Did you know that 1 in 7 people in Austin do not know where their next meal is coming from and 1 in 3 of them are children. With the season of giving and holiday traditions right around the corner, you can donate a little time or a lot of time volunteering for Keep Austin Fed (KAF).

KAF is a champion for our neighbors experiencing food insecurity because they redistribute wholesome, nutritious food that would have ended up in a landfill. New volunteers must complete a 1 hour Zoom training and have a  valid driver’s license and insurance.

A food handling certification is beneficial, but not required. Please contact us today to find out more!

Family Eldercare depends on volunteer drivers to deliver fans during the annual Summer Fan Drive, to people who need them the most. Older persons and people with medical conditions are less likely to be able to travel anywhere to get fans. Family Eldercare offers free delivery to older Central Texans and other individuals with transportation or mobility barriers.

You can help by signing up to your preferred delivery area (Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 3 PM), choose your deliveries based on your availability, and pick up the fans from Family Eldercare’s warehouse where you will get further instructions. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for more information.

Foundation Communities is a local nonprofit dedicated to providing quality affordable housing and support services to families and individuals.

They operate free youth summer programs at 12 Learning Centers all over Austin. They are seeking volunteers to help their elementary-age and teen students with homework, fitness, enrichment activities and social/emotional skills to thrive this summer and beyond.

Programs run Monday through Friday between 10 am – 3 pm, with shifts available during that time. To start, volunteers commit to at least one regular shift per week for the summer.

Volunteers must complete an online application, pass a background check (no cost to the volunteer), complete online orientation coursework (about 1-1.5 hours, self-paced), and attend a Zoom orientation. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old to volunteer with their elementary-age students, and 20 years old to volunteer with their teen students. Contact us for more information.

Be a food rescue volunteer. Keep Austin Fed seeks volunteer assistance picking up excess food from grocery stores, hotels, caters, schools, restaurants, and more and deliver it to partner agencies who feed those in need.

All volunteers must be computer literate and be willing to join their Give Pulse web page and complete an hour-long online Zoom orientation. New volunteers are recommended to obtain a food handlers permit online as well, but this is not mandatory.

You simply log on to their Give Pulse page when you are able to volunteer and see what route(s) may be available. This a great way to give back by keeping good food out of the landfill while providing it for those in need. Contact us today to find out how to get started.

Austin Habitat for Humanity ReStore’s sell new and used home improvement items along with items like art, jewelry, furniture, clothing, etc. Profits from the ReStore go towards empowering affordable housing for low-income families in Central Texas. Volunteers assist in setting up displays, organizing the store, receiving donations and more! This is a wonderful opportunity for someone who has retail sales experience and/or is very knowledgeable about building materials. ReStore locations can be found in north and south Austin. Contact us today for details.

Foundation Communities seeks volunteers to help teens in Austin thrive! They are seeking volunteers who can assists with project-based learning, doing activities such as coding, robotics, video filming and editing, soccer and basketball skill building, chess, STEAM, and 3D modeling/printing (prior knowledge of these subjects not needed to volunteer).

In addition they are also looking for volunteers to support teen students with enrichment activities and social/emotional skills to thrive this summer and beyond! Programs run Monday – Thursday, 1:00-2:30 PM and they can offer some flexibility for arrival and departure within these times.

Volunteers should be able to commit to at least one regular shift per week for the term. During the school year, afterschool programs run between 3:30 and 6:00 pm on weekdays. Opportunities are available throughout Austin. Contact us for more information.

AGE of Central Texas seeks volunteers to assist them in many different ways. You can choose to be a facilitator for a group project (yoga, art project, music program, etc.), lead a Caregiver U class for family caregivers (training required), work inside or outside our facilities to beautify and organize things and more! Jobs can be flexible and arranged based on your availability. Contact us to find out more.

Volunteers are needed to assist with Austin Habitat for Humanity for construction projects and to help in their retail stores in Austin. ReStore volunteers assist with re-stocking items, helping customers, accepting donations and more. ReStores are located in north and south Austin.

Construction volunteers assist in building simple, affordable homes for qualifying families. No previous construction experience is required. Let us know if you can help.

Join the American Red Cross of Central Texas to help individuals, families, and communities to prepare, respond, and recover when faced with an emergency.

Volunteer opportunities are available full-time or if you just have a couple of hours a month. You can assist in areas like becoming a shelter staff person, health services, mental health services, disaster workforce engagement, recovery planning, and much more! To find out more, please contact us today.

Help support young readers by becoming a Bookspring volunteer. Opportunities include promoting the benefits of reading, curbside, and delivery of books, book sorting and labeling, reviewing for both audio and written books, recorded or live read-aloud video, and more.

Some volunteer positions require a criminal background check. Contact us to get started with this wonderful opportunity.

As the number of seniors aging in place in Central Texas grows, the need for Drive a Senior Northwest’s services increases. Volunteers are a critical component to keep their program successful.

Drive a Senior NW offers the most flexible volunteer opportunities around! Once a week, once a month, anything in between – every ride helps a senior neighbor live independently longer.

All volunteers must have their own vehicle and auto insurance and be able to complete a virtual training and use a computer to select their volunteer jobs. Contact us today to get started.

Family Eldercare’s Lifetime Connections Without Walls is a virtual activities program for older adults across the country. These programs offer social and educational sessions by phone and video and are led by volunteer facilitators.

They need your help by spending up to 1.5 hours each week preparing and conducting. Weekly events include  “coffee talk” every Wednesday from 10:30 to 11 AM, “brain aerobics” every Friday from 1 to 1:30 PM, and a “bingo” caller every Thursday from 12:30 to 1:30 PM. Give back and get started today.

Foundation Communities has some great volunteer opportunities for groups. Contact us for more information.

Supper Clubs: (onsite) Come share a meal with our single adult residents. Volunteer groups bring a meal onsite to sit down and share with residents (serving approximately 30-50 individuals). Volunteer groups should consist of 10-15 individuals and groups will provide all items needed to prepare, serve, and clean up the meal. Foundation Communities properties do not offer commercial kitchens so all food prep must take place offsite.  Want to add your flare to the event? Plan an activity that volunteers can do with residents. Bingo has been a big hit!

Kit Making: (offsite) We offer opportunities to create various kits that benefit residents in each of our core impact areas; affordable housing, educational success, financial wellness, and healthier lifestyles. Volunteer groups cover the cost of supplies, assemble kits, and have the option to help with delivery. These activities can be scheduled onsite at Foundation Communities or right at your location.

Welcome Home Baskets: (offsite) Foundation Communities is committed to providing more than just a roof over someone’s head. This is a great group volunteer opportunity that provides the basic household items necessary to turn an empty apartment into a home! Donors purchase new household items, assemble baskets (laundry baskets!), and deliver them to a selected FC community.

Funeral Consumer’s Alliance seeks volunteer assistance to continue its mission of consumer advocacy and the promotion of transparency in funeral planning.

You can help empower individuals to choose simple, meaningful, affordable after-death arrangements. Volunteer needs and requirements vary depending on your schedule and interests. Please contact us today to find out how to get started.

As a Hospice Austin volunteer, you can elect to visit patients, share a specific talent, or assist a program that interests you. Hospice volunteers bring comfort and help to others when they need it most.

Volunteer duties include patient/family support, bereavement support, office support, community awareness, and special services and skills based on your area of expertise. All volunteers are asked to attend a volunteer orientation before they get started. Contact us for more information.

Are you looking for an opportunity to make a big impact with your time? Consider volunteering with Tax Help at Foundation Communities this fall! They are in need of 600+ volunteers.

The Tax Help program provides free tax preparation services for individuals and families residing in Central Texas. Their dedicated volunteers engage in one-on-one consultations with clients, diligently preparing their tax returns to ensure they receive the maximum possible refund. Many volunteers call it their most fulfilling volunteer experience ever, and many of the clients rely on tax refunds for as much as a third of their annual income. The bottom line? Your contribution of time and expertise can have a profound financial impact on the community.

Volunteer opportunities will be available January 22 – April 15, 2024 and training will be available in beginning December 13th. Please note that you don’t need any prior experience or knowledge to participate—they will provide all the training you need, as well as plenty of support when you begin volunteering.

The Literacy Coalition of Central TX seeks volunteers to help make an impact in many different ways. Feel free to let us know if you are interested in any opportunities listed below.

Ongoing opportunities include:

Learning Center Tutors contribute 1-3 hours a week during the day or evenings assisting students in reaching their goal of obtaining a High School Equivalency certificate and learning vital math and reading skills by tutoring them in math English, social studies, and science.

Graphic Designers spend 2-4 hours a month assisting communications with the development of marketing materials or the development of small graphics.

One-time volunteer opportunities include:

PALS Classroom Material Preparation volunteers spend 2-4 hours assembling children’s classroom crafts and packets. Volunteer anytime at their office or your own home. This is a great opportunity for families.

PALS Graduation events are in May and December. Volunteer for 5-6 hours on the day of the graduation by helping with set-up, break-down,s greeting and directing guests, and assisting with food tables. Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred, but not required. Free lunch reception.

Special event volunteers are needed for the setup and break-down, check-in, check-out, greeting guests, assisting with silent and live auctions, and taking photographs of events and graduation events. Time commitments vary.

Texas Search and Rescue (TEXSAR) is an all-volunteer search and rescue team. They need your time and expertise to continue to help assist communities in their time of need.

TEXSAR provides specialized services such as ground search and rescue; flood and swift water rescue; K9 search, rescue, and recovery; disaster relief services; wildland fire; aerial search; UAV support; and dive team operations.

TEXSAR volunteers must complete Incident Command Systems training and search discipline-specific classroom and field training before they may deploy.  Team Leads have extensive field experience and must complete advanced training that exceeds the standard qualifications required to deploy.

They also offer other positions which do not require certification. Contact us today for more information.