Volunteer Placement Program

The Basic Needs Center is a campus care collective for CU Boulder students, connecting you to essential resources when you need them most. As a virtual and physical hub of services, we collaborate with on-campus and community partners to get you the care you need. The Basic Needs Center provides 

• Food assistance, including Buff Pantry, SNAP support and community resources.
• Housing assistance for short-term and emergency situations.
• Connection with on- and off-campus resources for health and wellness services, transportation, disability services, financial aid, legal assistance, career planning and more.

 Food insecurity is the lack of access to affordable, nutritious and culturally relevant food in a quantity that supports the active and healthy lifestyle our students need to be successful. The Buff Pantry is the on-campus food pantry at the University of Colorado Boulder. Located in the University Memorial Center, CU students are welcome to visit the Buff Pantry one time per week and will receive approximately 20 pounds of food per visit. The Buff Pantry provides shelf-stable products, fresh produce and personal care items at no cost to students. Volunteering at the Buff Pantry is a way to directly serve and support CU students experiencing food insecurity. It is also a great opportunity to meet new people and make new friends!

• What do volunteers do? Volunteers will support general outreach efforts to campus to make the Basic Needs Center more visible to students in need and/or can volunteer to support the daily operations of the Buff Pantry, which includes staffing the Buff Pantry, restocking shelves, assisting clients and managing deliveries and donations. Students will begin training to volunteer in the Buff Pantry during the week of Monday, February 28. Volunteers will then shadow staff members or previous volunteers for two weeks after training. Once volunteers are comfortable, they are able to run the pantry independently and are able to reach out to staff members for assistance when needed. Volunteers will also assist with sporadic Feed the Stampede events throughout the semester, including Mobile Food Pantries, hot meal distribution events, and nutrition education events. The Buff Pantry placement requires volunteering for the full semester through the last day of classes. 
• Volunteers gain knowledge about food insecurity and basic needs, and especially how it impacts college students at CU Boulder, experience doing outreach to help students connect with housing, emergency financial assitsance and food through outreach and/or working in the daily operations of a food pantry, customer service skills, communication skills and team work. 
• COVID-19 information: This is an in-person, on-campus volunteer opportunity.
• Location: Volunteers will report to the Buff Pantry on campus in UMC 1B73 for their volunteer shifts each week. Bi-weekly volunteer meetings will be held over Zoom.

Boulder Community Health  is a community owned-and-operated not-for-profit health system dedicated to providing local access to high-quality medical care to people and businesses in Boulder and surrounding areas.

We are known across Colorado for our clinical excellence in heart care, neurosurgery, stroke care, orthopedics and cancer care. We’re proud of our tradition of being an early adopter of new technologies and medical techniques that improve care for our patients

• What do volunteers do? Volunteers can assist different areas of the hospital based on their skills and interests including infant hearing, nutrition and patient meal delivery, community gift shop, emergency, surgery and more. Volunteers assist professional staff by stocking supplies, assisting with training simulations, delivering meals to patients and interacting with families, supporting physical therapy patients, and providing hands on support specific to the department based on needs. 
• Volunteers gain experience in medical settings, interactions with patients and their families, opportunities to explore possible health care careers, insight into how the organization is run to meet the needs of the community. Boulder Community Health is a great organization to volunteer with for students on a prehealth track!

Note: Due to the amount of training and onboarding that goes into preparing volunteers this placement requires a six-month committment and is recommended for students who are on a pre-health track. Students who are placed in the fall semester commit to completing 30 hours of service in the fall and they can continue to volunteer over winter break or to start volunteering again during spring semester.

• COVID-19 information: This is an in-person volunteer experience and volunteers must be able coordinate their own transportation. Volunteers must be vaccinated.
• Location: 4747 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, CO 80303

Community Food Share is a food bank fighting hunger in Boulder and Broomfield Counties by providing access to fresh, nutritious food through local partners and its onsite and mobile pantries. Community Food Share’s mission is to eliminate hunger in Boulder and Broomfield Counties through engagement, collaboration and leadership.

• What do volunteers do? There are multiple ways that our volunteers can assist our operations. Volunteers help to distribute food at our on-site pantry, repack bulk food donations, sort incoming food donations, help to keep our warehouse clean and perform any other assortment of jobs that pop up in a food bank! One hour of volunteering provides 90 meals to people experiencing food insecurity. Volunteers who can speak both Spanish and English are very needed in this organization.
• Volunteers gain customer service, teamwork, communication and experience working in a food bank addressing basic needs directly.
• COVID-19 information: This is an in-person volunteer experience and volunteers must be able coordinate their own transportation. Volunteer shifts are weekdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. MT.
• Location: 650 S. Taylor Ave., Louisville, CO 80027

• What do volunteers do? Our direct services are in a hybrid approach. Volunteers will attend three training sessions to develop tools as a volunteer in order to assist with tabling, phone banking, texting campaigns, logistics of events (set up and tear down), sharing stories with COLOR and community members, identifying themes and trends of statistics, craft/creative projects and administrative work. Bilingual preferred but not necessary (Spanish/English); we welcome all who want to volunteer with us. Examples of the direct service opportunities students can assist with are listed below.
  • Latino/a Advocacy Day: assist registration table, welcome guests, set up signs and tables, assist with childcare.
  • Community involvement: engage with the community regarding what is COLOR, engage in narrative building and storytelling, deliver flyers, relational organizing and recruit new members.
  • Tabling events: set up, tear down and staff the table at events like Pride Fest, Westword festivals, Reproductive Health (baby supplies and food) and Youth Activist for Abortion Access Summit (YAAAS).
  • Reproductive Justice Policy campaigns: Get out the Vote (GOTV), phone banking, canvassing, texting campaigns.
• Volunteers gain basic organizing skills, basic Google Suite skills, basic Microsoft skills, administrative skills, basic public speaking skills, advocacy skills.
• COVID-19 information: It will be a hybrid approach as some areas can be done virtually, via Zoom or text. We will have in-person meetings and possible in-person events as restrictions from the pandemic are lifted.
• Mailing address: PO Box 40991, Denver, CO 80204

Colorado Reading Partners has been a part of the Colorado educational landscape since 2012, when Mile High United Way leveraged a federal Social Innovation Fund grant to help ensure more Colorado children could read proficiently by third grade. Since then, we have paired thousands of community volunteers with kids to help them master basic reading skills and narrow their opportunity gap. Our one-on-one tutoring empowers students to succeed while simultaneously empowering volunteers to make a lasting difference in our community through individualized personal attention to each student in our program.

• What do volunteers do? In this role CU students serve as mirrors and role models for elementary school students who need support with reading skills. The dedicated time and attention that volunteers give on a weekly basis helps these students increase their reading skills, social skills, confidence in their abilities and ultimately their own opportunities later in life. Volunteers will be paired with a student and will volunteer each week at the same day at a time that fits their schedule. Shifts are Monday- Thursday between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Students commit to volunteering until early December.
• Volunteers gain experience tutoring and working with youth, knowledge of Colorado public schools and resources to create more equity and individualized educational support for children of all backgrounds.
• COVID-19 information: Reading Partners will follow all COVID-19 school safety requirements and is prepared to offer in-person volunteer opportunities aligned with local guidelines. Volunteers from the Volunteer Placement Program will all be placed at the same school location so they can connect and support each other while volunteering.
• Location: Students will be able to choose from several elementary schools located in Westminister. Students can carpool, take the RTD bus (~1 hour ride) or drive individually if able.

CU Science Discovery is a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education outreach program at the University of Colorado Boulder. Science Discovery manages programs that engage K-12 students and teachers in STEM and connect public audiences with the STEM research happening here at CU Boulder. Science Discovery programs utilize CU scientific expertise, equipment, resources, faculty and graduate and undergraduate students in order to provide participants with unique, experiential STEM learning experiences. 

Join the STEM Education Mentors: Volunteers have the opportunity to volunteer in a play-based elementary math after-school program in local Boulder schools. Work with a team of CU students across all academic disciplines to lead a once-a-week after-school program aimed at making kids feel more positive about math at a local Boulder elementary school. Paid/volunteer options available. No experience necessary just a willingness to learn and work with kids! Volunteers need to prepare to start training in early January for this placement!

1. Commitment: Once-per-week for 9 weeks
2. Timing: Appx. 2:30-4:30 p.m. plus travel to and from the Boulder sites
3. Day: Every Tuesday or Wednesday depending on the site
4. Starts week of January 16, ends week of March 13

What do volunteers do? Volunteers serve as a mentor to local students, build relationships with the same kids each week, help kids see value and themselves in STEM, promote equity and access in STEM learning, serve as a role model.

What do volunteers gain? Volunteers gain communication skills, pedagogy, teaching and curriculum development, meaningful service to community youth, leadership and mentorship experience, and meet other like-minded students at CU.

COVID-19 information: Volunteers are required to follow current CDC and school guidelines. 

Location: Volunteering will take place in person at four different local elementary schools in Boulder including University Hill, Creekside, Columbine and Crest View. Volunteers will work directly with CU Science Discovery to arrange for scheduling and to select specific volunteer sites based on access to transportation and community need.

*Please note this placement is not available during spring 2023. Visit Generation Exchange’s community partner page on CUServes and/or contact Matt directly to learn more about their one-time opportunities available this semester. Thanks!

Generation Exchange connects students and older adults in order to exchange knowledge and understanding about technology while creating new connections of engagement, purpose and leadership between generations. 

Generation Exchange is an organization built on three beliefs: 

1) We believe that technology should be easy and accessible for everyone: no one left behind, no exceptions. 

2) We believe our rapid technological evolution has created a generation gap, to the detriment of all age groups. This gap disempowers and isolates older generations, while it creates barriers for younger generations to connect with the wealth of insight and experience older generations have to offer them. 

3) We believe technology has the power to dramatically enhance the lives of older generations, and reconnect them as a resource to the larger community. 

• What do volunteers do? Volunteers are paired with community members who are interested in expanding their technology skills, gaining confidence and making connections through one on one interactions. Volunteers help answer questions, provide support and encouragement, and provide coaching for basic technology skills. This one-to-one conversation is paced by you and your interests – no curriculum, no training program, simply answers for you, guided by you. Any device. Any question.
• Volunteers gain experience building connection across different generations, communication skills, problem-solving, relationship building, technology skills.
• COVID-19 information: This is an in-person volunteer experience that will take place in Boulder.
• Location: CMCI Studio, 1301 Walnut St., Boulder, CO 80309
   

Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary provides exceptional lifelong social, emotional and cognitive care to rescued farmed animals, and advocates for those who have not been rescued by sharing our residents’ stories to inspire, educate and empower others to embrace a more compassionate and sustainable lifestyle. Since our founding in 2015, Luvin Arms has helped rescue over 717 animals, and has reached over 35,000 people in over 31 countries around the world. We have educational outreach programs in schools, including several in India. There are 113 rescued animals that currently call Luvin Arms home.

• What do volunteers do? Volunteers must complete three hands on animal care training sessions to learn safety protocols, animal care and are introduced to the animal residents as well as staff. In addition to animal care activities, volunteers also have opportunities to support our mission in facilities and grounds maintenance and assisting with various events that are taking place during the volunteer time. We require a respectful attitude toward our rescued residents and the ability to do physical work in all weather conditions. Much of the work is in the barns or outside.
• Volunteers gain knowledge and hands on experience related to animal care, farm animal rights and sustainability. 
• COVID-19 information: This volunteer experience will be inperson at the animal sanctuary and volunteers must be able to coordinate their own transportation.
• Location: 3470 County Road 7, Erie, CO 80516

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Boulder County is an organization of families, friends and individuals whose lives have been affected by mental illness. Together, we advocate for better lives for those individuals who have a mental illness, and we offer support, education and advocacy as we do so. One in five American adults experiences some form of mental illness in any given year. 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24. NAMI offers the understanding that only those with lived experience of mental illness can provide. Together with our grassroots volunteers, we work every day to provide help and hope to millions of Americans.

• What do volunteers do? Volunteers will join our advocacy committee, community outreach committee or marketing and events committee. Each of these committees meet weekly to discuss various action items determined by the committee and volunteers are required to do 1-2 hours of individual work aside from the committee meetings each week.
• Volunteers gain experience working with community members and long term volunteers within NAMI and have opportunities to learn about and influence resources related to mental health.
• COVID-19 information: Committee meetings will be held virtually and students can meet up in person with eachother to carry out individual tasks and build connections while volunteering during the week if they would like to!
• Location: 3470 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304 and on Zoom

Out Boulder County works independently and in collaboration, we facilitate connection, advocacy, education, research and programs to ensure LGBTQ+ people and communities thrive in Boulder County and beyond. We envision a world where LGBTQ+ people and communities thrive in an inclusive, equitable, just and connected world.

• What do volunteers do? Volunteers will support community outreach efforts, office administration work, event planning and adovcacy work. 
• Volunteers gain experience in learning about diversity, equity and inclusion, working with community members, giving referrals to community resources, assisting in planning events, engaging in community outreach and more.
• COVID-19 information: Out Boulder serves as an information and resource hub for community members seeking resources related to COVID-19, masks, vaccine information and more. Volunteer activities will be in person.
• Location: 3340 Mitchell Ln., Boulder, CO 80301