Community Service

The African Library Project changes lives book by book by starting libraries in rural Africa. Our grassroots approach mobilizes U.S. volunteers, young and old, to organize book drives and ship books to start or improve a library in Africa. Our method makes a concrete and personal difference for children and communities on both continents.

Troops can organize their own drives and get excited about expanding literacy in their own communities as well! 

In the United States, volunteers collect, sort, and pack gently-used children's books to ship to specific African communities.

In Africa, ALP partners range from Peace Corps volunteers to school administrators. They receive the books and organize them into libraries to serve local African communities. Along the way, the U.S. donors learn about Africa and develop closer connections to the people in the recipient communities.

Every year, Pet Food Express hosts the Bay Area Pet Fair in the Bay Area! The pet fair will feature more than 2000+ adoptable animals from California pet rescues and shelters including dogs, cats, bunnies small animals and more

Volunteer a couple of hours to help raise awareness about the need to adopt and help homeless animals. It's a great way to help and have fun at the same time. Thanks to all that participated in 2019 pet fair. Bay Area Pet Fair 2020 dates coming soon.

Volunteering with PFE is a purrfect trip for Daisies to enhance your 3 CHEERS FOR ANIMALS journey, Bird Bath or Red Robin award, and even spark ideas for your Tula Take Action award. Brownies can also work on their Pet badges! 

One Warm Coat is a national non-profit organization that works to provide a free, warm coat to any person in need. One Warm Coat supports individuals, groups, companies and organizations across the country by providing the tools and resources needed to hold a successful coat drive. Coats are distributed in the communities where they were collected, to children and adults in need, without charge, discrimination or obligation. Since One Warm Coat’s inception in 1992, we have worked with our volunteers to host more than 34,000 coat drives and have given away more than 6 million coats.

Everyone needs to stay warm and you and your troop can collect coats to give to those in need. If you are looking for flexible way to volunteer, Girl Scouts of Northern California and One Warm Coat would love your help!

• Be a part of a wonderful holiday tradition. Join us at KTVU and One Warm Coat’s Annual Black Friday Kick-Off Drive on the Friday after Thanksgiving and help collect coats at Bay Street Emeryville, Santana Row San Jose, and Ferry Building San Francisco. KTVU television will be on hand for interviews and live coverage! Interested in volunteering? Confirmed locations and sign up link coming October 2020.
• You can help the GS NorCal council offices and shops spread the warmth! Every year during the month of November, simply go through your closets and pull out your gently worn outerwear that will keep someone warm —new or gently used and clean coats, sweaters, jackets, sweatshirts, or scarves. Also, any warm hats or mittens, would also be appreciated. ALL SIZES ARE WELCOME. Bring your coat donations to your local GS NorCal office/store in the month of November. The donations will be given away to local people in need.
• Can't make it to this year's KTVU and One Warm Coat’s Annual Black Friday Kick-Off Drive or drop by the store to donate? You can put together a drive any time of the year, find information on how to hold your own coat drive! One Warm Coat works with your troop’s schedule and location to connect your troop to a nonprofit who will get your donations straight to people who need them.

Don't forget you can purchase One Warm Coat patches at the GSNorCal stores and online.

We all need a healthy San Francisco Bay. Seven million Bay Area residents, 400 native species, our economy, and quality of life all depend on it. 

As the heart and lungs of the Bay, wetlands improve water quality, protect our communities from flooding, support thousands of jobs, provide open space for recreation, and capture and store carbon.

Join Save The Bay to help restore wetlands for a healthier San Francisco Bay!

Volunteering dates can be found here.

The SF-Marin Food Bank distributes the equivalent of 110,000 meals worth of food every day in service of our 1 in 5 neighbors experiencing hunger.

Each year, we partner with our friends at Safeway and NBC Bay Area on a holiday food drive. Since 2013, these drives have brought in over 45,000 grocery bags packed full of our highest need items (peanut butter, canned tuna, etc.) allowing us to provide this food to our neighbors.

For questions and to sign up, contact Cody Jang at cjang@sfmfoodbank.org or 415-282-1907, x316.