | Through local Church leaders, not a public sign-up |
| FamilySearch indexing | From home | Any time |
For students, families and groups
Students chasing a number should start with Service Hours in Utah Valley, which separates what committees accept from what federal law treats as unpaid work. Families with an hour on a Monday have FHE Service Ideas Around Provo, built from local needs lists, with the catch that none of the pantries or shelters it checked in October 2026 had a Monday evening shift, so most Monday service is a project done at home and delivered later. Groups planning something seasonal will find the December options in Holiday Giving.
Service covered elsewhere on the site
- The Bishops' Storehouse, Welfare Square and Deseret Industries: the Church's welfare system, where volunteers restock shelves and unload produce.
- Light the World in Utah Valley: where the Giving Machines have stood, how donations work, and December service opportunities.
- Volunteering for the 2034 Olympics: how the 2002 program chose people, and how to build a record before 2034.
- Best Friends Animal Sanctuary from Provo: the Kanab sanctuary's daily volunteer shifts, for an animal-lover's weekend.
Every guide
All 11 volunteering and giving guides, A to Z.
Recently updated
- FHE Service Ideas Around Provo: The One-Hour Projects, and the Monday Catch Nobody Mentions updated October 20, 2026
- Neighborhood Watch, CERT and Emergency Volunteering in Utah County: What Each City Offers in 2026 updated October 20, 2026
- Blood Drives in Utah Valley: How Donating Actually Works updated October 12, 2026
- Holiday Giving in Utah Valley: Sub for Santa, Drives, and What Actually Helps updated October 12, 2026
- Service Hours in Utah Valley: A Guide for Students and Student Groups updated October 12, 2026
- Trail, Canyon and Watershed Volunteering Around Provo updated October 12, 2026
Frequently asked
Can children volunteer alongside their parents?
At some places, on some shifts. The food bank guide sorts out which pantry shifts are open to families, and the family home evening service guide lists one-hour projects along with the age minimums that come with them.
What counts as service hours for a scholarship?
It depends on the committee, and federal law draws a line between volunteering and unpaid work that matters for students. The service hours guide covers what committees accept, that federal line, and stipended programs.
Am I legally protected while I volunteer?
Partly. Utah has two different statutes that protect volunteers, they cover different people, and one of them leaves a gap exactly where most volunteer harm happens. The volunteer liability guide explains both before you sign a waiver.
Do I need a background check?
For some roles. Shelter and housing nonprofits require one for certain positions, and tutoring and mentoring programs in schools run checks as well. Each guide says which roles need one.