Volunteer Opportunties

There’s a wide selection of community organizations and volunteer jobs to choose from. We love telling you about them, and all the ways you can make a contribution. Just contact us at (518) 442-5585 or rsvp@albany.edu for more information or to start volunteering.

Click on a category to jump to the associated agencies. This list is updated regularly.

Category List

Featured, Counseling, Community Service, Education, Faith-based, Food Services, Health, Hospital, Law-related Services, Library, Museum, Public Safety, Nature, Nursing Home, Senior Assistance

Featured Volunteer Opportunities

Back to School!

Elderly man helping child in elementary school to read

Discovery Box Literacy Program for Elementary Students K-3.

Serve 1 hour weekly reading to children. Receive training in early childhood literacy, and how to share the wonderful world of books.

Childrens’ Store at Philip Schuyler Elementary.

Children earn time-dollars for being helpful at school. Assist children and help in an innovative school store that redeems childrens' time-dollars for needed supplies and toys.

Birthday Buddies. Schenectady elementary schools.

Serve 1-2 hours monthly helping with birthday celebrations for young students.

PAL, Police Athletic League After School program.

Serve several hours monthly sharing your skills and interests with youth in after school program.

Health and Emergency Services

Department of Public Health

Health professionals and non-health volunteers are needed to assist on “on-call” basis for public vaccination program.

Fire Police are needed to help direct traffic during emergencies.

Serve your local fire department. Brief training provided. Serve on “on-call” basis. Choose day or evening as preferred.

Non-medical drivers for EMT vehicles needed.

Serve your local fire department. Brief training provided. Willingess to serve and good driving record are all you need to help.

Regional Food Bank, Latham, urgently needs your help.

Make a difference for thousands of needy families. Serve several hours monthly. Enjoy their new automated environment. Sort food, and you can be seated while you sort! Enjoyable, social atmosphere. Thank-you events. Training provided, free parking, and on a bus route.

Counseling

Haven Of Schenectady

Bereavement counseling for children and adults. Jobs: office support, book keeping.

St. Peter's Addiction Recovery, Albany

Addiction recovery center (inpatient and outpatient). Jobs: clerical, and gift shop.

VA-CASE (Counseling, Advocacy, Services, Entitlements) of Stratton VA Medical Center, Albany.

Provision of health care services to veterans. Jobs: guide and assist veterans in applying for and receiving government benefits.

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Community Service

Albany Co. Home Visitor Program

Pay visits to ill and/or homebound seniors.

Albany Girls Club, Inc.

An after-school program for approx. 50 lower-income girls, meant to provide a safe and healthy environment for the girls. Jobs: Administrative and clerical work.

Albany Visitors Center

Information services, historic tours, gallery programs. Jobs: historic walking tours of downtown, gallery tours in the visitors center.

Center for the Study of Aging

Programs, consultation, referrals, editing and publishing books, library. Jobs: clerk (filing and general clerical)

Volunteers organizing donations for a community emergency response.

Cohoes Community Center

Recreational, educational, fitness programs, and child care.

Citizens for Transportation

Working to improve local CDTA buses - Albany, Schenectady. Jobs: information for bus riders, advertising about bus meetings, distributing flyers.

Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center, Albany

Seeks friendly visitors, gift shop attendants, and receptionists. Make a senior’s day!

Equinox, Inc.

Youth Shelter Facility. Jobs: manager, youth shelter clerical assistant, residential counselor aide, technical assistant, helpwith holiday meals, special events.

Homeless Action Committee

Outreach to people living on the streets. Single room occupancy residence for formerly homeless, chronic alcoholics. Jobs: prepare and help serve meals.

JACS (Joint Action in Community Service)

Support, encouragement, information, and referrals to at risk youth who are entering the work force. Jobs: contact former Job Corps students by telephone to help them assess their needs, then provide advice and information to help meet those needs.

Madison Emporium Thrift Shop

Thrift store, clerical work, repairs, pricing. Jobs: clerical work, pricing, and repairs.

Make A Wish Foundation

Make wishes come true for children with life threatening diseases. Jobs: clerical work.

Maternal Infant Network of the Capital Region, Albany

Coordination of services to mothers and infants, provide care and promote child health. Jobs: clerical work, information booths, work with families.

Mohawk Pathways Girl Scouts

Educational service for girls. Jobs: clerical, troop leadership programs.

Office of Disabled Student Services

Services to students with disabilities. Jobs: read tests to students (and write them), tape textbooks.

Red Cross Telephone Assurance

Make friendly, encouraging calls to homebound seniors.

ROI Smith Center

Provide community residents (with developmental diabilities) day treatment and outreach. Jobs: help with bulk mailings.

Sidney Albert Albany Jewish Community Center

Help with fundraising, office work, special events for community recreation center.

Son-Rise Program

An innovative child-centered program to enrich the life of a special child in the family's home. Jobs: work with an autistic child.

St. Margaret's Center for Children

Skilled Nursing Facility for children to age 16. Jobs: Friendly visiting, companionship.

United Way of Northeastern New York, Inc.

Juvenile mentoring program provided by the Adolescent Employability Skills Plus Program. Jobs: positive mentoring of youth at risk of involvement in criminal activities and educational failure.

Whiskers Animal Benevolent League

No-kill animal shelter-providing a safe place, medical treatment and care until we can adopt animals to homes. Jobs: shelter workers keep the shelter clean, feed cats, launder bedding, provide fresh food and water.

WMHT Public Radio

Radio reading service for blind and physically handicapped. Jobs: reading and taping of all types of written material. Also, pledge takers/phone answerers needed for future annual fund-raising events.Help support public educational programs!

YWCA of Schenectady

Children and family services, health promotion service, services to women and families. Jobs: assistance with the above programs.

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Education

Kenwood Childhood Development Center

Pre-school day care, and special education 3-5. Jobs: library set up and up keep, aid with special education classroom.

Literacy Volunteers of America, Schenectady and Rensselaer

Seeks tutors fluent in English to work with adult speakers of other languages. Training provided.

RSVP Discovery Box Intergenerational Literacy Program

Read to inner city school children in the Capital Region using homemade “Discovery Boxes“ or themed educational boxes filled with books, learning materials, puppets and other fun stuff! Share your time and skills with a group of school age children! (Runs school year Sept-May.)

STARS (Seniors Teaching & Reaching Out for Students)

Seniors work with teachers to mentor and tutor children in classroom setting in Ravena, Coeymans Selkirk School District. Jobs: working with students in reading groups & classrooms, mentoring.

Albany Operation Weed & Sow: Youth in Progress Reading & Enrichment Program

After school and weekend homework help for children ages 4-12, including mentoring, reading, and tutoring. Also help older students ages 13-25, who have not been successful in traditional or alternative school settings.

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Faith-based

St. Patrick's Church, Ravena

Thrift shop, food pantry, help with community meals.

Our Lady of Mercy Life Center, Guilderland

Deliver mail, friendly visiting, transport patients.

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Food Services

Guilderland Meals on Wheels & Food Pantry

Organize and stock a community pantry and provide delivery if needed. Jobs: Interview clients, stock shelves, make deliveries Mon-Fri.

Hilltowns Community Resource Center

Help in Food pantry, coats for kids program, holiday projects and community sentencing program. Jobs: board members, pantry services, fund raisers.

Israel American Food Pantry

Deliver meals, home visits and help with pantry. Sort foods at Regional Food bank, pack and deliver.

Regional Food Bank of NENY

Accepts donations from food industry and distributes to social service agencies. Jobs: office work, sorting and repackaging.

Salvation Army of Schenectady

Pantry, soup kitchen, senior breakfasts, sort clothing, make holiday baskets and food baskets. Jobs: nutrition program assistance, food/clothes sorting and more.

Schenectady Inner City Mission/SICM

Food co-op & pantry, homeless center (days), HIV/AIDS support . Jobs: interview, stock shelves, teach, mentor, teach computers.

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Health

AMC South Clinical Campus

Help out at an information desk or in the surgical waiting area, assist families of patients.

American Red Cross

Disaster relief, blood drives and related services.

Northeast Association of the Blind

Read to the visually impaired, help with mailings.

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Hospital

Volunteer translates doctor's instructions to elderly woman.

Albany Medical Center Aids Unit

Albany Memorial

Work at info. desk, transport patients, gift shop and clerical available.

Ellis Hospital

Friendly visitor, deliver mail, gift shop, clerical support.

Seton Health, Troy

Gift shop, information desk, clerical, visit with patients.

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Law-related

Law, Order & Justice

Be a supervisor for non-custodial parental visits. Day or evening shifts available. Training provided.

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Library

Albany Public

Help seniors learn computers, also special events and book fairs.

Cohoes Public

Sort returned books, clerical work, and maintenance of books.

Schenectady Public

Sort returned books, clerical work, and maintenance of books.

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Museum

Albany Institute of History & Art

Educate the public-be a docent. Also clerical and organizational work.

Historic Cherry Hill

Help out with clerical work in this historic downtown homestead.

NYS Museum

Educational services for the public. Become an Information Specialist! Call for details.

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Nature

Huyck Preserve and Research Station

Help with youth and environmental education programs. Greet and show visitors preserve, explain programs offered.

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Nursing Home

Baptist Health, Scotia

Transport patients, prepare mailings, store clerks.

Daughters of Sarah, Albany

Pastoral care, clerical, lobby shop, transport patients.

Our Lady of Mercy Life Center, Guilderland

Deliver mail, friendly visiting, transport patients.

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Public Safety

Albany Police Department

Help with data entry, care for children of parents attending court, assist children with reading, music or athletics with the Police Athletic League after school program. Help repair toys.

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