Volunteer Opportunities
AARP Foundation
AARP Foundation Experience Corps volunteers help support children in kindergarten through third grade learn to read. We provide tools, peer support, literacy tutoring, mentoring, coaching, and ongoing training to help you be successful. A small stipend is provided. Enjoyment is plentiful. If you are age 50 & older and want to change the lives of students contact us today!
Contact: Lavonne Nichols
Phone: 267-592-4459
Email: lnichols@aarp.org
Achieve Now
We recruit and train volunteers—adults, middle school and high school students—to coach younger learners one-on-one and in small groups. Our proven literacy program gives our coaches the tools they need to deliver powerful, highly effective reading instruction.
Contact: Volunteer Programs
Phone: (267) 515-3558
Email: programs@achieve-now.com
After School Activities Partnerships
ASAP needs volunteers to help with after school activities for children so kids can stay engaged after the bell rings. The after school hours are the most dangerous for young people. This is the time when kids get into trouble and are victims—the greatest frequency of violence occurring 3-6 pm. With more than 60% of parents working outside the home, large numbers of youngsters are unsupervised 20 hours weekly. After school clubs provide safe, engaging and sustainable alternatives for Philadelphia youth.
Contact: Sara Morningstar
Phone: 215-545-2727 x10
Email: smorningstar@phillyasap.org
First Up: Champions for Early Education
Looking for an opportunity to help in the early childhood education community? DVAEYC often has opportunities where volunteers would make an impact on the
work we do. Whether it be in the office helping with mailings or putting packets/supplies together for programs, or out in the field doing tabling or assisting in other activities…we are looking for you! Interested in joining our Volunteer Corps?
Contact: Charlene Nolten
Phone: 215-893-0130 x250
Email: charlene@dvaeyc.org
Families Forward
Families Forward mission helps families become healthy, productive, and self-reliant. Our agency is the largest non-profit homeless shelter serving families in Philadelphia, occupied by 65 families. We also serve formerly homeless families through our Community Housing Program, which consists of 80 units of transitional and permanent supportive housing. We work daily to create opportunities for a better life for approximately 500 families we serve annually as they navigate the pathway out of poverty and homelessness.
Contact: Grace Hightower
Phone: 215-240-4828
Email: ghightower@
Free Library of Philadelphia
The mission of the Free Library of Philadelphia is to advance literacy, guide learning, and inspire curiosity. Its vision is to build an enlightened community devoted to lifelong learning. Contact the volunteer services to learn about the variety of volunteer opportunities.
Contact: Volunteer Services
Phone: 215-686-5340
Email: volunteer@freelibrary.org
Mighty Writers
The mission of Mighty Writers (MW) is to teach Philadelphia kids ages 7 to 17 to think and write with clarity so they can achieve success at school, at work, and in life. We make every child feel welcomed, celebrated and Mighty by creating communities that are supportive, nurturing and striving. At Mighty Writers, we offer daily afterschool academies, long- and short-term writing classes nights and weekends, teen scholar programs, mentorships, College Prep courses and college essay writing classes. Over 400 of the city’s best creative minds (writers, teachers, journalists, etc.) volunteer to teach and mentor some 2,500 kids at Mighty Writers annually.
Contact: Rachel Loeper
Phone: 267-239-0899 x2
Email: rloeper@mightywriters.org
Montgomery Early Learning Centers
As a nonprofit organization with over 50 years of experience, our mission is to help families thrive by providing safe, convenient, and highest quality learning opportunities and care for children in Greater Philadelphia. We accomplish this through our Keystone STAR 4 early learning centers and out of school time programs that serves over 1,400 families annually.
Contact: Elizabeth DePaul
Phone: 610-617-4550 x3032
Email: Edepaul@melc.org
Philadelphia READS
The mission of Philadelphia READS is to “raise a city of readers” through quality out of school time programs focused to get children and youth to read on or above grade level by grade 4.
Contact: Pat Callahan
Phone: 215.279.7450 ext. 202
Email: programs@philareads.org
Philly Reading Coaches
Philly Reading Coaches is seeking volunteers to read with young students, Kindergarten through 3rd grade, in order to build reading skills and kindle a love of reading. Committed volunteers will spend a minimum of one hour once a week reading with a youngster using books provided by the program, helping them to gain confidence in their reading abilities. Each child in the program will also receive 25 free books to take home. Sign-up today!
Contact: Kenny Luu
Phone: 215-686-0317
Email: Kenneth.Luu@phila.gov
Reach Out and Read
Reach Out and Read is a national nonprofit organization that gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together. With more than 6,100 participating programs across the nation – 80 in Greater Philadelphia – Reach Out and Read primary care doctors and nurse practitioners talk with parents about the importance of reading aloud to their infants, toddlers and preschoolers every day.
Adult volunteer readers (over 18 y.o.) are needed in the waiting room at some Reach Out and Read sites. Volunteer readers engage infants/children of all ages with books and show parents/families the pleasures and techniques of reading aloud while enhancing language, cognitive, social and emotional development.
Contact: Reach Out and Read Greater Philadelphia
Phone: 215-590-5989
Email: info@rorgp.org
Tree House Books
At Tree House Books, our vision is that every child in Philadelphia has access to books, and every opportunity to pursue their dreams. We are on a mission to grow and sustain a community of readers, writers, and thinkers. Contact the Emma to learn about the variety of volunteer-based programs.
Contact: Emma Goldstein
Phone: 215-236-1760
Email: Emma@treehousebooks.org
West Philadelphia Alliance for Children
Since 2009 WePAC has committed roughly 10,000 hours per year to reopening, staffing and operating volunteer-run libraries in Philadelphia public elementary schools, with a large and talented volunteer force providing library services and mentoring to thousands of children each week. This academic year we are running libraries in 14 schools with a related reading mentoring program in several.
Contact: Rachel Robinson
Phone: 215-452-0333
Email: volunteer@wepac.org
