There's always something for families to enjoy in Austin, whether it's a trip to the Thinkery or a visit to the Austin Zoo. With so many great things to experience together, it’s no surprise that Austin has been deemed one of the best places to live in America year after year! If you’re looking for ways to get involved in the community as a family, these volunteer opportunities are the perfect way to give back year-round.
Little Helping Hands
Peruse the online activity calendar on the Little Helping Hands website and you’ll see a wide array of service opportunities for families including things from preparing meals for Ronald McDonald House to crafting decorations to display at Dell Children’s Hospital. Be sure to sign up in advance, because this popular volunteer opportunity tends to fill up quickly!
Mobile Loaves & Fishes
Volunteer at the Community First! Village that provides affordable, sustainable housing for the disabled and chronically homeless or chooses to help prepare and deliver meals to the homeless. There is something for everyone to do at Mobile Loaves & Fishes! All volunteers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Capital Area Food Bank
Volunteer opportunities for the Capital Area Food Bank are available for children as young as 8 years old (with adult supervision needed for volunteers ages 8-17) from Monday through Saturday in the warehouse. You’ll have the chance to help organize and pack food for over 46,000 individuals.
Meals on Wheels and More
Deliver meals to senior citizens and homebound adults for lunch during the week with Meals on Wheels and More. Individuals in this program are no longer able to cook or provide nutritious meals for themselves, and volunteers make sure they get the healthy food their bodies need! To volunteer, you must fill out a brief application form.
Austin Animal Shelters
If your kids enjoy spending time around animals, Austin offers several shelters in need of volunteers. Austin Pets Alive! (ages 12+), Austin Animal Center (ages 13+) and Austin Humane Society (ages 14+) each offer unique volunteer programs as well as the chance to foster pets.
Austin Parks Foundation
This amazing organization helps maintain trails, parks, and open spaces in Austin and Travis County. Their biggest volunteer event is It’s My Park Day in March, but the Austin Parks Foundation website details other volunteer opportunities you can participate in based on the ability and age of your kids.
Keep Austin Beautiful
In an effort to engage Austinites in building a more beautiful city, Keep Austin Beautiful offers multiple events and ways volunteers can take care of their community. Beautify Bash is their largest effort of the year, but groups can also adopt a creek, participate in Keep Austin Beautiful Day, or volunteer for community cleanups listed on their site.
VolunteerMatch is a great tool for finding service opportunities in the Austin community based on interest and availability. For more things to do as a family, take a look at our posts about the 16 best things to do with kids this summer months, or visit our Explore Austin page for a list of our favorite things to do in the area.
