Volunteer Opportunities

Looking for volunteer hours or just want to get more involved around Austin?
Check out these volunteer opportunities, both at First UMC and in the Austin area. 

Through First UMC Austin
Feed My People Homeless Breakfast – Help with preparing, cooking, and serving food; then cleaning kitchen and Great Hall of Family Life Center; and visiting with our guests. Held every Tuesday and Thursday morning in the Family Life Center, and sponsored by FUMC on the 4th Tuesday of each month.
Contact:  Cathy Stone, cathy@fumcaustin.org or 512-478-5684 (ext. 215)

Mobile Loaves and Fishes – Help feed people experiencing homelessness daily on the streets of Austin; coordinate teams who prepare and deliver food; help with food preparation; deliver food in MLF truck; buy supplies; sort and stock supplies; and clean and repair truck.
Contact: Rob Reynolds, rgreynolds2@gmail.com or 512-217-8188
Contact: Scott Wilder, swilder21@gmail.com or 512-971-1525

Habitat for Humanity – Raise funds for Habitat builds in the Austin area; volunteer to work on builds or provide food for a build.
Contact:  Ann Teich, annteich@austin.rr.com or 512-836-1054

Around Austin
Austin Animal Center – Austin Animal Center, the largest municipal animal shelter in Central Texas, provides shelter to 23,000 animals annually and services to Austin/Travis County. The goal is to place all adoptable animals in forever homes through adoptions, foster care or rescue partner groups.

Volunteers needed to play with animals, assist in administrative tasks, and greet visitors.

Austin Children’s Museum – Museum Career Ladder is a volunteer and employment readiness program that offers opportunities to Austin area teens (12-17 year olds) to engage in fun and meaningful work at the Austin Children’s Museum that will prepare them for future endeavors.
—Summer program, must apply 

Austin Public Library – The APL Summer Youth program gives teens the chance to volunteer in a variety of positions throughout the summer.
—Summer program, must apply

Capital Area Food Bank – The Capital Area Food Bank of Texas (CAFB) provides food and grocery products to more than 300 Partner Agencies in 21 Central Texas counties. In 2011-12, CAFB provided more than 22 million pounds of food. The CAFB service area covers 19,064 square miles in Central Texas.
Volunteers needed to sort donations and assist with administrative tasks.

Dell Children’s Medical Center – Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas will be a center of excellence for Central Texas consisting of a strong alliance of expert personnel, facilities and other specialty resources dedicated to the care of children and adolescents. The Teen Summer program gives youth an opportunity to work alongside medical professionals.
—Summer program, must apply

GENAustin (Girls Empowerment Network) – The clubGEN volunteers are high school girls who serve as peer role models and mentors during biweekly middle-school group meetings. The high school volunteer will work with the adult leaders to make a lasting impact on the lives of girls and each other.
—Female volunteers only

Hands On Housing – Hands on Housing utilizes volunteers and skilled professionals to repair and revitalize the homes of senior citizens and disabled homeowners who are living in deep poverty. Their goal is to help them safely remain in the homes they love and to provide an outlet for the compassion shared by all of the great faith traditions. Since 1990, Hands on Housing volunteers have repaired over 1400 homes. Volunteers are needed at each build, and all skill levels are welcome!

Keep Austin Beautiful – Keep Austin Beautiful provides resources and education to inspire individuals and the Greater Austin communities toward greater environmental stewardship.
Volunteers are needed throughout the year.

Ride On Center for Kids (R.O.C.K.) – R.O.C.K., Ride On Center for Kids, located in Georgetown, Texas, is a non-profit provider of therapeutic riding and Hippotherapy for individuals with cognitive and physical challenges.
Volunteers are needed to assist in therapy sessions, care for horses, and assist with administrative tasks.

Special Olympics of Texas – The mission of Special Olympics Texas is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
Volunteers are needed during events and throughout the year.

Urban Roots – Urban Roots is a youth development program that uses sustainable agriculture to transform the lives of young people and increase the access to healthy food in Austin.
Volunteers are needed during weekly work days on the farm (located in East Austin).