Upcoming Event and Volunteer Opportunities:  Step Out To Fight Diabetes; Fiesta Gardens; Saturday, November 17th. Tasks Include: Event Area Set-Up from 6:00 - 8:00 AM, 15 volunteers needed to set up tables, chairs, booths and registration activities; Health & Wellness Expo Area Set-Up from 7:00 AM - Noon, 5 volunteers needed to set up tables, chairs, booths for Expo and assist vendors and volunteers for the Expo; Parking Controller from 6:00 - 8:00 AM, 4 volunteers needed to direct the flow of traffic into state parking garage; Course Marshall from 8:00 -  10:00 AM, 50 volunteers needed to provide support along the course in directing Walk participants, support water stations by distributing water at designated water stops. (Requires own transportation); Children's Area from 8:00 - Noon, 3 volunteers needed to ensure the safety and enjoyment of kids within the Children's Area. Additionally, we are seeking people with special talents in entertaining children for long periods of time; American Diabetes Association Booth 8:00 - Noon, 5 volunteers needed to hand out literature, help patrons complete RISK test, assist Advocacy Liaison with duties, and take messages for staff to answer when return to office; Event Area Clean-Up from 11:00 - 2:00 PM, 15 volunteers needed. Pre-Event Volunteer Opportunities: Goody Bag Collating - November- Times determined by group volunteering; Walk "Turn In Party" - Dates TBD - to help collect early turn-in donations.

 

Volunteer Opportunities and In-kind Donations Appreciated: At Austin Habitat for Humanity Saturdays are the special day when hundreds of community supporters get together to meet our goal of eliminating poverty housing one family at a time by constructing new homes, participating in Brush with Kindness, and supporting the DeConstruction program.  Our volunteers work hard and they need to be fed!  We seek lunch providers for groups of 35-40.  Individuals, groups, and organizations are all welcome to participate! 

Breast Cancer Services is a dedicated group of survivors, service and medical providers, community volunteers and business entrepreneurs working collaboratively as a Leadership Project of the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas.  Our organizations include the Breast Cancer Resource Center, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, St. David's Community Health Foundation, Team Survivor, the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas, Spiceworks, IBM, KVUE-TV, WINGS of Texas, Cancer Connection, Trust for Public Land, American Cancer Society, DLA Piper, Care Communities, Support Source, MoveThroughCancer and the Seton Healthcare System. We have published the Breast Cancer Resource Guide for Central Texas, the only comprehensive directory to social services for patients and survivors. This Guide is updated quarterly, and is available in English or Spanish, free-of-charge, online or in hard copies to medical and social service providers, patients and families.
  
Our Goals: Identify and build the best continuum of care for our community, Create initiatives addressing specific service gaps. These initiatives may involve integrating resources from existing programs or the creation of a new program. Our approach will be unique to each situation, but each project includes measurement and evaluation to ensure positive impact is delivered;       Leverage scarce financial resources with additional public and private funding;

Individual Volunteer Opportunities:Eight volunteers are needed to maintain the Resource Guide (quarterly updates) for 2008. Graphic Design: 2 people, 8 hours per month, graphic design/formatting and updating; Information/Database management: 2 people, 8 hours/month; information monitoring and confirmation; Resource listings outreach: 2 people, 8 hours/month, confirming existing service offerings updates; Publicity/Distribution: 2 people, 8 hours/month, promoting the Guide, maintaining distribution at identified locations.

Group Volunteer Opportunities: Product Recovery. Volunteering in Product Recovery gives you an inside look at the Food Bank's work, as you evaluate donated products to determine what is safe for distribution. "Recovered" items are then sorted, boxed and made available for distribution to Partner Agencies and their clients. The recovery process handles hundreds of thousands of pounds of donations each year and is perfect for team-building projects, groups and individuals!

Individual Volunteer Opportunities: Administrative Support: Support our administrative efforts with office activities such as preparing mailings and informational packets, making phone calls, maintaining files, providing data entry, and tracking volunteer hours. Trainers and Assistants -CHOICES Nutrition Education Program: Help individuals and families make smart choices at mealtime! Our nutrition education program provides free classes to qualified individuals. As a trainer, you will use our curriculum to conduct a class series designed specifically for either adults and families or children. Training is provided. Food Bank Ambassadors: Help the Food Bank's community relations team connect with our community throughout the year at informational fairs, speaking engagements, festivals, concerts, food and fund drives, and various other activities that take place during regular weekday business hours, at night, or on the weekends.

In-kind Donations Appreciated: Refrigerators and freezers; Vehicles for food transportation; Office furniture and equipment, like fax machines, desks, and computers; Technical support of the Food Bank computer network; Media sponsorships; Printing services for CAFB publications; Soup bowls and celebrity signatures for the Empty Bowl Project; High-volume paper shredder; Office Chairs; Ergonomic Computer Workstations; Packing tape; Paper folding machine

The Care Communities provides practical and compassionate support for people with serious illness. The support is provided by Care Teams, which consist of four to six persons (volunteers)

Individual Volunteer Opportunities: The Care Communities recruit persons who are willing to be a part of a Care Team.  On the Care Team, the individual would use their talents and skills to provide ongoing practical support, such as light housekeeping, shopping, transportation to medical appointments, meal preparation, and yard work. The volunteer may also provide emotional support through active listening, sharing a meal,  entertainment activities. We ask each volunteer to give four hours a month.  The Care Communities also need volunteers to provide office help, newsletter preparation, outreach, public relations, and  board membership. There will be a three hour training conducted by The Care Communities staff to prepare the individual for these volunteer opportunities.

Group Volunteer Opportunities: The Care Communities recruits businesses, corporations, community organizations and neighborhood associations to form Care Teams (four to six persons) who will provide practical and emotional support for persons with living with a serious illness, particularly AIDS and cancer.  The Care Communities staff will conduct a volunteer training for any willing group who desires to become a Care Team.

In-Kind Giving Appreciated: computers, printers, telephone answering machines.  

 

Individual Volunteer Opportunities: Mentor or Tutor a student. Students are often surrounded by negative influences, such as drug abuse, poverty, gang involvement and peer pressure. These influences can make it very difficult to focus on academics.  Mentors & Tutors can help provide a positive influence for at-risk students. Mentors and Tutors meet with their student once a week during the school day, and may participate in a number of activities with students, such as helping with homework, playing games/sports or just hanging out and talking. Be a Career Presentation or a Groundhog Job Shadow Day Volunteer. Often students lack a positive, professional role model in their lives to demonstrate responsible and creative career choices. We need professionals to share their careers with our students at Career Fairs, Career lunch meetings and at our Groundhog Job Shadow day event on February 1.

In-kind Donations Appreciated: Perform an Extreme Makeover on our counseling room. Does your group need a creative and fun way to make a real impact on CIS students and staff?  Our CIS counseling room is in need of a facelift.  A fresh coat of paint, a new couch, colorful artwork on the walls or comfy throw pillows can help students relax during an intense counseling session...your help can make a huge difference in the life of a child. Sponsor a family during the Holidays OR Host a School/ Hygiene Supply Drive. These are flexible, fun ways for coworkers, family or friends to do something together.  Sponsor A CIS family during the Holidays or collect much needed school/hygiene supplies for our students. 

 

The First Tee of Greater Austin strives to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character-development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. We're always looking for more youth participants, volunteers and donors to help make our program a success.

Upcoming Event: More Than A Game Celebrity Gala & Golf Tournament on November 4 & 5, 2007: More Than A Game is our annual fundraiser where you, your company and your exclusive clientele will share the floor with celebrated figures in golf, sports, music and entertainment at our "Only in Austin" Celebrity Gala. The next morning you will play 18 holes with many of these same sports and cultural icons in the Celebrity Golf Tournament, "The Captains Cup."

Volunteer Opportunities: The First Tee of Greater Austin has volunteer opportunities throughout the year in several areas from mentoring in our after-school programs, volunteering for fundraisers, special events, marketing and more. A golf background is not required and there is no minimal time commitment.

In-Kind Donations Appreciated:To grow and to continue to serve the youth of Austin, The First Tee of Greater Austin needs to upgrade their office computers. Additionally, the Harvey Penick Golf Campus, the home of The First Tee of Greater Austin is in need of 2-way radios for better communication at their golf facility. The First Tee of Greater also accepts new or used golf supplies at 5501 Ed Bluestein Blvd.  

Front Steps manages the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH) and co-manages Garden Terrace Residences. The ARCH provides basic needs and services to over 500 homeless individuals per day and Garden Terrace houses 86 formerly homeless adults.  The ARCH is a day resource center, an emergency overnight shelter and a homeless health clinic. Front Steps is co-located at the ARCH with ten other nonprofit agencies that also provide services. Staff and volunteers also help coordinate the services and programs of the co-located agencies.
 
Individual Volunteer Opportunities: Volunteers are needed to assist Front Steps staff to monitor the information desk, connect clients to services, coordinate mail and messages, answer the phones, maintain the laundry list and dispense hygiene products.
 
Group Volunteer Opportunities include sorting and organizing in-kind donations, including clothing and blankets, serving dinner to the clients of the overnight shelter and handing out blankets on cold nights. Front Steps also offers companies a fun team-building workshop that encourages employees to work together as a team while cooking dinner for 100 homeless individuals.  Fired UP! is Front Steps' first social enterprise designed to fund a transitional housing program for case-managed clients at the ARCH.
 
In-kind Donations Appreciated: men's jeans and jackets, hats, scarves, gloves, sleeping bags and blankets.  Blankets can be new or gently used and twin-size or larger.  Every day shampoo, soap, razors, toothbrushes and toothpaste are needed to help meet the needs of the clients of day resource center.

 

Upcoming Event and Individual Volunteer Opportunities: Girlstart's annual Take a Girl to College Day will be held on Friday, October 26th at the Texas Union Ballroom.  The purpose of this event is to introduce 300+ middle school girls to college life - they get "admitted" to college for the day, go on a tour of campus, get to participate in demonstrations led by professors on campus, and they have a GREAT time in the process!  Volunteer Shifts: 8am - 9 am, Set-up Crew (hang signs, set up tables and chairs, prepare college admissions materials), 10 volunteers needed; 9am - 10 am, Check-in (greet girls and get them to sign-in so we can keep track of who is in attendance, send them off to their colleges), 10 volunteers needed;  10:30am - 12:30pm, College Clue Characters (lead the game of College Clue in the Ballroom, act as a character who gives out clues about college when girls complete tasks), 16 volunteers; 10:30am - 11:30am, 6th grade Leader/Chaperones (leaders will actually lead the tour of campus, chaperones will provide an extra hand), 16 volunteers; 11:30am - 12:30pm, 7th grade Leaders/Chaperones, 16 volunteers; 10:30am - 1pm, 8th grade Leader/Chaperone for demo, campus tour, lunch, dorm tour, 2 volunteers; 12:30pm - 1:30pm, Lunch buddies & College Promise Witnesses (chat with the girls during lunch, act as a witness as they sign their College Promise at the end of the event), 20 volunteers    

 

Individual Volunteer Opportunities: Computer Museum Volunteer. Anytime between 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to assist in cataloguing computer museum pieces, greet guests as they arrive in museum, document attendance and answer general questions the guests may have. As time allows, take inventory from storage, photograph it, and research origin, use, and historical value. Research on gaming equipment and the development of games is needed.  Also, a time line of computer history as it relates to museum inventory needs to be established. We prefer a 6 month commitment.

Group Volunteer Opportunities: Green Works Project. Groups as small as 10 and as large as 40 welcome! Volunteers can participate in the demanufacturing of donated computer systems that will be resold or recycled. Your volunteer visit will include a tour of the Goodwill Community Center, training and practice in demanufacture, and a visit to Goodwill's computer museum.

Individual Volunteer Opportunities: Mentor a GED student - help with reading and math skills; Use your professional skills to help prepare a former foster care client for a job interview, construct their resume or complete a job application
 
Group Volunteer Opportunities: Get your hands dirty by landscaping, painting, or doing repairs at one of our 9 sites. Host a cooking lesson to our clients living in our Supportive Housing Program or Transitional Living Shelter. Volunteer at Street Outreach and help clean and organize the food and clothing pantry.
 
In-kind Donations Appreciated: Organize a "drive" and delivery to a program.  Some of the on-going needs include: Art Supplies for Kids Exchange; Clothes for elementary school kids (pants, underwear and shirts); Diapers for Teen Parent Services; Adult dark-colored backpacks for Street Outreach; Hygiene & health supplies (travel packs of deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, first aid crème; Canned food items for Street Outreach and Youth Resource Center

Volunteer Opportunities: Mentors. We would love to have on-going classroom volunteers who develop relationships with the children and encourage their self-esteem and pre-reading skills. This takes an on-going commitment of time, but it is truly the most rewarding volunteer opportunity. This could be an hour a week. Best hours are 9:00 - 10:30 or anytime between 3:00 - 6:00. Building Repair & Maintenance: Our five classrooms desperately need facelifts! Painting tops the list of needs, followed by curtains, vinyl baseboards, and sanding and restaining wooden shelving. A group can adopt one room or all the rooms. Could be done on a Saturday. Playground Work: The wheelbarrow-handy are needed! Sand is an important buffer to keep little knees safe on a playground. We'll coordinate with a group to have the sand delivered and train you on playground requirements if you'll help spread it. Our largely female staff really needs the help here. Could be a weekday or a Saturday.
 
In-kind Donations Appreciated: Kids can never have enough books. In fact, early exposure to books is one of the key predictors of whether a child becomes a good reader. Groups at work or school can hold a book drive (books for children up to age 5 are appropriate) of new or gently used books. Even better, when you deliver the books, you can read to a group of kids or a single child individually. There is nothing more fun than reading to a group of young ones. Throw pillows or floor mats would be appreciated, too (remember how kids look to cozy up in nooks and crannies).

Upcoming Event, Volunteer Opportunities and In-kind Donations Appreciated: Project Transitions is Austin's only provider of quality hospice care and supportive housing for individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS. Please join us in celebrating and supporting our 19th Anniversary of Holiday Swing, our largest fundraiser of the year on Saturday, December 1st, at the Dell Jewish Community Campus. The festivities will include live music by the Sentimental Journey Orchestra, dance lessons, heavy hors d'oeuvres, three bars and a huge silent auction.  How can you help? Many volunteers are needed to run an event of this magnitude.  We will need people for 4 hours shifts throughout the day starting at 8am and ending at 2am.  For those unable to donate their time, please consider making a donation for our silent auction.  It is one of the largest of its kind in Austin and with 1,200 in attendance for the evening; it is a great advertising opportunity for your business! 

 

SafePlace envisions a community free of rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence. In addition to providing safety, healing and prevention programs and services to women, children and men affected by sexual or domestic violence, we also seek to create social change around the issues of sexual and domestic violence.

Individual Volunteer Opportunities: There are numerous volunteer opportunities at SafePlace each year ranging from individual volunteer opportunities working directly with clients and their children to working on special events.

In-kind Donations Appreciated: new and gently used items go directly to the women, children and men here at SafePlace. Our featured In-Kind donation need is diapers sizes 4 & 5. To view the full SafePlace Wish List please visit our website.

 

The Samaritan Center for Counseling and Pastoral Care is an interfaith counseling center whose mission is to integrate professional mental health services with a client's own personal and spiritual values. Our staff is sensitive to spiritual issues but does not impose religious concepts on their clients. The Center provides professional, affordable, mental health counseling for the child, adolescent, adult, and geriatric population. The Center provided 12,078 hours of individual, couple, family and group counseling last year to nearly 2000 clients in Williamson, Travis & Hays counties. We also provide educational workshops and training for community organizations on a variety of topics focused on improving mental and physical health.

Volunteer Opportunities: Marketing: Public Relations and Graphic Design expertise for brochures, e-newsletter and website to publicize new counseling program for military personnel returning from Iraq & Afghanistan, our Ethics in Business award program, and Capital Campaign; Special Event Volunteers to work on Ethics in Business Award program and award dinner in February.  Need a speaker on a timely business topic or musical/comedy entertainment for annual ethics award dinner for 350 business leaders; Board Members to serve on our Board of Directors lending community expertise; Information Technology Plan to increase efficiency and productivity in our new 10,000 sf. facility to be built with cutting-edge energy-efficient products and other new technologies.  Donor and client/billing database design

In-kind Donations Appreciated: computers, high speed printer, software, video equipment, office, and conference room furniture for new building as well as printing of brochures and marketing materials. 

 

Youth InterACTIVE is a non-profit organization that inspires and empowers youth to effectively manage their health, education and communities. Our programs, media and events capitalize on youth to drive and sustain an ACTIVE youth culture: a culture that values health and fitness, lifelong learning and civic participation. At the same time, YI works with agencies, organizations and corporations to provide products, resources and services which meet the needs and values of this emerging ACTIVE youth culture.  
 
Volunteer Opportunities: Help us spread the word to youth and their families about the YI mission (marketing); Help us bring YI into your child's school - be a parent liaison to your child's school (school liaison); Help coordinate and participate in Freaky Field Days-experience first hand a sugar-free jell-o fight  (event volunteer); Build sustainability with us and help our program touch the lives of youth across Texas (fundraising)

 
Announcing the Austin Ventures High-Tech Holiday Challenge Grant benefiting the Season for Caring program

Austin Ventures will match (1:1) contributions, up to a total of $50,000, to the Austin American Statesman's Season for Caring program from Austin's high-tech community and friends. This program recognizes 12 local families facing financial hardships needing help during the holidays (information on each family at the Season for Caring link further below). These families are sponsored by 12 local nonprofits.