Volunteer Opportunities
Get Involved, Give Back: Volunteer Opportunities in the Ottawa Area
Looking to make a difference in your community? Our Volunteer Opportunities page connects you with local organizations that rely on the generosity of people like you. Whether you're passionate about animals, the arts, the environment, youth programs, or community events, there's a place for you to lend your time and talents. Browse our directory of nonprofits and service groups in and around Ottawa and find the perfect fit for your interests and availability. Every helping hand makes our community stronger!
Organization Volunteer Opportunities
| Organization | Contact | Phone Number and/or Email | Website & Additional Info |
| Alternatives For You | Erin Hanna | 309-277-0167 ehanna@alternativesforyou.org | https://alternativesforyou.org/ |
| American Foundation for Suicide Prevention | Alexis Ferracuti | 815-228-3828 aferracuti@peterferracuti.com | Please contact if interested in volunteering for upcoming events |
| Community Food Basket | Marissa Vicich | 815-431-0155 info@ottawafoodbasket.org mjvicich@ottawafoodbasket.org | www.ottawafoodbasket.org |
| Friends of Dayton Bluffs Preserve | David Manigold | 815-488-1010 dmanig@sbcglobal.net | Volunteer Facebook Page |
| Habitat For Humanity of Lasalle-Bureau-Putnam County | Dan Fitzgerald | 815-434-2041 | https://www.localhabitat.org |
| Holiday Inn Express | Tina Sabia | 815-320-2230 tsabia@hmahotels.com | Volunteer Opportunities Page |
| Hegeler Carus Mansion | April Murphy | 847-922-8135 April.Murphy@hegelercarus.org | General Tours Summer Sunset Concert Series Kids' Day Out "The Mansion is not Haunted" Haunted Mansion Tour St. Nicholas and Tannenbaum Fest |
| Illinois Valley PADS | Marissa Temper | 815-433-1292 ottawapads@gmail.com | https://ivpads.com/volunteer/ |
| Illinois Valley Volunteer Opportunities | Justine Larabee | 815-250-4959 Justinelarabee@gmail.com | Trash Pick Ups |
| LaSalle County Medical Reserve Corps | Monica Strzalkowski | 859-303-2640 mstrzalkowski@lasallecountyil.gov | Community outreach, Opioid 101 classes for first responders, Disaster aid and more |
| LaSalle County Health Dept Emergency Preparedness and Response Specialist | Monica Strzalkowski | 815-433-3366 Ext. 74316 mstrzalkowski@lasallecountyil.gov | |
| LaSalle County CASA | Chris Engelman | 815-228-6210 iam4thechild2@yahoo.com | https://lasallecountycasa.org/ |
| LaSalle County EMA | Corban Flynn | 815-434-2646 cflynn@lasallecountyil.gov | Field Service Unit and Ground Search and Rescue Teams |
| Lightways Hospice & Serious Illness Care | Chris McCarthy | 815-460-3262 cmccarthy@lightways.org lrobertson@lightways.org | https://lightways.org/ |
| Naplate Volunteer Fire Department | Noah Setser | 815-830-0603 nsetser0203@gmail.com | Looking for volunteer firefighters who are willing to assist with firefighting, medical aid, and emergency response. Also, looking for people willing to help with fundraising and community engagement. |
| OSF Healthcare | Anne Czajkoski | annemarie.E.Czajkoski@osfhealthcare.org Ahasta.H.Hladovcak@osfhealthcare.org | https://www.osfhealthcare.org/saint-elizabeth/giving/volunteer-opportunities/ |
| Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce | Jay McCracken | 815-433-0084 j.mccracken@ottawachamberillinois.com | https://www.ottawachamberillinois.com/ |
| Ottawa Canal Association | Arnie Bandstra | ArniesWoodwork@yahoo.com | https://www.facebook.com/OttawaCanalAssociation/ |
| Ottawa Downtown Association | Cassi Skoflanc | 630-362-1255 skoflanc7@gmail.com | Volunteer Form |
| Ottawa Friendship House | Ottawa Friendship House | 815-434-0737 friends@ottawafriendship.com | https://friendshiphouseillinois.org/ways-to-give/volunteer/ |
| Ottawa River Rescue Squad | Randall Phelps | 815-202-5727 rwphelps.1@netzero.net | |
| Ottawa YMCA | Kelly Petterson | 815-433-2395 ext. 24 kellypetterson@ottawaymca.org | https://www.ottawaymca.org/support-the-y/volunteer |
| Pleasant View | Joelle Patterson | 815-587-1053 Joelle.patterson@lulife.org | |
| Reddick Mansion Association | Lorraine McCallister | 815-433-6100 ljm230@yahoo.com | http://reddickmansion.org/volunteer1.html |
| Rhonda Johnson Photography | Rhonda Johnson | 815-488-9852 rhondajohnsonphotography1@gmail.com | Contact - Looking for Highway Clean Up Volunteers |
| Round Table DeMolay | Advisory Council | rtcdemolayottawa@gmail.com | www.illinoisdemolay.org |
| Safe Journeys | Julie Donahue | 815-673-1552 ext. 2261 julied@safejourneysillinois.or | www.safejourneysillinois.org |
| Scouting Museum | Mollie Perrot OR Dan Schott | 815-431-9353 quiltz77@hotmail.com d.g.schott@att.net | https://ottawahistoricalscoutingmuseum.org/ |
| Starved Rock Historical and Educational Foundation | Mike Toohey | 847-337-1812 MikeToohey001@gmail.com | Volunteer at the park |
| Starved Rock Regional Center for Therapy and Child Development | Beth Campeotto | 815-434-0857 bethc@starvedrockcenter.org | |
| United Way of ELC / Labor of Love | Sally Honiotes | 815-433-4003 unitedway@sbcglobal.net sally@unitedwayelc.org josie@unitedway.org | http://www.unitedwayelc.org/volunteer/ |
| VITAS Healthcare | Rosana Kinsella | 815-220-2407 rosana.kinsella@vitas.com | https://www.vitas.com/volunteer/apply-to-be-a-hospice-volunteer |
| Voluntary Action Center | Sarah Kinkin | 815-883-3630 skinkin@vacdk.org | Voluntary Action Center | Serving Northern Illinois |
| Walk to End Alzheimer's | Kayli Lavelle | 815-373-5114 klavelle@alz.org | https://act.alz.org/site/TR/Walk2022/IL-Illinois?pg=entry&fr_id=15553 |
| Wallace-Dickey Cemetery Association | Donna Nordstrom | 815-830-0416 ilwildrice@earthlink.net gen_wallace@outlook.com | https://genwallace.com/index.html |
| Zonta Club | Becky Keene | 815-252-9962 Beckykeene@hotmail.com | Scholarships, Girls' Tea, Red Stocking, Buckets of Love, Luminary Walk to support domestic violence survivors, and more |
Event-Related Volunteer Opportunities
| Events | Contact | Phone Number and/or Email | Website & Additional Info |
| Fall Festival (September) | Abbie Kennedy | 815-830-0395 abbiec.gigihill@gmail.com | |
| Festival of Lights Parade (November) | Rich Crum | 815-433-5000 ext. 220 RichC@heritageharborottawa.com | |
| Floret Events | Stephanie Stacy | floreteventsllc@yahoo.com | |
| Infinity Premier Innovations | Dylan Conmy | dylanconmy1026@gmail.com | |
| Ottawa Visitor Center | Donna Reynolds | donnar@visitottawail.com | |
| Run Today for Tomorrow 5K | Emily Hardee | 815-992-5245 runtodayfortomorrow@gmail.com | Run Today for Tomorrow 5k walk/run for suicide prevention |
| Starved Rock Marathon (May) | Robert Hasty | 815-228-7253 info@runstarvedrockcountry.com | https://runstarvedrockcountry.net/ |
| Third Fridays (May, June, July, August & September) | Amanda Weygand | 815-293-7099 openspaceartgallery@gmail.com | https://www.facebook.com/OttawaILArt |
| Wine & Art Walk (November) | Rich Crum | 815-433-5000 ext. 220 RichC@heritageharborottawa.com |
City of Ottawa Volunteer Opportunities
| City of Ottawa | Contact | Phone Number and/or Email | Website & Additional Info |
| Boards & Commissions | Tami Koppen | tkoppen@cityofottawa.org | https://cityofottawa.org/boards-commissions/ |
| Volunteer Gardening | Tami Koppen | tkoppen@cityofottawa.org | https://www.facebook.com/Ottawaisblooming/ |