11 Best Volunteer Opportunities in Huntsville to Lend a Hand
If you’re wondering how to find volunteer opportunities in Huntsville, then you’ve come to the right place. I’ve got good news too, there are tons of great places to volunteer you’re time.
In the list below, I’ve put together some of my favorite places to volunteer in Huntsville, along with some organizations that I’ve heard good things about.
I’ve tried to add a nice variety to the list, like youth volunteer opportunities, animal shelter volunteer opportunities, and more!
Let’s get to it.
Table of Contents
Manna House
For those looking to serve the homeless, one of the best volunteer opportunities in Huntsville is with Manna House.
They have opportunities to serve with their food distribution teams during the evening throughout the week and their Saturday afternoon church service.
I have served at Manna House a few times over the years, and it was great to feed those in need and even watch the worship and word spoken to those in attendance.
It’s as simple as serving food, or even just being there to talk and pray with those who may need it.
CAJA of Madison County
CAJA of Madison County believes that every child deserves a safe, permanent home. If you have a heart for kids who have been neglected or abused, this is one of the best volunteer opportunities in Huntsville.
Anyone can volunteer with CAJA, but you will need to pass a background check and complete some training. However, that’s a small price to pay for the joy that comes with helping kids navigate through one of the most difficult situations they’ll face in life.
Enable Madison County
Enable Madison County is one of the best volunteer opportunities in Huntsville for those who want to work with the elderly. They provide services to the aging and home-bound that allow them to live independently, safely, and with dignity.
There are numerous ways to volunteer your time including one-on-one time with someone in need, building projects, and more. Projects can be completed anytime during the day and they are always looking for help, big or small.
Hospice of North Alabama
Another one of the best places to volunteer in Huntsville is Hospice of North Alabama. Serving with this organization means helping someone who is truly in need.
Being a part of the hospice community means being there for these families in one of the most challenging times in their lives. As a volunteer, some help you will be giving is running errands for the families, preparing light meals, and being with patients so their caregivers can have a break.
As someone who has seen the mental and physical toll that caregiving can have on someone, having you as that special person to step in and help means everything.
Operation Green Team Foundation
If you are passionate about the environment, Operation Green Team is one of the best volunteer opportunities in Huntsville for you!
Operation Green Team is continuing the work it began in 1977. Its mission is to keep Huntsville beautiful and sustainable with litter prevention initiatives, waste reduction and recycling programs, landscape enhancements, and environmental field trips and programs at the J.D. & Annie S. Hays Nature Preserve and the Goldsmith-Schiffman Wildlife Sanctuary.
For example, there are some great playgrounds in Huntsville, and Operation Green Team wants to keep them beautiful! This is a great way to serve the Huntsville community and help keep our city beautiful.
Downtown Rescue Mission
The Downtown Rescue Mission is a nonprofit organization that serves the homeless living throughout northern Alabama and southern Tennessee.
They are a faith-based organization that gives people a warm place to sleep, and a nice meal and helps them get back on their feet.
As Huntsville continues to grow, the homeless population is also going to continue to grow. You can volunteer your time and resources to help love your neighbor.
Huntsville Inner City Learning Center
For those who are passionate about education, one of the best volunteer opportunities in Huntsville is with the Huntsville Inner City Learning Center.
It’s a Christian-based organization that partners with schools and families in the community to help students with limited opportunities become lifelong learners and responsible citizens.
If you enjoy mentoring students and spending time with young adults, this is a great volunteer opportunity!
Kids to Love
Kids to Love is one of my favorite volunteer opportunities in Huntsville. I’ve served with them many times over the years and love what they are doing for our city!
The goal of Kids to Love is to help meet the needs of those in foster care. They give out all sorts of donations and also need volunteers to help with events.
Recently, they also opened Davidson Farms, which is a home for women who have experienced abuse or have phased out of the foster care system and need a place to stay.
A New Leash on Life
For those looking for volunteer opportunities in Huntsville that are focused on pets, A New Leash on Life is the perfect place to serve.
Their motto is “Making the world a better place for homeless pets and the people who love them!” And I’ve got to say, they truly live out their motto.
I’ve adopted multiple pets from A New Leash on Life over the years and have had a great experience with them. The picture above is my dog Bruce, who I rescued from A New Leash on Life in 2019.
If you don’t have time to volunteer right now, they also have two thrift stores in Huntsville that are always accepting donations.
Huntsville Botanical Gardens
Have a green thumb or love of all things plants? Well, the Huntsville Botanical Gardens is the perfect volunteering opportunity for you!
Volunteering at the gardens is flexible, impactful, and fun. If you have a teenager and they want somewhere to volunteer and learn, they have a youth program that would be perfect.
Besides the youth program, volunteers can help at events held throughout the year at the gardens, be a docent, perform administrative duties, and much more.
Oh, and if you’ve never been to the Botanical Gardens before, it makes for a great date night!
Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama
For those who love working with kids, one of the best volunteer opportunities in Huntsville is with the Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama.
Their mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those most in need, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.
As a volunteer, you’ll be able to serve these students with your time, compassion, and talents. Since you’ll work with kids, you do need to pass a background check and go through some training, but it’s worth it.
I served at a Boys and Girls Club in college and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my collegiate years!
Andrew Smith is the founder of Huntsville Explorer. Born and raised in Huntsville, Andrew has spent his whole life in the Rocket City. He graduated from Auburn University in 2020 and loves exploring all of the new businesses in town!