If having your kids cooped up for the summer is causing some attitude, maybe it’s time to inject some gratitude! Generation Serve and Austin Allies are great places to discover and sign up for family-friendly volunteer opportunities in Austin, like some of the ones listed below. If Volunteering in Austin with Kids is something you’re interested in, check out these local non-profits providing opportunities this summer and beyond.
Family volunteer opportunities for all ages
Partnerships for Children
14000 Summit Dr
Partnerships for Children supports and empowers children, youth, and families involved with Child Protective Services. This summer, they’re providing backpacks with school supplies for children across Central Texas who are in CPS care. Families can help with donating supplies and stuffing backpacks.
Foundation Communities
7101 N IH-35
The Spring Terrace location of Foundation Communities provides affordable housing in the Austin area, but many of its residents experience food insecurity. An ongoing program gives families an opportunity to prepare meals for Foundation Communities clients.
Zilker Hillside Theater
2206 William Barton Drive
If one of your family’s summer traditions includes the Zilker summer musical, Zilker Hillside Theater has a great family-friendly volunteer opportunity for you. Volunteers help with moving items and setting up for each night’s production of Legally Blonde, the Musical, and volunteers get free parking and reserved seats for the show. Volunteering families must include 2 adults, or 1 adult and one teen.
Westminster Manor
4100 Jackson Ave
Westminster Manor Assisted Living is a senior community seeking families to play games and do crafts with its residents. Families of two or more people (with at least one adult) are welcome to come visit the community.
Pavilion at Great Hills
11819 Pavilion Blvd
Families with preschool age children are perfect volunteers for the Pavilion at Great Hills senior center. Volunteers can do arts and crafts activities and play games with residents. Families of two or more people (with at least one adult) are welcome to come visit the community.
Caritas of Austin
611 Neches
Caritas, a local non-profit whose goal is preventing and ending homelessness in Austin, has family-friendly volunteer opportunities this summer to package meals for the unhoused. It’s a great way to teach kids about respecting the homeless, and about proper hair net technique.
It’s My Park Day
All Austin Parks locations
Twice a year, the Austin Parks Foundation hosts a day of family volunteering in its city parks. Volunteers of all ages can help with park projects such as litter cleanup, mulching, painting, and more. The next IMPD is Saturday, November 2.
Saint Louise House supports women and their children experiencing homelessness, providing stable housing and services that empowers them to become independent. Some of their family-friendly volunteer opportunities are providing or making meals for families, providing or making a cake for a resident’s birthday, providing decorations for holidays (V-day, Spring, Back to School, Fall, and general winter decorations), and picking up flowers from David Kurio Design twice a month.
Volunteer opportunities for kids 8+
Central Texas Food Bank (8+)
6500 Metropolis Dr
Volunteers at the Central Texas Food Bank warehouse help sort and package donated food that gets distributed to food pantries and organizations all over Central Texas. Kids as young as 8 years old can join an adult in the warehouse for a 3-hour shift and make wild guesses at the pounds of food packaged during their shift.
Texas Historical Commission (8+)
802 San Marcos St (French Legation Historical Site)
The Texas Historical Commission is preparing for Texas Archaeology Month, and volunteers 8 years and up can help make the 10,000 clay pot kits they plan to distribute to area organizations. The Texas Historical Commission is a state agency for historic preservation, and family volunteer opportunities for THC come up routinely throughout the year.
Austin Creative Reuse (8+)
2005 Wheless Lane
A nonprofit focused on reducing waste and recycling common items as well as fostering creativity, Austin Creative Reuse has routine opportunities at its Northeast Austin store for families with children as young as 8 to help sort donations. Kids are already the best at finding creative ways to reuse throwaway items; why not put them to work?!
Mission Accomplished (12+)
10401 Anderson Mill Road (SWC Youth Facility)
Mission Accomplished is a non-profit organization that provides laundry services to people experiencing homelessness, and connect them with resources to help with independent living in the Austin area. This summer, they need volunteers to help with their 10th anniversary indoor carnival (and stay to enjoy the fun afterwards!)
Austin Pets Alive! (12+)
1156 West Cesar Chavez
Austin’s favorite no-kill shelter routinely invites families with kids 12 and older to help the animals by picking up laundry to wash and return to the downtown shelter. Additional volunteer opportunities come up throughout the year at APA! for various ages.
Volunteer opportunities for teenagers
Rainbow Room (13+)
14000 Summit Dr. Suite 100
Part of the CPS Partnerships for Children organization, the Rainbow Room provides emergency resources to children in the care of Child Protective Services – everything from toiletries and clothing to car seats. Generation Serve needs volunteers as part of its drop-off Teen Service Day program to help sort Rainbow Room donations for case workers.
Austin Diaper Bank (13+)
2210 Denton Dr
The Austin Diaper Bank provides families with clean, reliable supplies of diapers. Volunteers 13 and older can help bundle diapers for the community at ADB’s North Austin facility through Austin Allies.
Inside Books (15+)
3106 E. 14 1/2 Street
The Inside Books Project provides books to incarcerated people in Texas. Volunteer shift work includes opening mail and selecting books for inmate requests. A broad range of requests and difficult topics may come up in letters from people in prison, so they ask volunteers be 16+ or 15+ with a parent.
