The Heart of Our Mission: Honoring LifeMoves Volunteers This April

At LifeMoves, we never struggle to find helping hands – only enough opportunities to match the generosity of our community. That’s a rare challenge to have in this modern era, and one we welcome with enthusiasm and sincere appreciation. This National Volunteer Month, we’re shining a spotlight on the many volunteers who power our programs, fill our dining rooms with warmth and nourishment, and meet our clients with compassion, commitment, and a desire to connect through our shared humanity.

According to the latest national data, the value of volunteer time has risen 3.9% this year to $34.79 per hour. It’s an encouraging reminder that the work of volunteers isn’t just heartfelt – it’s invaluable. That number may exponentially grow over time, but it confirms what we’ve long understood at LifeMoves: volunteers are a critical part of the solution to ending homelessness and uplifting lives.

Each year, we estimate more than 12,500 volunteers partner with LifeMoves – many of whom are returning faces. Some arrive with hot meals in tow. Others organize backpack drives, host tutoring sessions, plant gardens, and build community. From Good Shepherd Lutheran, which has faithfully provided meals at Julian Street Inn for more than 18 years – even through renovations – to LDS volunteers in Santa Clara County, whose partnership spans over three decades, these longstanding commitments are woven into the fabric of our identity here at LifeMoves.

This spring, we’re especially moved by stories like that of a group of third graders from Campbell School of Innovation, who were inspired to host a bake sale fundraiser for LifeMoves. Witnessing an unhoused neighbor near their school and a recent visit from “San Jose Batman,” a local advocate who offers help on the streets, these young students were inspired to take action. With the support of their parents and school, they’ve created a project that blends generosity, learning, and direct impact. It’s a reminder that anyone – at almost any age – can make a difference in their own backyard.

Whether it’s a Stanford music ensemble performing at one of our communities, a high school student returning to tutor long after they’ve turned their tassle, or a corporate team adopting a shelter, what unites our volunteers is their belief in the dignity of every person, and their willingness to act on it.

We are proud to work alongside volunteers from corporations to faith-based communities to civic organizations, families, students, and individuals. Our job is to lay the groundwork: to welcome, orient, and connect volunteers to meaningful service. But the magic happens in the relationship – when a heart is touched, when someone sees themselves in another, and when transformation begins.

As we look ahead, we’re preparing for summer volunteer programs, including camp support and a backpack drive that will set more than 800 children across our communities up for academic success. Additionally, with 8 sites serving three daily meals, 52 weeks a year, the opportunities to get involved never stop and our volunteers’ willingness to respond to these needs never cease to amaze.

So to all our LifeMoves volunteers both past and present: a resounding THANK YOU. Your commitment shows that our community does care – and that we can only realize change when we move together. 

To learn more about our many LifeMoves volunteer opportunities, please visit www.lifemoves.org/ways-to-give/volunteering/.