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40 volunteer opportunities in Austin

One person handing a bag of food to another person on the porch of a home

Meals on Wheels of Central Texas serves food to 5,000+ older adults in the area. | Photo via Meals on Wheels Central Texas

Maybe you have some extra time on your hands, or maybe you’re just in the giving spirit. All we know is there are more than enough great causes in Austin to give your time to.

Whether you’re an animal lover, an artsy type, a natural mentor, or a healthcare enthusiast — there’s a nearby volunteer opportunity for you. Here are 32 ways to get involved in Austin.

If you want to help your neighbors in need

Central Texas Food Bank | From assembling food packages, cooking meals, and distributing food at mobile pantries, there’s a wide range of ways you can contribute to providing meals for food-insecure Texans. (Pro tip: If you have a green thumb, you can also volunteer to assist in the nonprofit’s garden.)

Workers at a table in a kitchen assembling meals. — With the help of volunteers, Central Texas Food Bank distributed almost 54 million meals last year.

If you’re passionate about supporting local minority groups

Casa Marianella | This nonprofit providing shelter + services for displaced immigrants needs help in the form of driving residents to appointments, delivering food, helping fill out job applications, and sorting donations.

For the handy individuals

Austin Habitat for Humanity | This nonprofit builds + repairs homes almost entirely through volunteer labor. Sign up to work in one of the organization’s ReStore locations or to lend a hand at a construction site.

A group of people working on building a frame for a house. — Help build and repair homes for people in need with Austin Habitat for Humanity.

If you’re an animal lover

Austin Animal Center | This shelter takes in more than 11,000 animals each year. Help show them some love by connecting dogs + cats with potential adopters, taking pets outside for enrichment, or pitching in at community events. (Pro tip: Have space, but no time? Consider fostering a dog or cat in need of some extra care.)

If you want to be there for abuse victims

Center for Child Protection | Either work directly with children and families affected by abuse, or support them indirectly by researching grant opportunities, organizing + collecting donations, and assisting with administrative tasks.

27 MORE WAYS TO VOLUNTEER

Get a head start on your philanthropy + share this story with someone who can lend a hand.

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Today

iDKHOW and Joywave | Fri., Sept. 16 | 6 p.m. | Emo’s Austin | $36+ | The Utah-based duo will be joined by alternative rock band Joywave. 🎶
Alan Jackson | Fri., Sept. 16. | 7 p.m. | Moody Center | $71+ | Put on your boots and head downtown to hear this country music legend live.

Saturday

Pecan Street Festival | Sat., Sept. 17-Sun., Sept. 18 | Times vary | Downtown Austin | Free | Shop concessions + craft goods from local vendors while you listen to 50+ local bands. 🛍
15th Annual Viva México Celebration | Sat., Sept. 17 | 6 p.m. | Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center | Free | Watch dance performances, listen to music + panel discussions, and munch on bites from local food trucks at this annual party.
Texas Football vs. UTSA | Sat., Sept. 17 | 7 p.m. | DKR Texas Memorial Stadium | $40+ | Put your horns up this weekend for Longhorn football. 🏈

Sunday

Carin Leon | Sun., Sept. 18 | 7 p.m. | H-E-B Center at Cedar Park | $78+ | Close out your weekend with tunes from this genre-blending Mexican music artist.
Dinosaur Jr. | Sun., Sept. 18 | 8 p.m. | ACL Live at The Moody Theater | $30+ | The rock band will perform their new album, “Sweep It Into Space.” 🎸

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

For tickets to local and regional events, check out our 6AM Tickets resale marketplace.*

100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather

93º | Partly cloudy | 19% chance of rain
So what else is new? Weather is likely continue being drier + hotter than normal throughout October. The most recent drought update classifies most of Travis County under “severe” or “moderate” conditions. (KXAN)

State

New U.S. Census Bureau data shows Hispanic Texans have surpassed Anglo Texans to become the state’s largest racial population by over 230,000 people. The announcement came on the first day of National Hispanic American Heritage Month. (San Antonio Express-News)

Civic

The City of Austin is opening a network of Resilience Hubs to help prepare residents for natural threats, such as wildfires, floods, and extreme heat. Six pilot hubs are expected to launch by the end of the year.
The Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail is finally complete. The last gap in the 10-mile route was filled in earlier this week with the opening of a new shoreline trail near the defunct Holly Power Plant. 🏃 (Austin Monitor)

Sports

Verde is going for the gold. For the first time in club history, Austin FC will compete in the MLS playoffs, after defeating Real Salt Lake 3-0 Wednesday night. ⚽️ (KXAN)

Real Estate

Austin housing inventory is higher than its been since 2018, with a 170% increase in active listings across the five-county metro area in August. In the same time, residential home sales slowed by 23%. 🏘(KVUE)

Opening

Jo’s Coffee may be opening a new location in South Austin. Filings with the state indicate the local chain is renovating a building at 5532 Menchaca Rd. ☕️ (Austin Business Journal)
Two “listening bars” — Dante’s Hifi inside Soho House and Equipment Room in the Hotel Magdalena — are opening up in Austin. The spaces, also called “record bars” or “jazz cafes,” contain record collections and high-quality music equipment. 🎵 (Eater Austin)

Pets

Two indoor dog parks with coffee, Wi-Fi, and lounge space are opening in Downtown Austin + at the Domain. Though few details have been announced, the northside Wünderhund location is anticipated to be 50,000 sqft. 🐕 (Eater Austin)

Announced

Austinites Deborah Roberts + the team behind Miró Rivera Architects were named honorees at the 2023 Texas Medal of Arts Awards. The event is set to take place across Austin from Tues., Feb. 21-Wed., Feb. 22. 🏆 (CultureMap Austin)

Coming Soon

Plan Ahead

Latin Grammy Award-winning music group Grupo Firme will perform at the Moody Center on Sun., Nov. 20. Get tickets to the “Enfiestodos y Amanecidos” tour today at 10 a.m.

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Austin Museum Day returns 🏛

Dozens of local museums open for free on Austin Museum Day

The front of the Texas Capitol, from the grounds

The Texas State Capitol is also participating in Austin Museum Day, offering free tours throughout the afternoon. | Photo by ATXtoday

We hope you’re in the mood to learn something. This Sun., Sept. 18, almost three dozen museums in the Austin area will open their doors for free as part of Austin Museum Day.

The event has been taking place since 1998, and is accompanied by several special events. Here are a couple of spots on our to-visit list:

Austin History Center | Kids will enjoy making zines and prints + checking out two new exhibits.
Austin Nature and Science Center | Make bee-themed crafts and peek inside the center’s European honey bee hive.
Brush Square Museums | Families can learn how to spin, crochet, and make lace + compete for prizes in word games.
Bullock Texas State History Museum | Explore discovery centers and art + activity stations from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
LBJ Presidential Library | Kids can use instant cameras to play with photography + create memory books.

See the full list here.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by London.

Editor’s pick: Speaking of volunteering, I’m signed up to help Keep Austin Beautiful clean up some trails later this month. 🌳

Have you had any moving volunteering experiences in Austin? Which organizations do you like to support? Share your stories with us, and we might include them in an upcoming newsletter.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? It’s time for sugar, pumpkin spice, and everything nice. ☕️

Connect with us.

Editorial: Laura Figi, London Gibson, Dayten Rose, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea, Josh Kranzberg | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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