Santa's Village: Volunteer

Distributing gifts for tens of thousands of children requires a great deal of planning, careful coordination and the assistance of more than 1,000 volunteers each year. Volunteering at Santa’s Village takes a lot of energy, but is an incredibly enjoyable and rewarding experience.  It is a very popular teambuilding experience for corporate or civic groups looking for a way to come together and spread some holiday cheer.

With such a limited number of days available, Santa’s Village volunteer schedule fills up quickly!  In recognition of their continued support, scheduling preference will be given to our Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsors, as we could not do what we do without them.  As such, volunteer shifts will be offered as follows:

Gold Sponsors: July 1st
May select up to one full-day, two half-days or any three single shifts on a first-come-first-served basis.

Silver Sponsors: September 1st
May select up to one full-day, two half-days or any three single shifts on a first-come-first-served basis.

Bronze / In-Kind Sponsors: October 1st
May select up to one single shift on a first-come-first-served basis, as available.

All Others: November 1st
May select up to one single shift on a first-come-first-served basis, as available.

To schedule a group based on the above-outlined prioritization, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator.

In addition, we do have several volunteer opportunities available on the fundraising side.  Although these opportunities may not feel as rewarding as interacting directly with our recipients at Santa’s Village, volunteer fundraisers the reason we are able to serve nearly 50,000 each year.  If you might be interested in leading a Sponsor-A-Child campaign, please complete our online campaign registration form and our campaign coordinator will provide you with everything you need to lead a successful campaign.

If you would like to be added to our waitlist to be notified of shift openings and/or if you are available for last-minute volunteer needs that may arise, please contact our Santa’s Village Volunteer Coordinator.

Thank you again for your interest in and your willingness to support our organization.

Below is a brief description of volunteer opportunities at Santa’s Village, each of which will be filled on an as-needed basis. Volunteers may rotate from station-to-station or may stay at a single station for their entire shift, depending on traffic flow in each area. Please note, for safety reasons all Santa’s Village volunteers must be at least 14 years of age.

SANTA’S LIST REGISTRATION
This is where parents and guardians begin the process of receiving toys from the Empty Stocking Fund. Volunteers are needed to man registration stations where they will verify recipient eligibility, make corrections or additions to database records as needed, generate order identification numbers that will be used throughout the gift selection, order processing and distribution processes.

SANTA’S TOY WONDERLAND
This is where gift items are displayed for parents and guardians to select age and gender appropriate items for their children. Volunteers in this area help parents and guardians choose items for each child’s ‘gift package’ and complete selection forms for order processing.

SANTA'S WORKSHOP
This is where all of the gift items are warehoused, carefully organized by age and gender.  Using computer-generated order forms and a shopping cart generously provided by The Home Depot, volunteers hustle through the warehouse collecting gift items selected by the child’s parent or guardian.  

SANTA’S DISTRIBUTION
This is the final step of the Empty Stocking Fund’s gift-giving process.  Once all items have been picked from the warehouse, the shopping cart is returned to a check-out area.  Volunteers verify that the order has been completed as requested, package the items, and close the order by having the recipient sign a form acknowledging they have received all of their toys.