Make A Difference In Livermore: Where To Give Back This November

LIVERMORE, CA — Giving Tuesday falls on Dec. 1 this year, but you don't have to wait until then to make a difference close to home.

Throughout November, local nonprofits, food pantries, animal rescues, community organizations and other groups are looking for donations, volunteers and other forms of support. Whether you have a few hours to give, items to donate or simply want to support a local cause financially, there are plenty of ways to help.

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Patch rounded up organizations and opportunities to give back in and around Livermore. Needs and volunteer opportunities can change, so check directly with each organization for the latest information.

Here are some ways to make a difference in Livermore this November:

Open Heart Kitchen

Open Heart Kitchen, founded in Livermore in 1995, is the Tri-Valley's largest hunger relief organization. It provides meals, groceries and shelter services across Livermore, Dublin and Pleasanton. Its Open Heart Food Bank, at 7650 Marathon Drive, Suite H, supplies groceries to nine partner pantries and agencies in the region.

Residents can donate money or food online; the food bank's page explains how to schedule a drop-off. Volunteers can serve senior lunches, help with the Community Meal Program at the Vineyard Resource Center at 450 N. Livermore Ave., work at Open Heart Refuge or prepare food in the production kitchen. No culinary experience is needed.

Learn more about volunteering with Open Heart Kitchen.

Tri-Valley Haven

Tri-Valley Haven serves survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and people experiencing homelessness. Its Community Building is at 3663 Pacific Ave.

The food pantry, at 150 N. L St., takes donations weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The thrift store, at 116 N. L St., takes donations Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and its proceeds support the Haven's programs. New, unopened wish list items can be dropped at the Community Building on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Financial gifts can be made by check or Venmo (@TriValleyHaven). Volunteers 16 and older are accepted for the food pantry and thrift store, and the Haven also recruits crisis line and advocacy volunteers.

Learn more about volunteering with Tri-Valley Haven.

Shepherd's Gate

Shepherd's Gate is a Christian ministry that runs a residential program for women and children escaping homelessness, addiction, trafficking and abuse. Its Livermore campus is at 1660 Portola Ave., and its New Life Thrift Store is at 4014 East Ave.

Items bought from its Livermore Amazon wish list ship directly to the campus. Contact Carol Aivagedis at caivagedis@shepherdsgate.org for current pantry needs, and schedule drop-offs in advance. Ongoing volunteers help with childcare, driving women to appointments, teaching classes and organizing the pantry.

Learn more about volunteering with Shepherd's Gate.

Fertile GroundWorks

Fertile GroundWorks, at 4743 East Ave., is a nonprofit that teaches people to grow healthy food organically. Its Garden of Grace, a teaching garden on land provided by Asbury United Methodist Church, gives its produce to Open Heart Kitchen and local food pantries.

The garden is open to volunteers during posted volunteer hours, and sign-up is online. Donors can give online or send a check to Fertile GroundWorks, 4743 East Ave., Livermore, CA 94550. The site says donations will help create 10,000 square feet of additional growing space in the main garden.

Learn more about volunteering with Fertile GroundWorks.

Valley Humane Society

Based in nearby Pleasanton at 3670 Nevada St., Valley Humane Society also serves Livermore through its AniMeals pet food pantry. The pantry distributes free pet food to families struggling to feed their pets at the Robert Livermore Community Center, 4444 East Ave., on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 1 to 2 p.m.

Its wish list shows urgent needs for canine training treats, Charlee Bears, Cheerios, freeze-dried treats, soft and chewy treats, pill pockets, pet ID tags and pet scales. Volunteers must be 16 or older and commit to a weekly shift. Foster families are also welcome.

Learn more about the Valley Humane Society wish list.

Livermore Area Recreation and Park District

The Livermore Area Recreation and Park District runs volunteer work days at Sycamore Grove Park. Open space days involve removing invasive plants, picking up litter and maintaining trails, and the Native Gardens days involve weeding, mulching, planting and pruning.

Volunteers register through a MyImpactPage.com account or an application. LARPD provides tools and gloves, and no gardening experience is required.

Learn more about open space volunteer days.

Living Arroyos

Living Arroyos is a partnership of public agencies that restores creek habitat across the Tri-Valley, and the City of Livermore lists it among its volunteer opportunities. Volunteers clean up litter, remove weeds and plant native species along creeks in Livermore, Dublin and Pleasanton.

Its site says public workdays take place on the first and third Saturdays from October to April, from 9 to 11:30 a.m., and volunteers of all ages are welcome. Groups can request a private workday or adopt a creek.

Learn more about volunteering with Living Arroyos.

This isn't an exhaustive list of organizations doing good work in and around Livermore. Donation needs, volunteer opportunities and hours can change, so check directly with an organization for the latest information before donating or volunteering.

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