Opportunities From: Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado

Where You’ll Be: 

You’ll be volunteering at the Village Farm at Stanley, an urban farm located next to Stanley Marketplace in northwest Aurora. This 1.5-acre farm is run by Village Exchange Center, a community-based nonprofit that supports and trains people from many cultural backgrounds.

The farm is both a working food production space and a learning environment. It is designed to grow culturally significant foods that reflect the traditions and needs of the families the Village Exchange Center serves.

What You’ll Do: 

Support the farm get off to a successful growing season! Volunteers will help with some of the following projects:

Establishing new in-ground beds, Building raised beds and planting a hedge row (a row of trees or shrubs that will form a living border/fence),Establishing bed infrastructure such as irrigation and trellises, Cutting down cover crop (a crop used to hold down and add nutrients to the soil between growing seasons), Planting seeds and seedlings.

This work helps lay the foundation for everything the farm will produce and teach in the months ahead.

Why It Matters: 

About half of the food grown at the Village Farm is shared through the Village Exchange Center’s weekly food pantry, located just a few minutes away. This fresh produce supports community members experiencing food insecurity who may not otherwise have access to culturally familiar foods.

The farm also plays a key role in the Village Exchange Center’s vocational training program. Each growing season, participants learn hands-on horticulture skills that can support future job opportunities and long-term food access.

The seedlings planted during this project have been intentionally selected to reflect the cultural backgrounds of the families who will receive the harvest.

Eligibility Requirements:  

Ages 15+   

Youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or older.   

Project Difficulty: 

This project is considered easy. Please check our difficulty rating criteria here for more details.

General physical considerations for participating in this project (Some or all may apply): kneeling, bending, working close to the ground for extended periods, lifting or carrying soil, mulch, or plants, and exposure to insects (bees, wasps).

Access Factors: 

Vehicle Access: Street and lot parking is available. Volunteers will need to walk approximately 1/4 mile from their parking to the farm entrance. Volunteers can also bike along the regional trail to get there!

Other Notes: The worksite is exposed and most days gets very sunny.

Where you'll be:

Join Loveland Youth Gardeners in helping to prep their garden beds for the season! Helping this small non-profit team wake up the farm for the Spring will allow them to focus more efforts on their main mission: teaching kids outdoors. A variety of tasks are available to make this project family-friendly and ADA accessible.

What you'll do:

Volunteers will help prepare garden beds for the season ahead. Tasks may include planting, turning compost, transplanting seedlings, tilling soil, and other general garden prep work. There will be a range of activities available, so volunteers can choose what feels comfortable for them.

Please bring your own lunch for the day.

Why it's important:

This farm is the primary site for Loveland Youth Gardeners’ programming, where they provide nature-based education and horticultural therapy for about 150 youth each year.

The space also supports community events and projects, welcoming nearly 1,000 additional visitors annually.

Much of the produce grown here is shared with local community organizations, helping address food insecurity in the Loveland area. By volunteering on this project, you are supporting youth education, community well-being, and local food access all in one place.

Eligibility Requirements:

Ages 10+

All youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult 21 years or older.

Project Difficulty:

This project is considered easy. Please check our difficulty rating criteria here for more details

Access Factors:

Vehicle Access: 2WD accessible

Other Notes: Volunteers will walk across a short, flat field (approx. 2 minutes) from the parking area to the farm

If you enjoy urban gardening/farm projects, you can view similar projects here.

Where You’ll Be: 

Nestled near the University of Denver campus, Observatory Park is a charming green space that blends history with recreation. Home to DU's historic Chamberlin Observatory, the park features century-old trees, an expansive playground, and open fields perfect for picnics or a friendly game of frisbee. 

What You’ll Do: 

Join us for a fun and meaningful way to give back to your community! Volunteers ages 8 and up will help plant a vibrant vegetable garden in Observatory Park.    

Guided by Grow Local Colorado staff, you’ll learn what vegetables are being planted and why, as well as how to strategically place each plant to ensure optimal growth and productivity. Whether you're a gardening pro or a complete beginner, this is a great opportunity to gain new skills, ask questions about your own garden, or get inspired to start one for the first time. 

As a bonus, participants may be able to take home extra seeds and seedlings, while supplies last! 

Why It Matters: 

The vegetables planted will be harvested in the fall and donated to local food banks, homeless shelters, and families in need, addressing food insecurity in our community. Through this partnership with Grow Local Colorado, you'll help foster a more connected community, showcase the beauty and benefits of edible gardens, inspire others to grow their own food, and support a more sustainable food system by reducing the carbon footprint of food production and distribution. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

Ages 8+   

Youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or older.   

A Denver Parks & Rec waiver is also required. 

Project Difficulty: 

This project is considered easy, please check our difficulty rating criteria here for more details.

General physical considerations for participating on this project. Some or all may apply: kneeling, bending, and working close to the ground for extended periods.

Access Factors: 

Vehicle Access: Street parking is within a 5–10-minute walk to the project site. This project may be accessible via public transit for you or accessible via bike!

If you enjoy urban gardening/farm projects, you can view similar projects here.

Where You'll Be:

The Colorado Governor's Mansion, located in the heart of Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood, is a member of the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Originally built as a private residence in 1908, it was given to the State of Colorado as an executive residence in 1959. In 2011, Governor Hickenlooper donated the plants that would become the First Family's Giving Garden, planted by Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado with Grow Local Colorado.  

What You'll Do:

This is an easy and rewarding way to get outside and give back to your community. Volunteers ages 8+ will have the opportunity to help plant the veggie gardens at the Governor's Mansion.

Grow Local Colorado staff will lead the day's activities and share with volunteers what vegetables will be planted and why, as well as help volunteers understand where each plant will go in the garden to ensure optimal growth and productivity. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their questions about their own home gardens, or you can use this opportunity to learn how to start one for the first time!

Participants may have the opportunity to take home extra seeds and seedlings, while supplies last!

Why It's Important:

The produce that will be planted will mature in the fall and be donated to local organizations including food banks, homeless shelters, and families in need. This partnership with Grow Local Colorado creates a more connected community; demonstrates the beauty and efficacy of edible gardens; inspires residents to plant their own vegetable gardens; and contributes to a more sustainable food chain by reducing our carbon footprint.

Eligibility Requirements:

Ages 8+

All youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult 21 years or older.

Background checks will be required for all volunteers and staff in attendance. The checks will need to be completed about two weeks in advance of the event date, and they must be hand-signed with black pen and then emailed to the VOC Project Manager. No electronic signatures will be accepted.

Project Difficulty:

This project is considered easy, please check our difficulty rating criteria, here, for more details. 

General physical considerations for participating on this project. Some or all may apply: kneeling, bending, and working close to the ground for extended periods.

Access Factors:

Vehicle Access: Street parking is within a 5–10-minute walk to the project site. This project may be accessible via public transit for you or accessible via bike!

Where You’ll Be: 

Christ the King Church, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has a proud history in the Harvey Park neighborhood of Southwest Denver dating back to its founding in 1956. The congregation was originally rooted in the rapid growth of the neighborhood in the late 1950s. They have partnered with Grow Local Colorado since 2018 and their plot is a wonderful example of how productive sheet mulch gardening can be. 

What You’ll Do: 

This is an easy and rewarding way to get outside and give back to your community. Volunteers ages 8+ will have the opportunity to help plant the vegetable gardens at Christ the King Church. 

Grow Local Colorado staff will lead the day's activities and share with volunteers what vegetables will be planted and why, as well as help volunteers understand where each plant will go in the garden to ensure optimal growth and productivity. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their questions about their own home gardens, or you can use this opportunity to learn how to start one for the first time! 

Participants may have the opportunity to take home extra seeds and seedlings, while supplies last! 

Why It Matters: 

The produce that will be planted will mature in the fall and be donated to local organizations including food banks, homeless shelters, and families in need. This partnership with Grow Local Colorado creates a more connected community; demonstrates the beauty and efficacy of edible gardens; inspires residents to plant their own vegetable gardens; and contributes to a more sustainable food chain by reducing our carbon footprint. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

Ages 8+   

Youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or older.   

Project Difficulty: 

This project is considered easy, please check our difficulty rating criteria here for more details.

General physical considerations for participating on this project. Some or all may apply: kneeling, bending, and working close to the ground for extended periods.

Access Factors: 

Vehicle Access: Parking is right next to the garden. This project may be accessible via public transit for you or accessible via bike!

If you enjoy urban gardening/farm projects, you can view similar projects here.

Where you'll be:

Community Ministry is a social service organization, food/clothing pantry, and community resource that has been meeting the basic needs of individuals experiencing economic hardships and related problems in the Ruby Hill neighborhood since the 1960s. Grow Local Colorado and Community Ministry have been partnering since 2012 to ensure low-income residents in southwest Denver have access to healthy food choices.

What you'll do:

This is a rewarding way to get outside and give back to your community. Volunteers ages 8+ will have the opportunity to help plant the vegetable gardens at Community Ministry. 

Grow Local Colorado staff will lead the day's activities, share with volunteers which vegetables will be planted and why, and help them understand where each plant will go in the garden to ensure optimal growth and productivity. Volunteers are encouraged to bring questions about their own home gardens, or use this opportunity to learn how to start one for the first time!  Participants may have the opportunity to take home extra seeds and seedlings, while supplies last!

Why it's important:

The produce that will be planted will mature in the fall and be donated to local organizations, including food banks, homeless shelters, and families in need. This partnership with Grow Local Colorado creates a more connected community, demonstrates the beauty and efficacy of edible gardens, inspires residents to plant their own vegetable gardens, and contributes to a more sustainable food chain by reducing our carbon footprint.

Eligibility Requirements:

Ages 8+

All youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult 21 years or older.

Project Difficulty:

This project is considered easy. Please check our difficulty rating criteria here for more details.

General physical considerations for participating in this project (Some or all may apply): kneeling, bending, and working close to the ground for extended periods.

Accessibility Factors:

Vehicle Access: Public street parking available within a 5-10 minute walk to the project site. This project is accessible via RTD public transit or bike.

Where You’ll Be: 

Located in Denver’s charming Platt Park neighborhood, Harvard Gulch Park is a community favorite, offering something for everyone. Spanning several blocks, the park features running paths, volleyball courts, an outdoor pool, a 9-hole golf course, and the Harvard Gulch Recreation Center. 

What You’ll Do: 

Enjoy a fun and fulfilling way to connect with your community and the outdoors! Volunteers ages 8 and up will help plant the vegetable gardens at Harvard Gulch Park, contributing to a beautiful and productive space that benefits both the park and the local community. 

Led by Grow Local Colorado staff, you’ll learn which vegetables are being planted and why, along with how to place each plant for optimal growth and productivity. Whether you're an experienced gardener or a first-timer, this is a great chance to gain new skills, ask questions about your own garden, or find inspiration to start one. 

As a bonus, participants may have the opportunity to take home extra seeds and seedlings—while supplies last! 

Why It Matters: 

The vegetables planted will be harvested in the fall and donated to local food banks, homeless shelters, and families in need, addressing food insecurity in our community. Through this partnership with Grow Local Colorado, you'll help foster a more connected community, showcase the beauty and benefits of edible gardens, inspire others to grow their own food, and support a more sustainable food system by reducing the carbon footprint of food production and distribution. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

Ages 8+   

Youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or older.   

Denver Parks & Rec waiver is also required. 

Project Difficulty: 

This project is considered easy, please check our difficulty rating criteria here for more details. 

General physical considerations for participating on this project. Some or all may apply: kneeling, bending, and working close to the ground for extended periods.

Access Factors: 

Vehicle Access: Street parking is within a 5–10-minute walk to the project site. This project may be accessible via public transit for you or accessible via bike!

If you enjoy urban gardening/farm projects, you can view similar projects here.

Bringing a child, youth group, or signing up as a family?

Please follow this step-by-step guide to register as a team. It’s quick and helps us get all the info we need.

Where You’ll Be: 

Sprout City Farms is an urban agriculture nonprofit organization based in Denver, CO, founded in 2010 by farmers, educators, researchers, business leaders, and community members. The organization works to increase food access and community resilience by farming underutilized urban land. Its farms serve as spaces for education, health, food justice advocacy, ecological stewardship, and neighborhood connection.

What You’ll Do: 

Volunteers will support work at the Denver Green School Community Farm (DGS), a one-acre organic vegetable farm established in 2011 in partnership with Denver Public Schools. This spring volunteer day will focus on garden bed preparation and planting.

Tasks may include: 

weeding garden beds, setting up trellises and T-posts for vining crops, transplanting seedlings, and possibly wood chipping or dismantling old compost piles.

Tasks will vary and are suitable for a range of ages and experience levels.

Why It Matters: 

The Denver Green School Community Farm supports a Title I public pre-K through 8 school that focuses on sustainability and serves surrounding neighborhoods. The farm produces an average of 10,000 to 12,000 pounds of food each year, with about half going toward food access efforts. Produce supports the school cafeteria, families, and community members, a donation-based Youth Farm Stand run by 6th-grade interns, cooking classes, the school food pantry, and special school events.

Eligibility Requirements:

Ages 8+ 

Youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or older.   

Project Difficulty: 

This project is considered Easy. Please check our difficulty rating criteria here for more details. 

Physical Considerations: Tasks may include kneeling, bending, working close to the ground for extended periods, lifting or carrying soil, mulch, or plants, and being outdoors in the sun and weather.

Access Factors: 

Vehicle Access: Public street parking available within a 5-10 minute walk to the project site. This project is accessible via RTD public transit or by bike!

Other Notes: Restrooms, handwashing station, picnic tables, and shade structure available at or near the worksite.

If you enjoy urban gardening/farm projects, you can view similar projects here.

Where You’ll Be: 

Observatory Park is a small yet spacious park near the University of Denver (DU) campus. Home to DU's historic Chamberlin Observatory, the park also boasts century-old trees, an extensive playground area, and vast open fields perfect for picnicking or a pickup game of frisbee. 

What You’ll Do: 

Through our long-standing partnership with Grow Local Colorado, volunteers ages 8+ will spend the evening harvesting a vegetable garden and preparing it for winter at Observatory Park. Tasks will include gathering ripe produce, weeding, and clearing plant debris to help maintain the garden for the next growing season.

Participants may have the opportunity to take home extra seeds (while supplies last) and even hand-deliver fresh produce to local food banks and community aid organizations, ensuring these nutritious harvests reach those in need.

Why It Matters: 

The produce that VOC volunteers planted in the spring is now mature and ready to be donated to local organizations including food banks, homeless shelters, and families in need. By growing food locally, we reduce our carbon footprint by reducing the distance food must travel, minimizing water use, decreasing soil erosion, and helping develop a sustainable community. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

Ages 8+   

Youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or older.   

Project Difficulty: 

This project is considered easy, please check our difficulty rating criteria here for more details.

Specific tasks include bending down/kneeling to harvest and using loppers or pruning shears to cut plant debris.  

Access Factors: 

Vehicle Access: Public street parking is available within a 5-10 minute walk to the project site. This project is accessible via RTD public transit or bike! 

Other Notes: Please park on the west side of the park, along S Fillmore St. The garden plot (and where we will meet for the project) will be in the northwestern corner of Observatory Park.

Where you'll be:

Community Ministry is a social service organization, food/clothing pantry, and community resource that has been meeting the basic needs of individuals experiencing economic hardships and related problems in the Ruby Hill neighborhood since the 1960s. Grow Local Colorado and Community Ministry have been partnering since 2012 to ensure low-income residents in southwest Denver have access to healthy food choices.

What you'll do:

Through our long-standing partnership with Grow Local Colorado, volunteers ages 6+ will spend the morning harvesting a vegetable garden and prepping it for winter at Community Ministry. Tasks will involve harvesting vegetables, weeding, and raking the soil.

Why it's important:

The produce that VOC volunteers planted in the spring are now mature and ready to be donated to local organizations including food banks, homeless shelters, and families in need. By growing food locally, we reduce our carbon footprint by reducing the distance food has to travel, minimize water use, decrease soil erosion, and help develop a sustainable community. 

Eligibility Requirements:

Ages 8+

All youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult 21 years or older.

Project Difficulty:

This project is considered easy, please check our difficulty rating criteria, here, for more details.

Specific tasks include bending down/kneeling to harvest and using loppers or pruning shears to cut plant debris.

Access Factors:

Vehicle Access: Public street parking available within a 5-10 minute walk to project site. This project is accessible via RTD public transit or bike!

Where You’ll Be: 

Christ the King Lutheran Church, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has a proud history in the Harvey Park neighborhood of Southwest Denver dating back to its founding in 1956. The congregation was originally rooted in the rapid growth of the neighborhood in the late 1950's. They have partnered with Grow Local Colorado since 2018 and their plot is a wonderful example of how productive sheet mulch gardening can be. 

What You’ll Do: 

Through our long-standing partnership with Grow Local Colorado, volunteers ages 8+ will spend the morning harvesting a vegetable garden and prepping it for winter. Tasks will involve harvesting vegetables, weeding, and removing harvested plants to winterize the beds.  

Volunteers may also have the opportunity to hand deliver some of the fresh produce to local area food banks and community aid organizations. 

Why It Matters: 

The produce that VOC volunteers planted in the spring is now mature and ready to be donated to local organizations including food banks, homeless shelters, and families in need. By growing food locally, we reduce our carbon footprint by reducing the distance food must travel, minimizing water use, decreasing soil erosion, and helping develop a sustainable community. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

Ages 8+   

Youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or older.   

Project Difficulty: 

This project is considered easy, please check our difficulty rating criteria here for more details.

Physical Considerations: Specific tasks include bending down/kneeling to harvest and using loppers or pruning shears to cut plant debris.

Access Factors: 

Vehicle Access: Public street parking available within a 5-10 minute walk to project site. This project is accessible via RTD public transit or bike!

Where You’ll Be: 

The Colorado Governor's Mansion, located in the heart of Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood, is a member of the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Originally built as a private residence in 1908, it was given to the State of Colorado as an executive residence in 1959. In 2011, Governor Hickenlooper donated the plants that would become the First Family's Giving Garden, planted by Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado with Grow Local Colorado. 

What You’ll Do: 

Through our long-standing partnership with Grow Local Colorado, volunteers ages 8+ will spend the evening harvesting a vegetable garden and prepping it for winter at the Governor's Mansion. Tasks will include gathering ripe produce, weeding, and clearing plant debris to help maintain the garden for the next growing season.

Participants may have the opportunity to take home extra seeds (while supplies last) and even hand-deliver fresh produce to local food banks and community aid organizations, ensuring these nutritious harvests reach those in need.

Why It Matters: 

The produce that VOC volunteers planted in the spring is now mature and ready to be donated to local organizations, including food banks, homeless shelters, and families in need. By growing food locally, we reduce our carbon footprint by reducing the distance food must travel, minimizing water use, decreasing soil erosion, and helping develop a sustainable community. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

Ages 8+   

Youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or older.  

Background checks will be required for all volunteers and staff in attendance. The checks will need to be completed about two weeks in advance of the event date, and they must be hand-signed with black pen and then emailed to the VOC Project Manager. No electronic signatures will be accepted.

Project Difficulty: 

This project is considered easy; please check our difficulty rating criteria here for more details.

Physical Considerations: Specific tasks include bending down/kneeling to harvest and using loppers or pruning shears to cut plant debris.

Access Factors: 

Vehicle Access: Public street parking is available within a 5-10 minute walk to the project site (we will remind people of the 2 hour parking limits in the area at the project ). This project is accessible via RTD public transit or bike!