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!
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 July 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 (example here), deodorant (example here), body wash or soap (example here), toothbrush (example here), toothpaste (example here), and lotion (example here). Complete toiletry kits can be dropped off on a Wednesday — either July 7, July 14, July 21 or July 28 — 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, July 28. Masks are mandatory in our office for non-vaccinated visitors, 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-create13
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 July that 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 or pop-it, 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. No food items, please. Interested volunteers should sign up at the link below. Complete activity packs can be dropped off any Wednesday in July 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, July 28. Masks are mandatory in our office for non-vaccinated visitors, 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-create12
Fill a backpack for a child in 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 20 Hope Packs in the month of July. 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, July 7, Wednesday, July 14, or Wednesday, July 21, 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, July 28, during office hours, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Masks are mandatory in our office for non-vaccinated visitors, 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-fill7
Give a gift card to a foster child:
It’s that time of year again –– Hope the Hedgehog’s 5th Birthday and the 5th anniversary of Carrying Hope becoming a 501c3 nonprofit –– and we’re splashing into summer by providing an amazing pool party at Dell Diamond’s on-site right field swimming pool for 50 children living in local shelters and residential treatment centers. These foster children will be given a fun afternoon and evening of swimming, dinner, drinks and a baseball game on Thursday, July 29, and Carrying Hope will also send them home with Hope Packs containing gift cards so they can shop for new school clothes to give them a little extra confidence as they enter the new school year!
We are looking for 50 volunteers to help us donate $50 and $100 gift cards to give these deserving children and teens, many who have not had the opportunity to pick out their very own brand new clothes before, a wardrobe refresh as they begin school this fall. Here are details on how you can help: Sign up here and either visit www.carryinghope.com/donate to make a $50 or $100 donation – or – mail us a $50 or $100 Target gift card by July 20 to Carrying Hope, 9600 Escarpment Blvd. Ste. 745-239, Austin, TX 78749. Sign up for this opportunity here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080548aeae29a5f58-give
Be a driver and deliver Hope to Austin-area doorsteps:
Carrying Hope is looking for a dedicated team of volunteers to help deliver Hope Packs and resources directly to the doorsteps of families in need. We are always in need of drivers to help us deliver these items to foster and kinship families who have recently received placements as well as families struggling as a result of the pandemic and recent weather-related emergencies. We are currently looking for 20 volunteers willing to be on standby for when our delivery needs arise. Volunteers must be willing to drive to our office (8711 Burnet Rd. E-52 Austin TX 78757) on Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to pick up items and deliver them to homes in the Austin area that same day. Volunteers will be added to an email list where we will send out messages about our current needs. While this volunteer opportunity is flexible and operates on an as-needed basis, volunteers must have excellent driving records, reliable transportation, adhere to mask-wearing and contactless drop-off protocols and be compassionate and respectful of the privacy of the families we serve. Sign up for this opportunity here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080548AEAE29A5F58-beadriver
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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.
