Thank you for wanting to volunteer with Carrying Hope and help the foster children and families we serve! During these unprecedented times as we are all trying to reimagine our volunteer opportunities to limit the spread and risks associated with COVID-19, we are limiting in-person interactions to prioritize safety. At the same time, we’ve seen the demand for Hope Packs skyrocket during the pandemic and are distributing them as fast as we can make them. We still need help from our amazing volunteers, and we are offering a few new physically-distanced volunteer opportunities you can do from your own home by yourself, with your kids or with a group of friends or organization. Interested volunteers can check out the options and sign up for an opportunity that works for you! Thank you for helping us bring some much-needed comfort and hope to the kids who need it most!
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Pick up a backpack to fill with Hope for children entering foster care:
Want to provide some hope and comfort to a child going through a moment of crisis? We are looking for volunteers to fill 50 Hope Packs in the month of September. We provide the backpacks and supply lists, and volunteers go shopping (in a store or online) to fill it with items on the list! Interested volunteers can sign up at the link below, indicating how many Hope Packs they would like to make and the age(s)/gender(s) of the child(ren) you would like to make a Hope Pack for in the comments section. Volunteers can pick up backpacks and supply lists and return their completed Hope Packs any Wednesday in Sept. from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at our office (8711 Burnet Rd. Ste. E-52 Austin, TX 78757). All complete Hope Packs must be returned no later than Wednesday, Sept. 30. Masks are mandatory in our office, and the pick-ups/drop-offs can be contactless when requested by emailing info@carryinghope.com. Sign up for this opportunity here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080548AEAE29A5F58-fill.
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Bundle diapers to include in Hope Packs for babies and toddlers entering foster care:
We are looking for TWO families to help us bundle diapers in the month of September. Interested volunteers can sign up to bundle diapers in individual quantities of 20-25, which will go into baby and toddler Hope Packs. Interested volunteers can pick up large boxes of diapers on Wednesday, Sept. 2, Sept. 9 or Sept. 16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at our office (8711 Burnet Rd. Ste. E-52 Austin, TX 78757) and return bundled/labeled diapers the following Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Diapers can be bundled in large gallon-sized Ziplock bags or bundled in plastic wrap, depending on volunteers’ preference and should be labeled according to diaper size. All bundled diapers must be returned no later than Wednesday, Sept. 30. Masks are mandatory in our office, and the pick-ups/drop-offs can be contactless when requested by emailing info@carryinghope.com. Sign up for this opportunity here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080548aeae29a5f58-bundle
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Create activity packs for children entering foster care:
We are looking for FIVE families or volunteer groups to create 20 activity packs during the month of September, which will go inside Hope Packs for children and teens. Each activity pack should be individually packaged in a clear Ziplock bag and include a mix of 2-3 items. Suggested items include a deck of playing cards, a fidget spinner, a travel size game such as Uno or Go Fish, MadLibs, a Rubix cube, a blind bag of LEGOs or Shopkins, a sealed container of slime or putty, a coloring book with crayons, etc. Interested volunteers should sign up at the link below. Complete activity packs can be dropped off any Wednesday in Sept. from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at our office (8711 Burnet Rd. Ste. E-52 Austin, TX 78757). All complete activity packs must be returned no later than Wednesday, Sept. 30. Masks are mandatory in our office, and the drop-off can be contactless when requested by emailing info@carryinghope.com. Sign up for this opportunity here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080548AEAE29A5F58-create
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Donate a gift card for a child living in a shelter to shop for school clothes:
We are looking for 12 volunteers to sign up to purchase Target and Amazon gift cards for 12 children and teens living in a local shelter. Twelve children currently residing in a local shelter will use these gift cards to shop for new fall clothing to help prepare them for the upcoming fall semester. Target gift cards can be in any amount (suggested amounts range between $25-$100) and mailed to Carrying Hope at 9600 Escarpment Blvd. Ste. 745-239 Austin, TX 78749 no later than Sept. 30. Thank you for helping prepare a foster child to enter the new school year in style and with some added confidence! Sign up for this opportunity here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080548AEAE29A5F58-gift
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ONGOING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
Make A Hope Pack:
For under $100 you can make a Hope Pack––a backpack or diaper bag filled with new, age-appropriate comfort items and essentials intended to help ease the transition for children who are entering a new foster home. Our goal is to offer items that a child entering foster care would either need or could find comfort in during those first 48 hours in a new home— you would be amazed what a fresh pair of jammies and a soft teddy bear can do for a child in crisis. Hope Packs also allow foster parents to focus solely on a child in those first crucial hours and days instead of rushing out to the store.
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Donate or Host a Drive to Collect Most-Needed Items:
Entire classrooms or offices can help us by organizing a drive to collect most needed items that can be used to fill Hope Packs. It’s a great way to get a group of people involved to help us reach our goal in providing a Hope Pack to every child entering into the foster care system within Central Texas.
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Make A Monetary Donation:
Carrying Hope is a volunteer-run nonprofit so 100 percent of your donation is going directly toward making Hope Packs for children entering foster care.
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Check out our events page for additional upcoming volunteer opportunities.
You can also email us directly at info@carryinghope.com with any questions or ideas on how you’d like to get involved.
