Volunteer
As children and caregivers navigate a messy child welfare system, our volunteers help bridge gaps and remind families that they are not alone through the ups and downs of foster care.
Volunteers put the “Village” in Foster Village, and we’d love to help you find your fit in this village of support.
Our volunteer program offers a variety of practical opportunities to get involved. Whether you’re interested in making doorstep deliveries to caregivers welcoming children at a moment’s notice, or you’d love to provide hospitality or childcare for our much-loved monthly caregiver support gatherings, you’ll be supporting families in practical ways that make a tangible difference in their foster care journey.
Below you’ll find the best ways to jump in, so please click the opportunity that matches your interest, and we’ll be in touch to help you get started.
Volunteers must be a minimum of 18 years of age. Volunteers who are 14-17 years of age may volunteer with an approved adult. Please note we do not fulfill court-ordered community service requests.
“I feel more fulfilled volunteering at Foster Village than I have working various jobs. I truly enjoy doing what I can to help, and I always look forward to Fridays because that's the day I volunteer.” - Volunteer Autumn
Volunteer Opportunities (Individual and Group Sign-Ups)
Resource Center Team
Our home-like resource centers (located in Dripping Springs and North Austin) serve as a hub for those caring for children in foster care. As a part of our resource center team, you’ll help sort and organize donations during weekday time slots and assist families who visit to shop during those times.
Sign-up slots are shared in our bi-monthly volunteer newsletters, and ongoing commitment is flexible.
On-Call Team
Be ready to help with those in-the-moment needs by being part of our on-call team. Help deliver Welcome Packs, beds, car seats, and other basic necessities to children entering foster care. Volunteers pick up pre-packed donations from our resource centers in North Austin or Dripping Springs, then deliver them to foster homes in the Austin area. You’ll also be part of the team that is on standby for other needs that pop up for families experiencing foster care.
Step up to help based on your availability through our On-Call team message thread on the GroupMe app. Commitment and hours are flexible.
Childcare Team
As a member of our childcare team, you’ll make an incredible difference in the lives of our caregivers by providing safe, supportive childcare during any of our four monthly support gatherings hosted at our resource centers. These gatherings are a couple of hours each month for foster, kinship, and adoptive families to connect and unwind, and our childcare team is a key ingredient! For some families, these gatherings are truly a lifeline that keeps them going as they navigate the wild world of child welfare.
Sign-up slots are shared in our bi-monthly volunteer newsletters, and while consistency is a huge bonus for our kiddos, ongoing commitment is flexible. Background check is required for this team.
Hospitality Team
If you love to make meals or put together fun snacks and treats, our hospitality team is for you.
Support foster, kinship, and adoptive families by providing food at any of our support gatherings hosted at our resource centers. This team has opportunities to make meals or grab simple store-bought items like muffins and fruit that can be shared by all of the attendees.
Sign-up slots are shared in our bi-monthly newsletters. Ongoing commitment is flexible.
Donation Team
Our donation team keeps our shelves well-stocked by finding great deals, rallying friends, and staying up-to-date with the most needed items on our wish list. As a donation team volunteer, you’ll be an ambassador for Foster Village with the folks in your circle, sharing about our mission and collecting items to equip families who shop from our resource centers daily.
Step up to serve by finding our monthly most needed items in our bi-monthly volunteer newsletter. Ongoing commitment is flexible.
Internship
We offer internships for those looking to work in the field of foster care and social work. Experience with child development, foster care, social work, marketing, communications, non-profit development or health and human services is a plus. Flexible schedule and commitment for volunteer internships.
Leadership Roles
We are looking for "doers" with a passion for making a difference in the lives of children in foster care. If you've ever wanted to take the reins on a project that uses your unique gifts to enrich the lives of others, then we would love to have you on our team! We are looking for professionals with skills like marketing, accounting, fundraising, etc. who can commit to at least four hours per week, but hours and location are flexible.
Volunteer Spotlight
Our Village of Volunteers: Featuring Sam Burke
Finding Foster Village has been such a positive and life-changing experience for me. Austin is home to countless organizations that are making a beneficial impact on our community, but Foster Village stands out as a shining example of what it means to create a warm and supportive environment for families in need and changing lives for the better! Read More
Our Village of Volunteers: Featuring Noreen Koerner
Foster Village provides so much love and support both mental and physical, as well as the many supplies that are needed to help these caring people who open up their homes and hearts to the children who need special love and care. I am very proud to be a volunteer here and help in some small way with this amazing organization. Read More
Apply to Volunteer
To apply to volunteer, please fill out the form by clicking the button below and we will be in touch to match you with the best opportunities for you! All volunteers are subject to criminal background checks. A $20 donation per volunteer to cover registration costs is appreciated.
“I delivered my first Welcome Pack as a volunteer to a mom who had been reunited with her 4 kids that very same day, and the resources, supplies, food, equipment etc that Foster Village provided her to set her up for success was amazing to me. She was so grateful and her kids were just too cute. It made the volunteer mission very real!” - Volunteer Kelly
Interested in other ways to get involved?
In-kind donations are an incredible way to make a tangible difference for families. Caring community members like you can jump right in to help equip children and caregivers by checking out our current needs and wish list items that are most needed to stock our resource centers.
These new items such as clothes, underwear, socks, toothbrushes, books, toys, beds and bedding, car seats, and strollers are the essentials we utilize daily to equip foster, kinship, and reunifying families.