SOMA Kindness: Family friendly opportunity alert tomorrow (Tuesday 12/23)! As in past years, guests will be admitted to Turtle Back Zoo’s holiday lights by donation of food, toys, and coats. Volunteers will assist in the Donation Tent by greeting guests, collecting and sorting donations, and creating a festive environment. Kids with adults welcome, and we’ve heard there’s hot chocolate too! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0F4FAAAE2BA57-60655925-turtle#/
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SOMA Kindness: Family friendly opportunity with Moms Helping Moms! Volunteers age 14 and older are welcome to visit their warehouse in Warren to help sort and repackage baby clothes and diapers. For more info and offsite volunteer opportunities for younger children, visit: momshelpingmoms.org/volunteer/
SOMA Kindness: The South Orange Walk Bike Ride advisory committee is seeking new volunteers who want to help strengthen the ‘Walk’ part of the mission. If you care about supporting a more walkable South Orange, the advisory committee meets once a month in the evenings with a hybrid option. You can learn more here https://www.walkbikeride.org and sign up here https://www.southorange.org/374/Volunteering
SOMA Kindness: Not local, but lovely, and perfect for those who love to hibernate in winter with a craft. Loose Ends aims to ease grief, create community, and inspire generosity by matching volunteer handwork finishers with textile projects people have left undone due to death or disability. Knit, crochet, sewing, quilting, cross-stitch and much more, Loose Ends welcomes crafters of all sorts, from anywhere in the world. Learn more about becoming a finisher (or submitting a project): https://looseends.org
SOMA Kindness: The Montclair Township Animal Shelter is looking for volunteer front desk help! They’re seeking kind, welcoming folks who love animals and can help greet visitors, answer phones, direct people, and assist with light office tasks and the food pantry. Sign up for one 3-hour shift per week: Mon, Tues, Fri, or Sun from 1-4 PM. Retirees and seniors are especially encouraged to get involved. No experience needed – just kindness, reliability, and a love for furry faces. Please email emorgan@montclairnjusa.org for more information.
SOMA Kindness: Cougar Cares presents weekly dinner deliveries! This is an amazing project that’s one of the best kept secrets in the area. Why? Because the recipients are SOMSD families served confidentially, and the business supporting the families prefers to do so privately. Volunteers pick up dinners in Maplewood village Tuesdays at 3:30 and deliver to SOMA homes. Deliveries are typically complete within the hour, but your car may smell delicious for longer. Because this includes SOMDS students, no one under 18 may participate (even as a passenger). https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44A8A928A3FBC70-tuesday#/
SOMA Kindness: This Sunday the Elks Lodge is hosting their annual Thanksgiving dinner for local seniors (aka elders, wisdom holders, golden-year adults and other mature neighbors). Opportunities available to drop off everything from turkey to sides, homemade or store bought! Details here, food needs to be delivered to the Elks on 11/23 between 10 am and 12 pm but if you need a volunteer to pick up and drop off your items, reply here after you sign up and we’ll get folks connected! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/seniorgiving
SOMA Kindness: Family friendly opportunity alert!! Turtle Back Zoo’s Holiday Lights Spectacular accepts donation of non-perishable food items, new unwrapped toys, or gently used coats as admission to the zoo. Create a team of 6-8 volunteers to crew the Donation Tent: greet guests, collect and sort donations, and create a welcoming, joyful atmosphere! https://calendly.com/kdurr-parks/holiday-lights-2025
SOMA Kindness: New pilot program addressing local food insecurity, produced in partnership with South Mountain YMCA, NJ and local organizers
Opportunities:
– Leave nonperishables for porch pickup
– Pick up donations and bring them to Springfield Ave
– Lead as a Community Captain by organizing drop off at your home, school, workplace, house of worship, special event, or other location and we’ll organize volunteers to pick up and deliver food collected
– Find and share local resources updated here regularly
Learn more, bookmark, and share:
SOMA Kindness: The Strollers Community Theater seek creative SOMA community members with a love of the theater to assist with various jobs for their upcoming production of The Secret Adversary. This Thursday 10:30-5:30, they’re in need of artistic types who can help paint sets or do basic alterations to costumes! The vibes will be good, the coffee will be flowing, and pizza will very likely be ordered for volunteers! Call their box office number at (973) 761-8453 or see their FB event to learn more: https://www.facebook.com/share/19VvVSh9jf/