Volunteering in Austin

Volunteer for the Unhoused

Art from the Streets | free art studio for the unhoused to create and sell their works

Austin Baptist Chapel | offers meals, showers, and more for the houseless

Austin Empty Bowl Project | an effort by Austin area potters to fight hunger

Austin Free-Net | provides computer access and technology training to the unhoused

Casa Marianella | a shelter for displaced immigrants

Caritas of Austin | an organization aiming to prevent and end homelessness in Austin

Central Texas Food Bank | nourishes hungry people and leads the community in the fight against hunger

Community First! Village | provides permanent housing for the chronically unhoused

Foundation for the Homeless | works with local families to build solid support structures

Foundation Communities | provides affordable housing to prevent homelessness

Front Steps | provides temporary and permanent shelter for the unhoused

LifeWorks | connects those in need with housing opportunities, jobs, counseling, and medical help

Mobile Loaves & Fishes | delivers food, clothing, hygiene products, and other life-sustaining items

Saint Louise House | supports single mothers and women-led families

The Charlie Center | meets physical needs through hospitality and healthcare and provides navigation services to help individuals take their next step toward permanent housing

The Other Ones Foundation | nonprofit that offers emergency shelter, extremely low-barrier work opportunities, and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness. 

Trinity Center | supports the unhoused by providing clothing, ministry, healthcare, and more

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Volunteer for Families

Any Baby Can | guides parents in building confidence, nurturing relationships, and planning for the future

Arrow Child and Family Ministries | provides child welfare and education services for abused and neglected children and families in crisis

Austin Allies | organizes volunteer activities and gives opportunities for children and their families

Austin Angels | walks alongside children in the foster care system, as well as their caretakers, by offering consistent support through intentional giving, relationship building, and mentorship

Austin Child Guidance Center | provides mental health services for children and their families

Big Brothers Big Sisters | connects children with mentors 

Boys & Girls Club | youth development agency devoted to providing hope and opportunity to all kids, especially those who need it most, between the ages of 6 and 18

Center for Child Protection | helps young victims of abuse tell their stories and begin the healing process

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) | ensure that each child’s individual needs remain a priority in an overburdened child welfare system

Cup of Nations | a soccer tournament specifically for our refugee and immigrant neighbors. The goal is to display the great diversity in Austin and develop more unity among the people in our city.

Down Home Ranch | serves people with disabilities through residential, respite, recreational, and educational programs

Dress for Success | empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life

Easterseals - Central Texas | aims to make a positive difference in the lives of people with disabilities

El Buen Samaritano | ensures access to healthcare, education, and essential needs that lead to healthy, productive, and secure lives

Financial Health Pathways | a community-centered organization focused on improving the financial health of Texans

Girls Empowerment Network | empowers young girls through educational and creative programs

Hope Alliance | provides free and confidential services for victims of family and sexual violence

Manos de Cristo | a nonprofit organization committed to empowering low-income individuals by promoting dignity and self-reliance

Meals on Wheels | seeks to nourish and enrich the lives of the homebound and other people in need through programs that promote dignity and independent living

Mothers' Milk Bank | non-profit milk bank

SAFE | provides advocacy and crisis intervention for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse

Special Olympics Texas | provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities

STARRY | facilitates counseling, family support, foster care, and adoption

Sunday Lunchbox | local non-profit dedicated to ending food injustice in the Austin area

Ten Thousand Villages | provides income and opportunity to artisans in developing countries by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories

Texas Youth Helpline | prevention services for youths, parents, siblings, and other family members

The Global Impact Initiative | empowers marginalized individuals in underserved communities, with a focus on education and job skills training

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Volunteer for Animals

Austin Animal Center | open-intake facility where lost and surrendered animals from all of Travis County in need of shelter are accepted

Austin Humane Society | offers comprehensive, humane, life-saving animal services, transforming the lives of animals and those who love them

Austin Pets Alive! | pioneers innovative lifesaving programs designed to save the animals most at risk of euthanasia

Austin Wildlife Rescue | rescues and rehabilitates wildlife in Central Texas

Central Texas SPCA | rescues abandoned and homeless dogs and cats at risk of euthanasia and provides them with a unique home-like shelter

Emancipet | offers low-cost spay and neuter services and veterinary care

Lifelong Friends Pet Adoptions | an independently-owned, no-kill shelter in Lago Vista

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Volunteer for the Environment

Holiday Tree Recycling | The City of Austin has been recycling holiday trees for over thirty years! Parks and Recreation and Austin Resource Recovery are partnering again to host the 36th Annual Holiday Tree Recycling event at Zilker Park

American Botanical Council | provides education using science-based and traditional information to promote the responsible use of herbal medicine

Austin Creative Reuse | Fosters conservation and reuse through creativity, education, and community building. 

Austin Habitat for Humanity | brings people together to build strong, stable, and self-reliant communities

Austin Parks Foundation | works to make Austin's parks healthier, safer, and more accessible

Central Texas Trail Tamers | builds and maintains sustainable hiking trails

Colorado River Alliance | champions the long-term vitality of the Texas Colorado River through education and engagement

EarthShare of Texas | raises unrestricted funds for dozens of environmental and conservation organizations

Ecology Action | promotes landfill diversion and zero waste awareness

Engineers Without Borders | maintains water, solar, and hygiene projects domestically and abroad

Explore Austin | empowers youth to reach their full potential through mentoring, leadership, and outdoor adventure

Hill Country Conservancy | protects land in the Hill Country and provides recreational access

Keep Austin Beautiful | organizes clean-ups, promotes sustainability and zero waste

Pioneer Farms | envisions that each visitor engages with the multicultural histories of 19th-century Central Texas, participates in immersive educational experiences, and appreciates the natural landscapes and agrarian lifestyles of the Blackland Prairie

Rainforest Partnership | conserves and restores tropical rainforests by working with local communities

Texas Campaign for the Environment | empowers Texans to fight pollution through door-to-door education on sustainability, renewable energy, recycling, and composting

The Trail Conservancy | dedicated to protecting, enhancing, and connecting the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake

Travis Audubon Society | Conservation organization focused on protecting birds, native plants, water quality, and insects. 

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center | uses native plants to restore and create sustainable, beautiful landscapes

Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve | facilitates research, public awareness, and preservation of Austin’s wildlands

Zilker Botanical Garden | botanical garden of varied topography promoting the education and love of gardening

Volunteer for Health

AccentCare Hospice | provides patients and families with easier access to personalized, high-quality care

ALS Association | discovering treatments and a cure for ALS, while serving, advocating, and empowering people affected by ALS so they can live their lives to the fullest

Alzheimer's Association | the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support, and research

American Heart Association | conducts studies to learn more about heart disease and its treatment and prevention

Austin Recovery | provides addiction treatment for adult men, women, pregnant women, and parents with small children

Breast Cancer Resource Centers of Texas | provides resources to anyone affected by breast cancer regardless of income, ethnicity, level of education, sexual orientation, or social support

Capital City Village | helps Austin seniors successfully age in place and stay connected to their community, now more than ever

Chariot | local non-profit providing free transportation and socialization for non-driving seniors 

Choice Health at Home | enhances the life of every patient they serve in the pursuit of delivering excellent healthcare through hospice, home health, and personal care. 

Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas | level I pediatric trauma center serving the Central Texas region

Drive A Senior ATX | enables older adults to live independently, avoid social isolation, and age in place by providing transportation and other support services at no cost

El Buen Samaritano | helps Latino and other families in Central Texas lead healthy, productive, and secure lives through high-quality and affordable healthcare

Generations Hospice of Austin | provides comfort care for patients facing terminal illnesses and support to their families

Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) | provides access to affordable healthcare for Austin’s low-income working musicians, with a focus on prevention and wellness

High Five Events Community Outreach | volunteer at the Austin Marathon here and the 3M Half Marathon here 

Hospice Austin | provides end-of-life care and support for families

Integral Care | improves the lives of adults and children living with mental illness, substance use disorder, and intellectual and developmental disabilities

Make-A-Wish | helps make it possible for kids with critical illnesses to live their one true wish

National Multiple Sclerosis Society | facilitates research and awareness for a world without MS

National Ovarian Cancer Coalition Austin | provides ovarian cancer educational awareness, promotes quality of life for survivors, community outreach, and funds research

People's Community Clinic | improves the health of medically underserved and uninsured Central Texans by providing high-quality, affordable health care with dignity and respect

Planned Parenthood | creates healthier communities by providing comprehensive reproductive and related healthcare services

Project Transitions | serves people with HIV and AIDS by providing supportive living, housing, recuperative care, and hospice in compassionate and caring environments

Ronald McDonald House | provides a comforting “home-away-from-home” that keeps families close to their hospitalized children

Silverado Hospice | provides all aspects of comfort – physical, mental and spiritual – for both their patients and their loved ones. 

St. David's Healthcare | one of the largest health systems in Texas

The Ghisallo Cycling Initiative | organizes after-school bike clubs as well as low-impact tricycle programs for older adults and seniors

The Kind Clinic | provides sexual health services including PrEP and PEP access, STI testing and treatment, HIV testing, and gender-affirming care

Volunteer Healthcare Clinic | improves the health of the uninsured and the working poor by providing access to high-quality health care and prevention education

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Volunteer for Education

American YouthWorks | provides young people with opportunities to build careers, strengthen communities, and improve the environment through education, on-the-job training, and service to others

Austin Civic Orchestra | provides high-quality musical experiences to a broad spectrum of the Austin community and surrounding areas, including youth outreach and other educational opportunities

Austin Jewish Academy | a welcoming and inclusive community that champions the education of the entire student through rigorous academics and deeply rooted, values-based social-emotional learning

Austin Partners in Education | improves student college and career readiness and expands STEM opportunities through community engagement

Austin Voices for Education & Youth | mobilizes the community to improve public education and expand opportunities for students and families

Austin YouthBuild | provides at-risk young adults the ability to obtain their GED while also receiving on-site job training in construction, health, manufacturing, and IT

Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum | a museum for Texas to experience ever-changing exhibitions, innovative films, and unique programs and events

Brighter Bites | a nutrition education non-profit working in elementary schools across Austin

Girlstart | aspires to be the national leader in designing and implementing innovative, high-quality informal STEM education programs that inspire girls to transform the world

Hungry Souls | provides an opportunity for food-insecure children in the greater Austin area to have the nutrition necessary to succeed, thrive, and break the cycle of poverty

Junior Achievement of Central Texas | curates high-impact, hands-on experiences for young people to immerse them in real entrepreneurial experiences with mentors

PEAS (Partners for Education, Agriculture & Sustainability) | cultivates joyful connections to the natural world through outdoor learning and edible education

Shalom Austin | provides services and resources to connect, empower and impact the local Jewish community

Side by Side Kids | offers free after-school care to some of the most underprivileged elementary students in the Ausitn Independent School District

Texas School for the Blind | a leading center of educational expertise in Texas for students with visual impairments, their families, and the local and regional providers who work with them

Texas School for the Deaf | a place where students who are deaf or hard of hearing including those with additional disabilities, have the opportunity to learn, grow and belong

TEXAS YES Project | supports Title 1 elementary students in San Antonio and South Texas with free school supplies and scholarships 

The Contemporary Austin | reflects the spectrum of contemporary art through exhibitions, commissions, education, and the collection

The First Tee | provides young people with educational programs to build character, instill life-enhancing values, and promote healthy choices through the game of golf

Thinkery | creates innovative learning experiences that equip and inspire the next generation of creative problem solvers

UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum | provides educational and cultural experiences that encourage the understanding and appreciation of the intersection of nature, sculpture, and the arts.

YMCA of Austin | Their current volunteer opportunities are in youth sports, offering a chance to motivate young people to build the character strengths, skills, and relationships that lead to positive behaviors, better health, smart life choices, and the pursuit of higher education and goals.

Women & Their Work | a nonprofit arts organization that catalyzes contemporary art created by women living and working in Texas and beyond

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