Back in May, we rounded up a list of volunteer opportunities to start your summer with. Since summer has come and gone, here’s an updated list – just in time for the slower months of winter.
FYI: Volunteering may require applications, special training, hour requirements + age requirements. See each individual listing for more details and to check availability of volunteer positions
Stay in the know – be sure you bookmark this list + Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, which is an extensive database updated by the United Way of Asheville & Buncombe County.
Plus, Junior League hosts a Volunteer Expo + Volunteer-A-Thon each spring.
Poverty + economic mobility
Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity | Construction + support of low-income families in need of long-term housing | Positions: Construction, ReStore support, administrative duties + more for both individuals and groups.
Green Opportunities | 133 Livingston St. | Education, job training + community center | Positions: Fill out this GO Volunteer Inquiry form to be matched with a position that is best for you.
MANNA Food Bank | 627 Swannanoa River Rd. | Food security + delivery services | Positions: Warehouse support, distribution, produce + bread sorting, tabling, events + more. Minors under 16 must have an adult present to volunteer. Ages 16-18 just need written consent by a guardian.
Bountiful Cities | Supports sustainable agriculture in urban environments | Positions: Community garden volunteering, including charity gardens, educational gardens, production gardens + more.
ABCCM | Christian service organization | Positions: Crisis services, veterans’ services, food preparation + serving, medical ministry, administrative tasks + more.
Food Not Bombs | Food redistribution + social justice issues | Positions: Food sourcing, meal preparation + serving, producing materials for events, organizing benefits + more.
Domestic + sexual violence prevention + intervention
Our VOICE | 35 Woodfin St. | Crisis intervention + prevention agency for victims of sexual violence | Positions: Advocacy, community education, bar outreach, workshop facilitation + more.
My Sister’s Place | Based in Marshall, advocacy organization for victims of domestic + sexual violence | Positions: Thrift store, sponsorship of children + clients, fundraising, outdoor chores
Education (all ages).
Literacy Council of Buncombe County | Tutoring in literacy + English language skills | Positions: Tutoring in adult education, ESOL, Augustine Program for low-income families, event help, graphic design + office support.
A-B Tech | The campus offers tutoring in various locations. | Positions:Tutoring, medical assisting, radio, business office, administrative support, transitional studies, therapy dog + more.
Children + youth
Eliada | 2 Compton Dr. | Services for 700 children + youth from care to career education | Positions: Committee membership, recreation, teaching (arts + crafts, fitness, guest speakers, etc.), therapeutic animal stewardship care opportunities, foster care, classroom support, fundraising + more.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC | 50 S French Broad Ave. | Positions: Mentorship + education for under-resourced youth | Positions: Volunteers are matched with one child for in school, after school + community based activities.
Guardian Ad Litem of Buncombe County | Supports children in the district who are in court for cases related to abuse + neglect | Positions: Read the full list of requirements here.
Creative Peacemakers | 1 School Rd. | After school art enrichment for children in grades K-3 | Positions: Arts instruction + participation, organizing art shows + exhibitions, developing arts curriculum. Can volunteer once a month or on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30–5:30 p.m. at the Center for Art and Spirit at St. George’s Episcopal Church in West Asheville during the school year.
OpenDoors of Asheville | Connecting local children living in multi-generational poverty with an active, individualized network of support and Opportunities for education and enrichment. Contact for open positions.
Asheville City Schools | Positions: Be a Level I or Level II volunteer by tutoring, monitoring lunchrooms, staff libraries, supervise playgrounds, assist teachers + staff, answer phones, or become a test proctor.
Buncombe County Schools | Positions: Be a Level I or Level II volunteer by tutoring, monitoring lunchrooms, staff libraries, supervise playgrounds, assist teachers + staff, answer phones, or become a test proctor.
Boys and Girls Club | Positions: Homework help, coaching sports, arts + more. Find a location closest to you.
Asheville Museum of Science AMOS | Positions: Education outreach, media, fundraising + more.
Community building
YMCA | Community + youth outreach and services | Positions: Youth development programs, gardening, cooking classes, coaching, nutrition outreach + more
YWCA | 185 S. French Broad Ave. | Support of women + children | Positions: Childcare, MotherLove, storytelling, administrative support, aquatics + more.
Community Roots | Focus on sustainable community | Positions: Nonviolent direct actions, fundraising, outreach, art + music, supporting the Community Bill of Rights.
YMI Cultural Center | 20–44 Eagle St. | Promotion of interculturalism + community | Positions: Work with visitors + staff to support the center and its mission.
American Red Cross | Humanitarian work + community support | Positions: Blood services, disaster response, internations, emergency prevention + care, supporting blood drives, teaching first aid, CPR + more.
Meals on Wheels | 146 Victoria Rd. | Positions: Meal delivery for homebound + elderly residents, office + reception, kitchen help, pet food program, Santa for seniors + more.
Health + wellness
Light A Path | Offers yoga + wellness practices for under-resourced communities | Positions: Teach yoga, meditation, pilates + more to the incarcerated, the unhoused, at-risk youth, and people in recovery, support board of director.
T.H.E. Center for Disordered Eating | 50 S. French Broad Ave. | Support + education for individuals + their families with eating disorders | Positions: Fill out an application here.
WNC AIDS Project | 554 Fairview Rd. | Support of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS + prevention | Positions: Support, education, advocacy, outreach, fundraising, transportation, handyman work + more.
Alzheimer’s Association of Western North Carolina | 31 College Pl. # 103 | Advocacy for Alzheimer’s research + support of people with Alzheimer’s and dementia | Positions: Event hosting, outreach, organizing teams for Walk to End Alzheimer’s, clinical trials + more.
Council on Aging of Buncombe County | Service provider for adults ages 60 and over | Positions: Transportation, food delivery, health insurance education + sign-up, administrative support + more.
Environmental issues
Asheville GreenWorks | Positions: Stream + river cleanup, urban forestry, roadside cleanup, special events + more.
RiverLink | 170 Lyman St. | Care for the French Broad River watershed | Positions: Weekly public service events like river + creek cleanup, self-directed cleanup (supplies provided), Adopt-A-Stream, log + branch removal + more.
MountainTrue | 29 N. Market St. | Supporting clean water + air, healthy forests, green energy + community | Positions: Water quality and riverkeepers, forestkeepers, public lands restoration and maintenance, invasive species control, group volunteer projects, community projects + more.
Dogwood Alliance | Positions: research, campaigning, outreach + media, fundraising, organization, management, special events + more.
Wenoca: The Sierra Club of WNC | Long-running environmental protection group | Positions: General volunteers needed, plus members for committees that focus on topics like green building + coal ash regulation. Meetings the first Thursday of each month at the Unitarian Church (1 Edwin St.) at 7 p.m.
NC Arboretum | 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way | Positions: Trail + garden guide shadowing, running informational meetings, exhibition + event setup.
Conserving Carolina | Land + natural resource conservation based out of Hendersonville | Positions: Administrative, invasive species control, trail maintenance, special events + more
Furever friends | Shelters + animals
Friends of the WNC Nature Center | 75 Gashes Creek Rd. | Supports the WNC Nature Center’s mission to connect people with the animals + plants of our region | Positions: Front desk assistance, event promotion, membership assistance, animal care, article writing + more.
Brother Wolf Animal Rescue | 31 Glendale Ave. | No-kill animal shelter + adoption service | Positions: Adoption center, Second Chances Thrift Store, outreach + events, Outward Hounds Hiking Club, Community Cats feral cat care + more.
Asheville Humane Society | 14 Forever Friend Ln. | Positions: Adoption center + animal shelter | In-facility volunteer + foster opportunities, community outreach, cleaning + maintenance, socialization + more.
Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue | 5526 Hendersonville Rd., Fletcher | Animal rescue group + shelters | Positions: Help out in the Safe Haven no-kill shelter, fostering, fundraising + marketing, outreach, adoption events, transportation of animals + more.
Hope for Horses | Equine rescue + rehabilitation in Leicester | Positions: Basic horse care, office support, outdoor maintenance, riding + handling for experienced riders.
Heart of Horse Sense | 6919 Meadows Town Rd, Marshall | Equine therapy for veterans, at-risk youth + their families | Positions: Barn + farm support, horse care, fundraising, outreach + more.
Media + the arts
Asheville FM | 867 Haywood Rd. | Community radio station | Positions: Station support, fundraising, events, outreach, social media editors, writers, hosting radio shows after a minimum number of volunteer hours + more.
Asheville Community Theatre | 35 E. Walnut St. | Positions: Theatre support, outreach + more.
Asheville Art Museum | 175 Biltmore Ave. | Positions: Docenting, visitor services, education, events outreach + more.
History + preservation
South Asheville Cemetery Association | 20 Dalton St. | Positions: Maintenance of the historic South Asheville Cemetery in Kenilworth. Read our intro to find out more about the history of the site.
Giving back to the community is such a wonderful thing to do. Whether it is something as simple as being a test proctor at a local middle school, or something more intense like helping build houses – lending out your time and service makes a difference in your city.
Where do you volunteer? Reply to this email or comment below and let us know. Currently, I am working on volunteering my time by teaching yoga to children. Volunteer somewhere not on the list? Let us know.
Happy Tuesday, Asheville.
