Volunteering in Lake Forest Park

Lake Forest Park is a city of volunteers! Residents give thousands of hours to projects in and around the City. There are a variety of ways to get involved and make a difference:

Click to receive email about volunteer opportunities

City Commissions
There are eight citizen Commissions. Commission members are appointed by the Mayor and serve for terms of varying lengths and have different missions and goals. Please click to learn more about Commissions..
City Work Parties
The City uses volunteers of all ages to maintain our parks and streams. Most projects take a weekend morning. They're called "work parties" because they're both fun and a great way to meet fellow residents of the City. Sometimes there's even a barbecue after the work session is over.
Crime Watch:
The Lake Forest Park Police Department sponsors this free service staffed by volunteers. Residents notify the Police when they are away, Crime Watch volunteers check their homes regularly until they return. Homes are checked to ensure they are secure and any problems are reported to the Police Department and a person designated by the owner. Packages that are left are picked up by the volunteers for later delivery to ensure that the package is not lost. Last year, the volunteers checked homes 353 days throughout the year. To join, call Dan Olsen 365-1240.
Friends of the Lake Forest Park Library:
Friends of the Library is a non-profit volunteer group that supports the Library through volunteer and fund-raising activities. Friends of the Library raises money for expanded services, special equipment, materials and supplies requested by our librarians. They also underwrite many programs for all ages, none of which would be possible without their support. Stop by the used bookshelves outside the library doors and browse. The proceeds from your purchase fund these purchases and programs. Your donation of gently used books is also appreciated.

FOTL meets bimonthly on the second Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm at City Hall. Regular volunteer jobs include sorting books for their shelves and helping out when the group has a big used book sale. Help support our wonderful Library. Dues are $3.00 per year and new members are always welcome. Click to go to the Friends of the Lake Forest Park Library website.
Friends of Third Place Commons:
Third Place Commons is Lake Forest Park's community center and gathering place at Lake Forest Park Town Centre,adjacent to Third Place Books and Shoreline Communitiy College's Lake Forest Park campus. Volunteers of all ages are needed to perform a variety of tasks, from blowing up balloons to stuffing envelopes. Helping out at Third a great community service opportunity for Shorecrest students. For more information, click to go to the Friends of Third Place Commons website.
Shorecrest Students: Community Service and Senior Projects
The City has opportunities for community service and senior projects for Shorecrest students. The City keeps a roster of available students. If you are interested in developing a senior project, we have staff willing to work with students on projects of mutual interest. To sign up, please call City Hall or email cityhall @ cityoflfp.com
Streamkeepers
The Lake Forest Park StreamKeepers are a group of volunteers who keep an eye on stream quality and help educate residents about fostering the continuing health and improvementof the streams within the City and the McAleer/Lyon creek watersheds. Streamkeepers considers itself the monitoring arm of watchdog organizations within Lake Forest Park like the Lake Forest Park Stewardship Foundation: http://www.lfpsf.org

Stream water quality monitoring is done quarterly, on the 3rd Saturday of every third month, in January, April, July and October. Volunteers gather in the lower level of the mall at 9:00 am, and are done by 11:00 am. Stream monitoring is a great activity for young environmentalists and a good way for students to earn community service credits.

If you would like to get involved beyond water testing, the StreamKeeper Steering Committee meets monthly to discuss goals and plan activities. They could use your help. Please contact the City of Lake Forest Park, 206-368-5440, for information about their next meeting.