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!
HOLIDAYS: Provide holiday gifts for a child in foster care:
Carrying Hope is in need of volunteers to make Holiday Hope Packs for children who will spend the holiday season in local foster homes. Each Holiday Hope Pack will include items a child may need, such as brand new pajamas, as well as wishlist items sure to lift their spirits and brighten their day. After you sign up to make a Holiday Hope Pack, you will be emailed a list with your child’s name and age and each item that needs to be included in his or her Hope Pack. On average, each Holiday Hope Pack will cost $100 to make. Sign up for this opportunity here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080548aeae29a5f58-holiday1.
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HOLIDAYS: Provide stocking stuffers for children in foster care:
Carrying Hope is in need of volunteers to donate items that will create 100 stockings that will be handed out to foster children during their annual holiday party! Below, you will find a variety of items we need to stuff each stocking — feel free to sign up for more than one slot if you’d like. You will find links to item examples in the comments of each slot — please feel free to purchase your items from wherever you’d like, as these are just suggestions. Please purchase your items, then drop them off at Carrying Hope’s office (8711 Burnet, E-52) on Wednesday, Nov. 4, Nov. 11, or Nov. 18 during our office hours, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The items may also be shipped directly to our mailing address: 9600 Escarpment, 745-239, Austin, TX 78749. The stockings will be assembled as part of our Winter Bash at the Long Center on Dec. 6. Sign up for this opportunity here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080548aeae29a5f58-holiday1.
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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 November. 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 on Wednesday, Nov. 4, or Wednesday, Nov. 11, 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, Nov. 18, during office hours, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 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-fill1.
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Bundle diapers to include in Hope Packs for babies and toddlers entering foster care:
We are looking for ONE family to help us bundle diapers in the month of November. 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, Nov. 4, and return them on Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at our office (8711 Burnet Rd. Ste. E-52 Austin, TX 78757). 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. 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-bundle2
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Create toiletry kits for teens entering foster care:
We are looking for FIVE families or volunteer groups to create 20 toiletry kits during the month of November that will go inside Hope Packs for teens. Each toiletry kit should be individually packaged in a clear Ziplock bag and include all of the following: travel-size shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste. Interested volunteers should sign up at the link below. Complete toiletry kits can be dropped off on a Wednesday — either Nov. 4, Nov. 11, or Nov. 18 — from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at our office (8711 Burnet Rd. Ste. E-52 Austin, TX 78757). All complete toiletry kits must be returned no later than Wednesday, Nov. 18. 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-create2
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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.
