Volunteering is a great way to feed your soul, and give back to your community. However, knowing where to look and how to get involved can be overwhelming. Especially in such a big and diverse place as Tampa! So here at Modern Globe we’ve created a list of where to start volunteering in Tampa Bay. This list is by no means exhaustive and if you see we are missing an organization that needs volunteers, tell us! We’re a community site and we want to hear from our community.
We’ve broken down volunteering by major topics. We’ve also included some explanations about the day-to-day activities of volunteers from volunteer coordinators at different organizations.
Start the year off right! Find an organization you love and start making a difference in the Tampa Bay community.
Animals
- SPCA Tampa Bay
- Humane Society Tampa Bay
- Zoo Tampa
- Tampa Audubon
- Save Our Strays Inc
- Busch Wildlife Sanctuary
- Save Our Seabirds
Save Our Seabirds receives over 5,000 bird distress calls each year from caring citizens throughout the Sarasota-Manatee area. Our volunteers are essential to our operation. All of our rescuers are volunteers, who dedicate their free time to going out on calls to rescue sick or injured birds. Our on-site volunteers assist with dispatch, grounds maintenance, greeting guests, and educating our visitors (docents). -- Jessica Caryll, Office and Outreach Manager, Save Our Seabirds
Kids
- Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay
- Champions for Children
- Family Support Services
- Big Brothers Big Sisters
- Guardian ad Litem
- We Care Family Connections
Food
- Feeding Tampa Bay
- St. Pete Free Clinic
- Meals on Wheels of Tampa
- Tampa Bay Networks to End Hunger
- Community Food Pantry
Volunteers help fill the gaps of needed services by fostering in their homes if they can, or helping at our facility, where we always need volunteers to stop in to visit with, pet and play with the cats. Many people think working with animals means snuggling kitties all day. While there are opportunities for play and bonding time, much of animal welfare involves behind-the-scenes work. It’s important to be realistic about the nitty gritty of animal volunteerism, because the animals in our care depend on us to provide their needs and to help them move on to their forever family." -- Fluffy Cazalas, Save Our Strays Inc
Nature
- Tampa Bay Estuary Program
- Butterfly Tampa
- Hillsborough Parks and Rec
- Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful
- St. Pete Parks & Rec
- Boyd Hill Nature Preserve
- Friends of Pinellas Master Naturalists
Housing
Meals On Wheels of Tampa volunteers deliver meals Monday through Friday. Volunteers pick up meals from a designated pick-up site and deliver them along a pre-determined route directly to the homes of our recipients (directions provided). When you are a Meals on Wheels volunteer, you are delivering much more than a nutritious meal – you are providing human connection." --Yvette Rouse, Volunteer Coordinator, Meals on Wheels
Arts and Entertainment
- St. Petersburg Arts Alliance
- Gasparilla Festival of the Arts
- Carrollwood Cultural Center
- Straz Center
- Tampa Theatre
Health
- Metro Inclusive Health
- St. Pete Free Clinic
- Tampa General Hospital
- Crisis Center of Tampa Bay
- Francis House, Inc.
Our volunteers help with every aspect of the preserve. They care for our animal ambassadors, enhance the biodiversity and health of the lands, lead educational tours for the public throughout the preserve, teach about our city’s development at our historical settlement, and assist with special events throughout the year. The support from our volunteers is of the utmost importance as we could not achieve our successes without their hard work and dedication." -- Miranda Cottrell, Volunteer Coordinator, Boyd Hill Nature Preserve
Veterans
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