Where to Volunteer in Austin this Holiday Season

By Karina Kumar in Alcalde Online on December 18, 2023 at 12:02 pm | No Comments

The holiday season is the perfect time to give back to the community. Whether it’s at an animal shelter or a food bank, Austin has a wide array of ways to give back. All of these nonprofits also accept donations, so if you can’t donate your time, you can still support their efforts. Here’s the Alcalde’s list of places you can volunteer around this city these next few months: 

1. Central Texas Food Bank 

The Central Texas Food Bank is one of the most well-known nonprofits in Central Texas. Providing nearly 54 million meals since they were created 40 years ago, they work with multiple smaller nonprofits, volunteers, and various agencies across the country. With Central Texas Food Bank, you can work in the community kitchen, a mobile food pantry, or the garden during the week or the weekend.  

Check out their volunteer opportunities here.  

2. Austin Humane Society 

Austin Humane Society is the longest standing, no-kill, nonprofit pet and adoption center in Austin. They have been a part of the Austin community since 1952 and have various ways for you to help with their mission of ending pet homelessness and finding pets their forever homes. You can volunteer with their dogs or cats, or even help with their outreach programs.  

Read more about how to volunteer here.  

3. Pease Park Conservancy  

Pease Park Conservancy aims to set a standard for park management with an emphasis on environmental conservation. The Pease Corps is their volunteer program that allows people to get involved in keeping Pease Park green and healthy. You can pick up litter, remove invasive species, help mulch, and more depending on what’s needed at that time.  

Check out their volunteer calendar here. 

4. Caritas of Austin 

Caritas of Austin strives to end homelessness in the greater Austin area. They work to find people stable housing, food, education, employment, and even veterans’ assistance. You can serve lunch in the community kitchen, work directly with clients, or help with donation pickups and deliveries. You can even volunteer from home by packing personal hygiene kits or snack kits for the organization. (This is a great option for families over the holiday break!) No matter your skillset, there’s a place for you to volunteer with Caritas.  

Learn more about their volunteer opportunities here.  

5. Foundation for the Homeless 

Foundation for the Homeless provides utility assistance, rapid re-housing, and a hot meal service for people in need. You can volunteer at their Feed My People events where they serve a filling, hot meal to people experiencing homelessness. Foundation for the Homeless also hosts clothing closets, haircut services, showers, and AA meetings—all of which could use helping hands. 

Learn more about how to sign up here.  

6. Austin Pets Alive! 

Austin Pets Alive! was founded in 1997 when the euthanasia rate in Austin was 85 percent. Thanks in large part to their work, the save-rate for pets is now 97 percent. They continue to provide resources and education to eliminate the euthanasia of pets. There are multiple opportunities to volunteer with Austin Pets Alive! Volunteers can walk the dogs and play with the cats, for example, or offer outreach and administrative help.  

Read more about how to get involved here.  

7.  Mobile Loaves and Fishes 

Mobile Loaves and Fishes is a huge organization that provides food and other basic necessities to the homeless population in Austin. They also created the Community First! Village that provides affordable housing and sustainable community for people coming out of homelessness. Mobile Loaves and Fishes has volunteer opportunities almost every day of the year—at both their trucks and the Community First! Village.  

Check out their volunteer opportunities here.  

8. Austin Public Library 

The Austin Public Library has tons of ways to get involved through volunteering. Their volunteer schedules and needs change regularly, but there’s a wide variety of options, from story time with kids and to library circulation and shipment preparation for other branches.  

Check out what opportunities are available here. 

Austin is packed with volunteer opportunities to get involved in the community year-round. Check out these great ways to “change the world,” as Longhorns like to say—one small action at a time. 
CREDITS: Courtesy of Central Texas Food; courtesy of Pease Park Conservancy; courtesy of Austin Pets Alive!

Tags: austin, holidays, volunteering