Want to make this world a better place? Try volunteering for something that means something to you. Yes, yes I know. It's great college suck. BUT it's also good for your soul and it helps your community. You can do a mission trip once a year and that will be fun, but why not try something a little more regular which can help make a connection between you and those who have less?
- Building Goodness Foundation helps families here and abroad (community organizing, social justice, health, public policy, government, construction, engineering, materials, NGOs)
- Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville Albemarle helps people to read and teaches English as a Second Language
- Considering a career in Medicine? Martha Jefferson has a volunteer program. (health and medical science, psychology, biology, chemistry, pharmacology, health and human services)
- Monticello Area Community Action Agency has ways both large and small that you can give back. (community organizing, social justice, public policy, government, education, NGOs)
- Love the library? Love your library! Jefferson Madison Regional Library needs you!
- Did you know that 1 in 6 Americans went hungry in 2012? Did you know that right here last year, 114,000 people needed emergency food support? You can help! Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, The Emergency Food Bank or Loaves and Fishes. (community organizing, social justice, nutrition, health, public policy, government, NGOs)
- Homelessness is a growing problem in our area. Volunteer your time at The Haven in Charlottesville. (community organizing, social justice, health, public policy, government, NGOs)
- What if "home" meant an air mattress on a floor at a friend's house? Or a different couch every night? For many many people "homeless" means just that: you have no home of your own; you just drift from a cousin's to an aunt's to grandma's, from a sofa, to the floor, to an air bed, to a pull out. Help build homes by volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. (community organizing, social justice, health, public policy, government, construction, engineering, materials, NGOs)
- Augusta Medical Center has sent their applications to us and is looking for volunteers this summer. (health and medical science, psychology, biology, chemistry, pharmacology, health and human services)
- Tech Girls is also taking volunteers (technology, engineering, startup culture, entrepreneurship, STEM, education)
- There are a lot of places that look for volunteers for the summer. Remember that summer schools are in session and they love one on one tutors! Consider offering your talents there. I can help with that. (education, working with children, working collaboratively)
- Camp Holiday Trails needs volunteers every summer. A lot of our students have spent time at the camp helping out and have loved it! (health and human services, health and medical science,, education, working with children, NGOs, community organizing, social justice)
- The Albemarle Charlottesville SPCA is looking for junior volunteers (14-17) to help out over the summer. Apply to work to socialize animals, especially cats. (working with animals, veterinary medicine, community outreach, NGOs)
- Community Bikes needs folks to help out this summer. Summer is bike riding time and it means folks will be in with problems. Help them learn to fix their bikes and help the community gain skills. (engineering, working with people, community organizing, education, environmental studies)
- The Jefferson Area Board on Aging looks for volunteers from age 16-18 to volunteer over the summer during work hours. This is a terrific way to have an affect on your community! (NGOs, public policy, community organizing, health and medical science, history, sociology, psychology, social justice)
- Virginia Organizing works on a variety of campaigns and loves having volunteers help out with any and all of them! Immigration reform, tax and budget reform, living wage, predatory lending, health care reform, you name it, they do it if it helps workers in our area. (NGOs, public policy, community organizing, health and medical policy, sociology, social justice, human rights)
- Meals on Wheels brings meals to hundreds of people in our area. They need 34 drivers per day to do it, too. Help them get food to those who cannot get it for themselves. (public policy, NGOs, sociology, social justice, community organizing, health and medical science)
- Volunteer on the natural areas. Ivy Creek Natural Area and Rivanna Trails both need volunteers. Help maintain trails, guide, and preserve the area. (outdoor education, environmental sciences, resource management, ecology, community organizing, NGOs, horticulture, botany)
- Charlottesville Adaptive Riding Therapy takes volunteers 14 and older to help children and adults with special needs learn to ride horses. (education, veterinary, animals, horse enthusiasts, health and medical science, working with people)
- Wildrock needs volunteers for all kinds of different jobs. Wildrock is a private, not for profit natural area and play area. They're looking for people to do everything from building a child's sized nest, to creating guides for their trails. (ecology, environmental sciences, horticulture, education, agriculture, working with people, outdoors education)
- Piedmont Family YMCA needs volunteers this summer to help out in a variety of ways. If you're a sportsing person, come sports with their persons! (athletics, education, community outreach, NGOs, health and human services, working with people)
- The Nature Foundation is looking for volunteers to do all kinds of things having to do with the protection of our gorgeous natural world and environment in our area. (public policy, community outreach, NGOs, health and human services, working with people)
- Care about water? Care about our water! Join Rivanna Conservation Alliance and help out with their StreamWatch. (fisheries, environmental sciences, resource management, ecology, community organizing, NGOs, hydrology)
- Political Animal? Try the Democrats, the Republicans, The Libertarians, the Green Party, the Tea Party or the Reform Party (community organizing, social justice, public policy, government)
- Innisfree Village needs volunteers for their working farm. They also offer an internship as well, but their farm feeds lots of folks and they always need people to help out. Consider donating some time to them over there! (ecology, environmental sciences, horticulture, agriculture, working with people)
- Key Club also has plenty of opportunities to spend time helping others. Talk to Mr. Grimes!