Boulder is famously a mindful and giving community. Boulderites all love to give back, to give their time and care to make the Boulder community a place where all can live and thrive. From helping fellow Boulderites (both people and animals) in need, to taking care of our beautiful environment, the Boulder volunteer opportunities are plentiful. And, having so many high schools and universities here in one little city, we’re lucky enough to have a ton of young people looking to do good (and add to their robust CVs, of course).
This list of 5 (okay, 6) volunteer opportunities doesn’t even scratch the surface of all the wonderful causes you can get involved in here.
If you’d want to tout your favorite cause you like to volunteer for, that I’ve left out, give ‘em a shoutout in the comments! For now, here’s five of the choicest Boulder volunteer opportunities for a rich (and often really fun!) experience.
Parks & Open Space
Boulder County Parks & Open Space encompasses so many different beautiful areas in Boulder in need of a good volunteer’s help. Maintaining spaces & parks, human services, public safety, sheriff’s assistants, adopt-a-road programs and more all are part of our county’s enormous parks & open space network.
There are also a plethora of Criminal Justice and Health & Human Services type positions to help with too: from victim advocacy to nutrition program help, to tutoring in the Casa de la Esperanza Learning Center, there’s a way to give back to Boulder for everyone’s skills.
Circle of Care
The Circle of Care Project specializes in socializing & teaching classes for Boulder seniors’ well being. Their mission centers around ending isolation of seniors by connecting them to other adults and sharing the wide world of arts and culture with them.
As a Circle of Care volunteer, you can be a driver and performance companion for an elder (doesn’t that sound like fun!), help out in their office with administrative tasks including grant writing, and if you’re a performing artist yourself, they’re always looking for volunteer performances for their members to enjoy.
EFAA
The Emergency Family Assistance Association has been helping Boulder’s families in need for over a hundred years–really since Boulder existed (and even before–when we were just a mining encampment).
They provide emergency help with rent, utilities, and food for those people (especially with children) who need a temporary boost to obtain their basic needs. As a volunteer for EFAA, you can drive for or manage their food banks, take on front desk shifts, be a translator, or assist their case workers.
Greenwood Wildlife Rehab Center
At the beautiful Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, you can assist with rehabilitation and care for sick & injured wildlife. Greenwood is the biggest wildlife rehab center in Colorado, and has been doing good for our wild creature neighbors since 1982. They have volunteer opportunities for all ages, as well as a robust program for court-ordered community service.
Photo credit: Greenwood Wildlife
Humane Society of Boulder
If you’re a fan of thrifting and/or a conscientious pet owner in Boulder, you’ll be familiar with the Boulder Humane Society. This venerable animal-helping Boulder institution has all kinds of volunteer roles ready to step into, including: Animal helpers, facilities work, and manning the thrift shop. You must be 15+ for most volunteer jobs at the Humane Society, but they do have a youth program too–kids ages 7-14 can work with an adult to volunteer.
Honorable Mention: Medicine Horse
I couldn’t let this article conclude without mentioning Medicine Horse. This organization is a fantastic group that specializes in what’s called Equine Therapy, which is a program of healing centering on interacting with horses. They’ve got a robust volunteer program–you start by mucking out stalls, getting to know the horses, and then you move up the training ranks till you’re helping the therapists with the horse handling.
Where do you give your time in Boulder? Let us know in the comments.
