Summer is here, and it's the perfect time to pause and celebrate how far this community has grown. We are thrilled to share that Samaritan Scout has now passed 20,000 organizations in our database, connecting volunteers to more than 40,000 volunteer opportunities nationwide.

Every single one of these opportunities is in-person — real, on-the-ground good happening right in your own community — and every single one is free. We built Samaritan Scout so that doing good never comes with a price tag, and that promise hasn't changed: you will never be asked to spend a dime, and you'll never be asked to ask your friends or family to spend one either. Just show up, roll up your sleeves, and make a difference.

We're also proud to share that Samaritan Scout is now featured on two state volunteer networks: the Virginia Serve Volunteer Center Network and Utah's UServe Utah. Being included alongside these trusted statewide resources helps even more people discover free, in-person volunteer opportunities near them, and we're grateful to both states for the partnership. Looking ahead, we're actively seeking more partners — state volunteer networks, community organizations, local governments, and anyone who shares our mission — to help spread the word about Samaritan Scout as a free, non-commercial resource. If that sounds like you or someone you know, we'd love to talk.

We were honored July 31st by the Union County Board of County Commissioners, in recognition of our work to increase volunteerism in our communities. In attendance were Samaritan Scout co-founder and CTO Will Rosenthal, Westfield resident and graphic designer Max Jacobowitz, AIT recent graduate and full stack engineering intern Noah Siffert, and co-founder Dvora Inwood. Commissioner Joe Signorello, a UCVTS grad and technology innovator himself, invited the entire Scout team for recognition and we are grateful for his support.

Beyond the database, our social media channels have become a favorite way for our community to discover the incredible range of nonprofits doing quiet, powerful work all around us. Every week, we shine a light on organizations you may never have heard of but who are changing lives in ways big and small. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to meet them. And if you know of an organization doing great work that deserves a shout-out, please tell us — some of our favorite features have come from tips shared by people just like you.

At the heart of all of this is a belief we hold as strongly today as the day we started: we can all be the good, and we can all make a difference in our communities, one act at a time. Volunteering isn't just good for our neighbors, our neighborhoods, and the flora and fauna we share them with — it's good for us, too. Study after study shows that giving our time boosts our own health and happiness, and anyone who has spent a Saturday morning planting trees or serving a meal alongside neighbors already knows it in their bones. There's a reason it feels good.

That's why we remain so committed to in-person, face-to-face service. In a world that spends more and more time online, showing up in person — looking someone in the eye, lending a hand, sharing a laugh — is how we hold onto our humanity, our empathy, our patience, and our optimism. It's how we build real community instead of just scrolling past it. This summer, we invite you to be part of it: open Samaritan Scout, find an opportunity near you, and go be the good. That's how we live joyfully — together, in person, one small act of service at a time.