on the weekend

AISHEL HOUSE

What Is It?

A charity that offers “the comforts of home and community” — including meals, accommodations, Jewish chaplaincy, child care, and transportation — to patients who come to the Texas Medical Center from around the world.

Help Needed:

Deliver meals, create holiday food or crafts for patients, help care for children of patients or family members, sing holiday songs for patient families, and perform other helpful tasks. Please contact Aishel House for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

Volunteers aged 10-12 must be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers must be 13 to participate in the Junior Volunteer Program.

AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION TOUR DE CURE (HOUSTON)

What Is It?

A family-friendly bicycle ride dedicated to finding a cure for diabetes. It includes a variety of routes, a 5k walk/run, and a festival. In past years it has taken place in September at Prairie View A&M.

Help Needed:

Set-up, registration, rest stops, start/finish line cheer teams, children’s area, lunch tent, clean up, and more. The 2021 Tour de Cure will be a Texas-wide virtual event on June 26th.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

12

ANGELA HOUSE

What Is It?

A transitional home for women coming out of incarceration. “Through comprehensive programs and partnerships, Angela House residents are given the opportunity and tools to maintain a positive lifestyle.”

Help Needed:

Projects could include helping organize the clothing room or other areas, tutoring women in GED topics or basic computer skills, helping with special events or holiday decorations, helping with administrative tasks, or collecting needed items. Contact Angela House for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

14 with a teacher/parent/guardian, and 16 and up without an adult

ARTIST BOAT

What Is It?

A non-profit organization “protecting our Gulf Coast through land conservation and fun, educational, inspiring adventures that spark creativity, awareness, and action.”

Help Needed:

Help out at regular volunteer workdays, assist with special events like World Oceans Day celebration, or volunteer in the office. Please contact Artist Boat for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

11

ASIA SOCIETY TEXAS CENTER

What Is It?

A global non-profit that serves as “the leading force in forging closer ties between Asia and the West through arts, education, policy, and business.“

Help Needed:

Help with ExploreAsia or Dances of Asia Summer Camps, or assist with AsiaFest (May). Please contact the Asia Society for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

16 for Summer Camps and AsiaFest, with 15-year-olds permitted to assist in some circumstances.

BAKER RIPLEY CITIZENSHIP & IMMIGRATION FORUMS

What Is It?

BakerRipley is a United Way agency that brings resources, education, and connection to more than half a million Texans each year, offering “innovative solutions to help low-income families in emerging neighborhoods get a foothold in the region’s economy.“

Help Needed:

Help applicants complete their naturalization (citizenship) applications at monthly Citizenship & Immigration forums, serve as runners or interpreters, or assist at registration. Please contact Baker Ripley for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

16

BAKER RIPLEY HOUSTON TURKEY TROT

What Is It?

A Thanksgiving Day foot race for about 15,000 runners; the event supports BakerRipley, the largest community development organization in Texas.

Help Needed:

Hundreds of volunteers are needed to help with packet pickup, race day setup, water stations, serving food, and more. Please visit the Turkey Trot website for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

15

THE BALLARD HOUSE

What Is It?

A nonprofit that provides “temporary housing in our community with a warm, safe environment for individuals and their families who are hospitalized or receiving treatment for a serious medical condition.”

Help Needed:

Projects could include bringing a meal to share, collecting supplies, helping with landscaping, or helping with decorating or organizing.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

None. Volunteers of all ages are welcome, but volunteers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

BARC

What Is It?

A city agency that cares for and helps find homes for thousands of animals each year, and provides many other services.

Help Needed:

Needs include animal care, help with adoption and other events, foster pantry organization, facility beautification, and administrative help. Please contact BARC for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

13. Volunteers aged 13-15 must volunteer with a parent or guardian at all times. 16 and 17 year olds can volunteer on their own after attending orientation with a parent or guardian. No minor can volunteer with or handle adult dogs.

BAYOU CITY ART FESTIVAL

What Is It?

Each year the nonprofit Art Colony Association produces the Bayou City Art Festival Downtown (fall) and Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park (spring) to raise money to support local nonprofit organizations.

Help Needed:

Help at the Children’s Creative Zone or Information Booth, take tickets, greet guests, check in volunteers, provide refreshments to artists and volunteers, or take photos. Please visit the Festival website for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

13. Volunteers under age 18 must have written permission and release of liability signed by parent or guardian and must be properly supervised during the entire shift: one adult, age 21 and over for every five minors ages 13 – 17 and/or one adult per one minor under the age of 15.

THE BEACON

What Is It?

A nonprofit that provides services — meals, showers, laundry service, case management, medical and psychiatric care, pro bono legal services, and pastoral care — that “help restore dignity, self-respect, and hope to Houston’s poor and homeless.”

Help Needed:

Volunteer activities include helping prepare and serve meals, laundering and folding clothes, and greeting clients. Please contact The Beacon for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

16 to volunteer independently. Young adults ages 13-15 may volunteer with an adult guardian. Due to safety concerns and liability reasons, no children under the age of 13 are permitted to volunteer.

BEAR / BE A RESOURCE FOR CPS KIDS

What Is It?

A nonprofit “dedicated to restoring dignity and hope to abused and neglected children involved in Harris County Child Protective Services. BEAR provides basic necessities to the children in care, and support to the caseworkers of CPS.”

Help Needed:

Help provide and/or organize donations of basic supplies, holiday gifts, or school supplies, or help with celebrations for youth who are graduating from CPS care. Please contact BEAR for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

12

BEST BUDDIES TEXAS

What Is It?

A nonprofit “dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for friendships, employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

Help Needed:

Assist with the Friendship Walk & 5K fundraiser in April, or help with event planning in the office. The 2021 Friendship Walk date was April 17.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

14 to help at the Friendship Walk, and 16 to help in the office.

THE BIRTHDAY JOY PROGRAM

What Is It?

A nonprofit dedicated to bringing birthday parties to children in homeless shelters, group homes, & other disadvantaged situations in Harris and Galveston counties.

Help Needed:

Help host birthday parties in Houston, LaPorte, Liverpool, and Texas City; collect gifts or other party supplies; assemble goody bags, make decorations. Please contact Birthday Joy for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

14 independently; younger children may volunteer with a parent. Parents must sign a waiver for volunteers under 18.

BLODGETT URBAN GARDENS

What Is It?

A 2.3 acre community garden, founded in 2014 by Texas Southern University to address food insecurity by supplying fresh fruit and vegetables and to provide a space to teach sustainable gardening techniques in an urban setting.

Help Needed:

Help maintain the garden on Saturday mornings. Tasks can include fertilizing, pruning, weeding, harvesting, assisting farm stand customers, and other activities.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

No minimum age.

BO’S PLACE

What Is It?

A “bereavement center offering grief support services to children, ages 3 to 18, and their families who have experienced the death of a child or an adult in their immediate family, as well as programs for grieving adults.”

Help Needed:

Help serve potluck meals that families provide, or bring and serve a meal; help supervise children in the playground. Please contact Bo’s Place for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

13-15, depending on the project.

BOOKS BETWEEN KIDS

What Is It?

A charity that collects gently used books and distributes them to Houston’s at-risk children. Since 2013 Books Between Kids has distributed more than 1,769,000 books.

Help Needed:

Help organize books at the warehouse on Harwin Drive, or collect books to donate. Please check with BBK about COVID-related changes; small groups of volunteers are permitted.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

Children as young as 5 are welcome, but all children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Please provide 1 adult to supervise every 2 children under age 10 and 1 adult for every 5 children ages 10-15.

BOOKS FOR DEVELOPMENT

What Is It?

A nonprofit that works with teams of volunteers to gather donated books, sort them, and box them for transport. These recycled books are donated to underdeveloped countries around the world to help them create and maintain local libraries.

Help Needed:

Help sort and package books in the warehouse, or collect books, especially those in subjects such as health and medicine, social science, and applied science. Currently volunteer groups are limited to ten people. Please contact BFD for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

16

THE BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATERS

What Is It?

A comprehensive crisis intervention and prevention center whose services include a 100-bed emergency shelter, transitional housing for women, permanent housing for adults with disabilities and children in their care, and many other programs.

Help Needed:

Projects include collecting needed supplies, organizing the shelter food pantry, arranging activities for children, helping with mailings, and working on annual charity races and other events.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

There is no strict age limit for volunteers. Depending on the project, adults may be asked to accompany student volunteers.

THE BROOKWOOD COMMUNITY

What Is It?

A “God-centered educational, residential, entrepreneurial community” that provides spiritual, educational, & vocational opportunities for adults with special needs.

Help Needed:

Help with Saturday fitness activities such as team sports, walking, and biking, and/or assist with Sunday worship services. Please contact Brookwood for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

Sports Fitness volunteers must be 6th graders and up. All ages are welcome to help with worship services.

BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP

What Is It?

A non-profit organization that is revitalizing and transforming Buffalo Bayou, Houston’s most significant natural resource. Work includes addition of major destinations, landscaping, water features, and pedestrian bridges in Buffalo Bayou Park.

Help Needed:

Groups or individuals can help with gardening, invasive species removal, trash pickup, trail work, special events such as KBR Kids Day, or administrative tasks. Please contact BBP for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

Volunteers ages 9-17 years are welcome with a chaperone 21 years of age or older. There must be one adult per ten youth present.

CASA DE ESPERANZA DE LOS NIÑOS

What Is It?

A safe place for children in crisis due to abuse, neglect, or the effects of HIV. Casa de Esperanza provides residential care, and coordinates medical and psychological services according to the needs of each child.

Help Needed:

Collect basic needs or items for welcome packages; students may propose other projects.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

In general, volunteers must be 18 to participate in hands-on activities with the children, but volunteers of all ages may collect items. The agency may also consider one-time group projects with volunteers under 18.

THE CENTER FOR HEARING AND SPEECH - VIA COLORI

What Is It?

The most comprehensive resource for pediatric hearing loss in Texas, offering health services and “enabling children with hearing loss to reach their full potential by teaching them listening, speaking, and literacy skills.”

Help Needed:

Help with Via Colori, the annual street painting festival that supports the Center. Via Colori usually takes place on a November weekend.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

16

CHALLENGER BASEBALL – WEST UNIVERSITY LITTLE LEAGUE

What Is It?

A baseball program for boys and girls with physical and mental challenges. The most fundamental goal of the Challenger Division is to give everyone a chance to play baseball and have a rewarding experience, regardless of limitations.

Help Needed:

Buddies help their challenged partners by enabling them to play baseball. This might include pushing wheelchair-bound children around the bases or helping the players bat or field the ball. Please visit the Challenger website for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

Volunteers must be in 6th-12th grades.

CHALLENGER FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, & CHEER

What Is It?

An adaptive program for those with a variety of medical, developmental, and intellectual challenges, where all can participate in sports, aided by Buddies, in an inclusive, safe, and protected environment.

Help Needed:

Buddies help their challenged partners, enabling them to participate in football, basketball, or cheer. Other volunteers may help with check-in or with other tasks. Please visit the Challenger website for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

Volunteers must be in high school.

THE CHILDREN'S ASSESSMENT CENTER

What Is It?

A nonprofit that provides a professional, compassionate, and coordinated approach to the treatment of sexually abused children ages 0-17 and their families and to serve as an advocate for all children in our community.

Help Needed:

Collect needed items such as backpacks and school supplies, toiletry bags, Halloween costumes, new books, birthday gifts for therapy clients, therapy graduation gifts, or gifts for the children’s holiday party in December. Volunteers may also help at special weekend events. Please contact the CAC for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

Volunteers of all ages are invited to help by collecting needed items.

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM HOUSTON

What Is It?

A museum that delivers innovative learning opportunities for children birth through 12 years of age and serves more than 1 million children and families annually.

Help Needed:

Discovery Squad volunteers help with exhibits and programs throughout the Museum. Commitment is a minimum of 75 hours per school year or per summer. Please contact the museum for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

Students aged 14 -17 may participate.