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Volunteer!
Rhode Islanders voluntarily do an amazing amount of work to take care of our place. Volunteering is an important part of the state's economy. Given that Rhode Island's economy has been famously in the doldrums, let's get out there and pitch in. Turn the place around! All hands on deck!
How to be a great volunteer
- Choose volunteer work that you love and enjoy
- Be willing to do what is needed at times the help is needed
- Go to orientation sessions and do what is requested
- Be consistent, on time, and focused on others
Where to find places to volunteer
Serve RI is a centralized resource used by many nonprofits in Rhode Island. Especially see the Serve RI Volunteer signup page and register there to be alerted of new requests for help. Notices of volunteer opportunities go out to the mailing lists of dozens of environmental groups, so you could subscribe directly to your favorite group's eNews.
Providential Gardener collects and highlights some volunteer opportunities and activities on this page. A few of these are in the calendar (when Rhode Islanders add them to the calendar).
If you know of resources that should be on this page, send information to skorte@providentialgardener.com. I can't build this whole site fast enough, and there is so much that could be in here! But I am open to suggestions and welcome your contributions.
RI Volunteer Opportunities
This list is a mix of Adult Education and Environment-related volunteer opportunities. See the Adult Education page to find out why there's this unusual combination.
| Volunteer Info | Categories | |
|---|---|---|
| Aquidneck Island Adult Learning Center |
Volunteers are referred to Literacy Volunteers of the East Bay. |
Adult Education |
| Audubon Society of RI - HQ | Critters, Conservation, Ecology, Habitat, Education | |
| Blackstone River Watershed Council |
This group has occasional cleanups and is attacking the invasive knotweed along the river. |
Conservation, Water, Invasives, Natural Resources, Pollution, Waste |
| Brown University Herbarium |
People who are interested in plant diversity and herbarium work and would like to be involved with volunteer projects at the herbarium are invited to inquire. |
Conservation, Ecology, Habitat, History ~ Natural History, Plants |
| Burrillville Green Team |
Team Up to Clean Up! |
Conservation, Land, Waste |
| Clean Bays |
Become a VolunteerClean Bays depends on its loyal and ambitious team of volunteers to help with debris removal. If you would like to join our team, please sign up here, and you will be contacted with a list of dates when help is needed. We need help in the field, but we can always use help in the office too! Let us know if you are interested in coordinating fundraisers, or helping with other events or activities. |
Pollution, Waste, Water |
| Community Action Partnership of Providence (CAPP) |
Volunteer Needs: Computer Instructor Intern. See this page and fill out the 2016 volunteer application. |
Education, Social Justice |
| Cozy Rhody Litter Clean-up |
Find cleanup notices in this group's Meetup page. |
|
| Crossroads Rhode Island |
Volunteer Needs: We use volunteers in many ways. Our Learning Center has volunteers that help with tutoring. We also have a computer lab and classes and an Employment Resource Center where students/clients can have access to technology and assistance in preparing a resume, writing a cover letter, searching for jobs, etc. Also see this page. |
Adult Education |
| Dorcas International Institute North Campus |
Volunteers Needed: Tutors, conversation class facilitator, classroom assistants, citizenship tutors, refugee mentors |
Adult Education |
| Dorcas International Institute South Campus |
Volunteers Needed: Tutors, conversation class facilitator, classroom assistants, citizenship tutors, refugee mentors |
Adult Education |
| East Bay Skills Alliance - Lower Bay Region (Eastbay CAP) |
Volunteers Needed: Call or email for info |
Adult Education |
| Education Exchange |
Volunteers needed: Teaching assistants, one-on-one tutors, active committee and board members |
Adult Education |
| English for Action |
Volunteers Needed: Assistant ESL facilitators, youth mentors, soccer tournament volunteers. Volunteers in the Adult ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) program work as Assistant ESOL Facilitators, and learn to lesson plan and facilitate adult English classes (mornings and evenings). Also need youth mentors, soccer tournament volunteers. |
|
| Food4Good | Food, Social Justice | |
| Franklin Farm |
Each spring, The RI Food Bank's community farms begin accepting volunteers to help prepare the land, plant and harvest. No experience is necessary and all ages are welcome. It’s a great activity for families, schools, businesses and civic groups!
To volunteer, contact the coordinator. |
|
| Genesis Center |
Volunteers Needed: Workforce Training/Mock Interview Day, conversation tutor, citizenship tutor, student support center tutors, ESL tutors, computer lab volunteer, financial literacy volunteer, garden volunteer |
Education, Social Justice |
| God's Little Acre |
Each spring, the RI Community Food Bank farms begin accepting volunteers to help prepare the land, plant and harvest. No experience is necessary and all ages are welcome. It’s a great activity for families, schools, businesses and civic groups! To volunteer, contact the coordinator. |
Farming, Food |
| Literacy Volunteers of East Bay (LVEB) |
Volunteers Needed: Literacy tutors |
Education |
| Literacy Volunteers of Kent County |
Our 18-hour tutor training workshop teaches the skills needed to effectively work one-to-one with an adult student. Once the workshop is underway, volunteers are matched with a student and they meet in a public location on their own schedule for 2 hours a week. Prospective tutors must be 18 years old and have a high school diploma or GED. Lessons are typically conducted in libraries, churches, or community centers. |
Adult Education |
| Literacy Volunteers of Washington County - Westerly |
Volunteers Needed: Tutors, office help, fundraiser organizers, committee members |
Adult Education |
| Magaziner Farm |
Each spring, The RI Food Bank's community farms begin accepting volunteers to help prepare the land, plant and harvest. No experience is necessary and all ages are welcome. It’s a great activity for families, schools, businesses and civic groups!
To volunteer, contact the coordinator.
|
Farming, Food |
| McCoy Community Farm |
Each spring, The RI Food Bank's community farms begin accepting volunteers to help prepare the land, plant and harvest. No experience is necessary and all ages are welcome. It’s a great activity for families, schools, businesses and civic groups!
To volunteer, contact the coordinator.
|
Farming, Food, Social Justice |
| Mount Hope Learning Center |
The Mt. Hope Learning Center is currently looking for volunteers to teach various classes for adults. If you are interested in volunteering to teach or tutor a small group in computer literacy, ESL, or GED, please send an email to: ewinangun@mthopelc.org |
Adult Education, Education |
| MyCoast RI |
RI Coastal Resources Management Council needs your help to capture photographs of King Tide events and storm flooding sites. RICRMC will evaluate your photographs and include them in its long-term analysis of coastal vulnerability and planning initiatives with municipalities. RICRMC may also use your photographs in presentations, publications, and on its website. |
Climate, Public Works & Infrastructure, Resilience, Water, Weather |
| Nature Conservancy |
The Nature Conservancy established a volunteer group called the Friends of the Preserves. We hope that volunteers assist with ongoing stewardship projects including trail maintenance, litter cleanups and removal of invasive plants. Please contact Tim Mooney at tmooney@tnc.org or (401) 529-1072. We thank our current volunteers for their efforts! |
Conservation, Land, Recreation & Exploration |
| Neighborhood Alliance of Pawtucket |
NAP organizes cleanups for Earth Day in Pawtucket. They also participate in the Buy Nothing Day Coat Drive. |
Land, Waste |
| New England Plant Conservation Program (NEPCoP) |
Volunteers needed: The organization is heavily dependent on Plant Conservation Volunteers (PVCs) for monitoring local populations of rare and endangered plants. Expertise is not required, just a will to help and learn new things. |
|
| Newport Even Start |
Volunteers Needed: Call or email for info. |
Adult Education |
| Oyster Gardening for Restoration and Enhancement | Conservation, Critters, Ecology, Habitat, Food, Pollution, Water | |
| Project Learn |
ADULT EDUCATION: "Without the help of our volunteers, we would not be able to help the hundreds of people in our community learn to communicate more effectively. Project Learn serves adults locally and can certainly use the help in our computer lab, our one on one learning tutors and many other administrative areas if you like. Learn more about how you can help adult readers in your community. Learn more about how you can make a difference in the local community through sharing your knowledge. Connect through the form on the Adult Education Volunteer Page. Also see the Donate page for giving newer computers and books (but call first). |
Adult Education, Education |
| Project Learn (Community Care Alliance) |
Adult Ed: Volunteer tutors are needed. |
Adult Education, Education, Social Justice |
| Providence Community Tree Keepers |
This is a volunteer opportunity for people who have taken the RI Tree Steward course or comparable training, as well as the PVD Tree Keeper training. |
|
| Providence Parent Academy |
Are you interested in offering a course through the Providence Parent Academy? If so, please contact them. |
Education, Social Justice |
| RI College Outreach Program |
Contact us at (401) 456-8902 or Email Dawne Pezzuco for more information. More info... |
Adult Education, Work |
| RI Natural History Survey |
Annual BioBlitz orientation for volunteer participants is in early May each year. RI BioBlitz is an early June 24-hour period on a Friday and Saturday. |
Conservation, Critters, Ecology, Habitat, Education, Recreation & Exploration, History ~ Natural History, Invasives, Plants |
| Salt Ponds Coalition | ||
| Save the Bay | Conservation, Education, Pollution, Water | |
| Smithfield Stewards |
Work on trail blazing and maintenance of Smithfield Land Trust preserves. |
Conservation, Land |
| South County Museum |
"We seek volunteers interested in helping us interpret, preserve, and present local history and assisting in various capacities.... We are looking for year-round, seasonal and special event volunteers." - from the website, July 6, 2018 |
|
| URI Watershed Watch |
Volunteer environmental monitoring can be a great family activity, a good excuse to get out on the water, or simply a good way to learn about pollution of water, and how to protect your favorite waterbody. Our volunteers come from diverse educational backgrounds and experiences, with some holding advanced degrees in science, and others still in high school. No previous education or training is required order to participate, simply a way to get to your monitoring site, and a desire to help out, and get a little wet. URI Watershed Watch provides all the training (classroom and field), equipment and laboratory analyses. Read more... |
Conservation, Health & Safety, Water |
| We Share Hope |
This organization is a food rescuer, whose mission is to locate, gather, and distribute food to groups that feed the poor, distressed, and the underprivileged. Volunteers are needed for all kinds of work, from driving trucks to helping out in the office. |
Economy, Food, Social Justice, Waste |
| Westbay Community Action |
Westbay Literacy/GED |
Adult Education |
| Westbay Farm |
Volunteers needed to help grow food. |
Farming, Food, Social Justice |
| What Cheer Flower Farm |
Donations and volunteers needed!
Become a friend of the What Cheer Flower Farm in Providence!
|