build or repair things

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

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.

CLOTHED BY FAITH

What Is It?

A nonprofit that “demonstrates God’s love through the provision of gently used clothing to those in need” in Houston, Katy, and surrounding areas.

Help Needed:

Help sort and bag clothing and shoes; assist with deliveries/pickups, repairs, or other “heavier” tasks; work at community events; or help in office. Please contact Clothed by Faith for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

12, for community events, with an adult. Warehouse and “muscle group” volunteers must be at least 14, and 14 & 15 year olds must volunteer with an adult. See details below.

CYCLE HOUSTON

What Is It?

A children’s charity (formerly called Elves and More) dedicated to improving literacy in Grades K-3 by rewarding students with new bicycles for achieving better academic performance in the classroom.

Help Needed:

Build bicycles in 3 or 4 hour shifts. (Training is provided.) CYCLE hopes to host a spring 2021 Bike Build.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

5. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

FREEWHEELS HOUSTON

What Is It?

A nonprofit that collects used bicycles; refurbishes them to safe, reliable condition; and distributes them to refugees and other recent arrivals in Houston who need a way to get to work or school.

Help Needed:

Help repair, maintain, and/or clean donated bikes (instruction provided); help distribute bikes and equipment to refugees. Please contact Freewheels for COVID-related updates; they can accept fewer volunteers and may be only able to accept experienced volunteers.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

Volunteer mechanics must be high school juniors and seniors, ages 16-18. Volunteers age 12 and up may help clean bikes and perform routine maintenance.

HABITAT FOR HORSES

What Is It?

A not-for-profit equine protection agency committed to the prevention, rescue, and rehabilitation of neglected, abused, and homeless equine. It operates a rehabilitation ranch, an adoption/education center, a 160-acre therapy center, and an equine retirement facility.

Help Needed:

Help with ranch work, yard work, or construction / repair projects, or collect needed items. Please contact Habitat for Horses for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

13. Youth aged 13–17 must have a parent or guardian present and volunteer with them.

HOUSTON AUDUBON

What Is It?

A conservation, education, and advocacy organization that focuses on protecting the natural environment for birds and people. It owns and manages 17 nature sanctuaries to protect habitat for birds and to give people recreational opportunities in nature.

Help Needed:

Trail maintenance, invasive species removal, filling bird feeders and baths, litter pick-up, native gardening, and other habitat improvement projects. Please contact Houston Audubon for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

Varies. For most events, everyone is welcome, but volunteers under 14 must to attend with a parent or other adult. Volunteers must be 15 to work on trails.

HOUSTON COMMUNITY TOOLBANK

What Is It?

A nonprofit tool lending program that serves other nonprofits by providing fast and easy access to large volumes of high-quality tools to increase the impact of service projects and community revitalization efforts.

Help Needed:

Organize, repair, and/or paint tools; help fulfill tool orders; assemble disaster readiness kits; help with data entry or photography. Volunteer opportunities are limited during the pandemic; please contact the ToolBank for updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

16

HOUSTON FURNITURE BANK

What Is It?

A non-profit that collects home furnishings and distributes them at no cost to families and individuals who have found housing through a social service agency or are assisted through a non-profit community organization.

Help Needed:

Needs include assembling or moving furniture, helping with mattress recycling, organizing donated items, or helping in the office. Please contact the Furniture Bank for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

No minimum age to volunteer with a parent or guardian. Volunteers must be 18 to serve independently.

HOUSTON HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

What Is It?

A nonprofit that, with thousands of sponsors and volunteers, helps build homes for low-income Houstonians. Future homeowners contribute “sweat equity” and complete home maintenance and financial training to buy homes with zero interest mortgages.

Help Needed:

Assist with home construction or help at ReStore, Habitat’s donation-based retail store.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

16 or older to work on the build site, and at least 18 to use power tools and to participate in roof work.

INTERFAITH MINISTRIES FOR GREATER HOUSTON – CHORE CORPS

What Is It?

An Interfaith Ministries program that matches volunteers with homebound clients to help with chores and tasks that the clients may be unable to do on their own.

Help Needed:

Lawn care such as mowing and weeding, laundry, kitchen help, and more. Volunteers choose the services they want to provide. Please contact Interfaith Ministries for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

17, to volunteer independently. No minimum age to volunteer off-site (at food pantry or a client’s home) with a parent.

MEMORIAL ASSISTANCE MINISTRIES (MAM)

What Is It?

A nonprofit that “helps people bounce back from a crisis and care for their families.” Volunteer and paid caseworkers help MAM clients address their immediate needs with an array of emergency services, then help find long-term solutions to underlying issues that will continue to threaten families’ long-term stability.

Help Needed:

Assist customers, sort and price donations, and help in other ways at MAM’s popular resale store. Please contact MAM for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

13; youth aged 13-15 must be accompanied by an adult while volunteering. Students under the age of 18 need written parental permission to volunteer.

THE MISSION CONTINUES

What Is It?

A nonprofit dedicated to bringing together veterans and non-profit community partners to address issues facing our communities. The projects also empower veterans to find purpose through community impact, and inspire future generations to serve.

Help Needed:

Events include helping at back-to-school events, sprucing up parks and schools, storm recovery projects, working at food banks and farmers’ markets, placing flags at military cemeteries, and more. Please contact The Mission Continues for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

None. Children and teens are welcome at most projects.

THE NEHEMIAH CENTER

What Is It?

A non-profit that provides educational services to children from low-income families. Services include a year-round middle school, an after-school program, a pre-k program, and college prep support. Nehemiah also helps new parents and those learning English.

Help Needed:

Tutor and mentor students from grades K-12 during the year, or help students during the summer program. Please contact the Center for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

14. Students younger than 14 must serve with a parent / guardian.

SIRE THERAPEUTIC HORSEMANSHIP

What Is It?

A non-profit organization that works to improve the quality of life for people with special needs and disabilities through therapeutic horsemanship activities and therapies, and educational outreach.

Help Needed:

Volunteers may be side-walkers or horse leaders, or assist with special events, administrative work, barn cleaning, or other tasks. Please contact SIRE for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

14

SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE

What Is It?

A national, volunteer-run organization that provides beds, complete with mattresses and bedding, to needy children. There are three chapters in the Houston area.

Help Needed:

Help build beds on regular Build Days; possibly help deliver beds. Please contact SIHP for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

12. Volunteers age 12-17 must be accompanied by a legal guardian.

SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL – ARCHDIOCESE OF GALVESTON-HOUSTON

What Is It?

A nonprofit that helps people in need get back on their feet; it provides short-term financial, material, and emotional support and works one-on-one through advocacy, education, and referral to break cycles of poverty, empower people, and promote self-sufficiency.

Help Needed:

Help at resale shops or food pantries, help in the office, or collect needed items. Please contact the Society for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

15, to volunteer independently. Youth between the ages of 8-14 must be accompanied by an adult.

TWRC WILDLIFE CENTER

What Is It?

An urban wildlife emergency and rehabilitative care facility that cares for injured, orphaned, or ill wild animals brought in by the public. TWRC also conducts outreach programs for youths and adult groups to promote living in harmony with nature.

Help Needed:

Assist with education programs, caring for animals, and maintaining the animal care center. Volunteers also feed baby birds, squirrels, and opossums and collect needed items. Please contact TWRC for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

14. Volunteers must be at least 12 (with a guardian) for baby bird and baby squirrel programs.

VITA LIVING, INC.

What Is It?

A non-profit that provides lifelong support programs for adults and children with disabilities like cerebral palsy and autism, “to help them live meaningful, independent lives in the communities we share.” Current programs include 18 group homes, respite care, nursing, and transportation.

Help Needed:

Volunteers are invited to lead activities with clients, such as making cards, doing crafts, and playing sports, or work on home improvement projects such as painting, gardening, and organizing. Please contact Vita Living for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

14

VOLUNTEERS FOR ANIMAL PROTECTION, INC.

What Is It?

A non-profit, no-kill, volunteer-run animal welfare organization in Kingwood that rescues and places abandoned, abused, and neglected cats and dogs into permanent loving homes.

Help Needed:

Help care for animals (socialize them, clean living spaces), assist with adoption events, collect needed items, do chores around shelter, including outdoor work.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

Must be at least 17 to care for/walk/socialize animals. Younger volunteers may collect supplies, help with fundraisers, and help in other ways.

WILLOW WATERHOLE GREENSPACE CONSERVANCY

What Is It?

This 290-acre greenway offers Houstonians recreational opportunities and helps control flooding, and includes ponds, native plants, walking trails and gazebos, and a variety of wildlife.

Help Needed:

Help with planting; cleaning and maintaining the landscape; refurbishing, replacing, or adding signs or other features; or volunteering at the annual MusicFEST. Please contact WWGC for COVID-related updates.

Minimum Age to Volunteer

None