How we’re responding to COVID-19
See our volunteer portal with ways you can be safely involved, volunteer virtually, help from home, deliver goods and items, and more.
Help us make a difference in your community
WHY VOLUNTEER?
With more than 80 programs serving more than 160,000 Marylanders each year, Catholic Charities of Baltimore relies on the generosity of more than 8,000 volunteers who serve thousands of hours every year to help us fulfill our mission of improving the lives of Marylanders in need.
We serve all those in need, regardless of their religious beliefs or other life factors. Our donors, volunteers, clients, and employees come from every walk of life.
Volunteering with Catholic Charities is a fun, impactful way to contribute to your community. While volunteering, you also can build comradery with your team, teach your children the value of community service or meet others who want to make a change in the world. Catholic Charities has something for everyone. Serving people of all ages, we can help you find your place to make a difference. Click the Volunteer Opportunities button on the right to explore the possibilities!
Additional ways to serve
Join with Catholic Charities in a week of service with your college or university group. LEARN MORE>>
AWARE is an interactive, hands-on educational experience that helps to broaden people’s perspectives on those in need. LEARN MORE>>
Use us as a resource to develop your parish’s social justice ministry; and find ways for your parish to serve with us, both in direct service and advocacy work. LEARN MORE>>
Lawyers and legal professionals needed to provide services with our Esperanza Center ILS Pro Bono Services Program. Other professional volunteer opportunities are available across the agency. LEARN MORE>>
A year-long service program for recent college graduates focusing on social justice, intentional living community and simplicity and sustainability all rooted in faith and spirituality. LEARN MORE>>
Parish youth groups are invited to encounter Baltimore this summer! Join high school teams from across the Archdiocese for a weeklong service immersion experience. Throughout the week, teams will:
- Make an impact through daily service at Catholic Charities sites
- Make new friends and gather for afternoon prayer and conversation
- Link personal faith with service to others
- Gain knowledge about social justice in Baltimore to make a difference
Registration Information
https://archbalt.regfox.com/serve-baltimore-2022
Participants should be registered as a group by team leader
Please register by May 31, 2022
Team size: 4 youth, 2 adults
Cost: $75 per person (scholarships are available)
Age: 14-18
All participants must be fully vaccinated to serve at volunteer sites
For more information contact: Sarah McIlvried, Assistant Director of Social Ministry, smcilvried@cc-md.org or Craig Gould, Director of Family, Youth, and Young Adult Ministry, craig.gould@archbalt.org
Q. Do I have to be Catholic to volunteer?
A. Not at all. We welcome volunteers of all walks of life. Our volunteers reflect the diversity of our clients and the communities in which we serve.
Q. Who do I contact for more information about volunteering?
A. To further discuss volunteer opportunities with Catholic Charities, please contact volunteer@cc-md.org. If you know which program you are interested in volunteering with, you may also contact the program’s volunteer manager found on the program’s page. Ex: www.cc-md.org/odbec
Q. Am I required to fill out an application?
A. Yes, you may be required to complete an on-line application as a first step or after discussing volunteer interests and opportunities with a program Volunteer Manager. If you are participating in a special one-time group volunteer activity (United Way, school or faith-based group, etc.) an application may or may not be required. The Volunteer Manager will let you know.
Q. Are there special requirements to volunteer with Catholic Charities?
A. In some cases, in order to protect and provide the best service to our clients, some programs may require a background check before you will be assigned a volunteer position. Certain volunteer activities where you will be transporting clients or driving on behalf of Catholic Charities will require a driving record check. The program Volunteer Manager will discuss specific requirements with you before a volunteer position is assigned.
If you are participating in a special one-time group volunteer activity (United Way, school or faith-based group, etc.) you may be exempt from background check requirements.
Moreover, privacy and other regulations may require that volunteers are of a certain age.
Q. Is there flexibility with time commitment on certain projects?
A. Each program and volunteer activity requires a different level of commitment. We will work with you to find a volunteer opportunity that can fit both your schedule and our program needs. Please discuss time commitments and flexibility with the Volunteer Manager of the program in which you wish to volunteer.
Q. May men volunteer at programs specifically aimed at women and vice versa?
A. For the most part, yes, men and women are welcome at all of our programs as volunteers. The Volunteer Manager will inform you of any policies they have specific to their site.
Volunteer Stories & Testimonials
Shine a light: A meal is more than meatloaf
As Sarah's House begins to reintegrate direct volunteer outreach post-COVID, volunteers are once again able to assist with on-site meal preparation. Pictured from left are Mike Thewes and Anthony Ferrante of the Knights of Columbus. [...]
Shine a light: Bringing sunshine
For the last two years, Kate Ireland has been involved in our virtual Special Friends program at Gallagher Services. She is a dedicated volunteer who meets weekly with her friend, Debra, on Zoom for some [...]
Shine a light: The law and love
It's Volunteer Appreciation Week, and we're celebrating these amazing givers by sharing a short story about one of our thousands of volunteers each day. Joe Dyer volunteers his time as a pro bono attorney for [...]