Volunteer Opportunities

The Mobile Food Pantries and Farmers' Markets, in partnership with the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, is committed to transforming the health of its residents through fresh produce and essential foods, nutrition knowledge, and education for children, families, and seniors.

Volunteers are needed to help distribute food weekly at our three locations:

• Westside Neighborhood Center
  423 West Victoria Street
  Every Monday at 1:00 p.m.
   
• Parque de los Niños
  520 Wentworth Street
  First and Second Tuesdays of the month at 1 p.m.
   
• Franklin Neighborhood Center
  1136 E. Montecito Street
  Every Thursday at 1:00 p.m. and every third Tuesday of the month at 1:30 p.m.

All volunteers must be at least 16 years old and are required to complete the City Volunteer Application, a volunteer waiver, and follow the code of conduct. There will be a program orientation and ongoing safety trainings for all volunteers.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Annette Guadarrama at AGuadarrama@SantaBarbaraCA.gov and start the onboarding process today!

Parks Division staff maintains City trails to provide for a reasonable level of safety for users in the open spaces listed below. We participate in annual trail maintenance days including California State Trails Day, National Trails Day, and National Public Lands Day. You can find out about our one-day volunteer opportunities for trail maintenance by following us on Facebook or visiting our events calendar.  

Contact the Parks Division at (805) 564-5433 for ongoing trail maintenance opportunities. Maintenance conducted on the Front Country Trails is primarily coordinated through the City and various user-groups in the area, including Los Padres National Forest Association, Santa Barbara County Parks, Sage Trail Alliance, Santa Barbara Trail Volunteers, and Montecito Trails Foundation.

The trails and areas most in need of regular trail maintenance are:

• Cold Spring Trail
• Douglas Family Preserve
• Honda Valley Park
• Jesusita Trail
• Parma Park
• Rattlesnake Canyon
• Sheffield Reservoir

The Creeks Division coordinates beach and creek cleanup efforts within the City several times a year, and upon request from community groups and organizations.

The Parks Division hosts Community Park Volunteer Days throughout the year. These are organized events at one or several parks. Community events include volunteer opportunities for all ages and abilities. If you are a novice and want to gain experience, this is a good opportunity to learn gardening techniques. These days are also great opportunities to meet your neighbors and have some fun while you help beautify the City. High school community service credit is available for these workdays.

You can find out about our Community Park Volunteer Days by following us on Facebook or visiting our events calendar.  

Clubs, businesses, religious organizations, environmental organizations, schools, scout troops, or neighborhood groups may adopt a specific park for a service project. Groups may also have specific talents and can work on related projects throughout several parks. The Parks and Recreation Department also teams up with other community organizations to complete large volunteer events, such as the highly successful “Day of Caring” with United Way.

Sharing in volunteer work not only strengthens ties to the community and assists City Parks; it also provides opportunities for team building for your organization. It provides training opportunities for clubs and schools, and provides students an opportunity to complete community service requirements. The Parks Division has teamed up with Boy Scouts in volunteer projects to complete Eagle Scout requirements.

If you are interested in adopting a park, please contact Parks and Rec by calling (805) 564-5433 or emailing ParksAndRec@SantaBarbaraCA.gov