Community Outreach Partners

Volunteers play a crucial role in supporting older adults and caregivers across Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle Counties.

General Assistance: Volunteers help with errands such as picking up groceries or prescriptions, provide technology assistance with devices like TV remotes, iPads, and cell phones, and offer financial support, such as helping clients balance checkbooks or write checks.

Friendly Visiting & Social Support: Volunteers are matched with clients based on common interests to build ongoing supportive relationships. They may also assist with weekly or bi-monthly grocery and errands outings, which currently involve shopping for clients due to COVID-19.

Medical & Mobility Support: Volunteers accompany clients to medical appointments, assist with minor home repairs, and, for those with carpentry skills, help build ramps for clients who use wheelchairs.

Organizational Support: Volunteers assist clients with paperwork, mail, clothing, and other tasks, often helping those who are moving or downsizing.

Yard Work & Outdoor Assistance: Volunteers help with outdoor tasks such as raking leaves, picking up brush, gardening, and general yard maintenance.

Caregiver Respite Support: Volunteers receive training to companion someone experiencing cognitive decline or dementia, providing a weekly 3-hour break to full-time caregivers.

Important Note: Meals on Wheels volunteers deliver meals Monday–Friday mornings. All other volunteers assist clients Monday–Friday, between 8:00 am–4:00 pm. We do not have evening or weekend volunteer opportunities.

For more information, please visit: Age Well Volunteer Program

Here are some of the things you could do as a BACG volunteer:

• Scheduled group work days that focus on specific projects

• Flexible and individual projects that can be done once or continuously throughout the growing season

• Community event support

Burlington Summer Farmers Market:

The 2026 Burlington Summer Farmers Market runs every Saturday, 9 AM to 2 PM from May 9th - October 31st. Volunteers are needed Saturdays between 7:00am and 3:00pm to help with the set up and break down of the market, counting market attendees, checking in with vendors, and monitoring the parking lot. Please note that heavy lifting is involved for the first and last shifts of the day! For a more detailed breakdown of volunteer opportunities and additional general information, visit the link here.

Sign up for a shift for the summer market here.

Burlington Winter Farmers Market:

The Winter Farmers Market season wraps up on Saturday, April 18th. Information for the 2026-2027 winter season will be shared in the fall!

If you have any questions, please email info@burlingtonfarmersmarket.org.

Here are some of the things you could do as a Champlain Elementary School volunteer:

• Lunchroom Volunteers including assisting with serving and sorting recyclables, trash and compost (at least once/month commitment required)

• Gardening Shifts

• Morning Champion program (Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 7:30-8am working with students in fun activities)

• Harvest Fest event help

Volunteers are needed to help with parking and customer counts during this summer's Saturday farmers markets. Volunteers are needed between 9:30am - 12:00 and 12:00 - 2:30pm in Grand Isle, for two separate shifts. Volunteers are also needed monthly for customer counts on Wednesdays for two separate shifts between 2:30pm - 4:30pm and 4:30pm - 6:30pm (or a single shift from 2:45pm - 6pm)

CIFM will also be holding their annual Harvest Fest on October 10th (foul weather date of Oct. 17th) and will need multiple volunteers for parking, customer counts, and kids' activities for two separate shifts from 9:30-12:30 and 12:30-3:30.

Please check out the volunteer signup form on their website for more information and to sign up for a shift!

As Needed Volunteer Opportunities

Check out https://cotsonline.org/volunteer for the most up to date volunteer opportunities!

Daystation Lunch Volunteers

A year-round need is Daystation lunch help. Help COTS provide lunch to guests visiting the Daystation, a daytime drop-in shelter for adults, open 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The Daystation is located at 95 North Avenue in Burlington. This is a great service opportunity or team-building activity. There is staff on-site to help you navigate prepping and/or serving lunch. You must be 18+ to serve, but people under 18 can help create meals for drop off.

There is detailed information about the lunch program.

2026 Events

COTS Walk - 5/3/26

A family-friendly 3.6-mile walk through downtown Burlington that visits COTS shelters and facilities, illustrating the path someone experiencing homelessness might take when using our services. Friends, families, coworkers, dogs, and strollers welcome! Volunteers needed for setup, registration, crossing guards, t-shirt station, breakdown, and more. Full roles listed on the COTS Walk volunteer app.

COTS Back to School Bonanza - 8/1/26

A free, kid-focused community event where Vermont students in need can prepare for the school year in a fun, dignified, carnival-style setting with school supplies, backpacks, outfits, haircuts, and more. Volunteers needed for setup, personal shoppers, breakdown, and more. Full roles listed on the Back to School Bonanza volunteer app.

COTS Phonathon - 11/30/26-12/3/26

One of COTS’ longest-running and most important fundraisers, supporting over half of our annual budget. Held the week after Thanksgiving in a warm, holiday atmosphere. Volunteers needed to call donors and invite them to make a gift to support COTS’ work.

The Family Room provides many opportunities for volunteers with differing skill sets. Volunteer opportunities range from long-term volunteer positions (free background check and references required) to one-time opportunities (signed confidentiality waiver only). These opportunities include:

Kitchen Volunteers

Kitchen volunteers help on Mondays-Fridays from 9am–12pm. Tasks include helping to prepare nutritious kid-friendly food for snacks and lunches for our playgroups and preschool and clean up from the food prep.

Upkeep

Upkeep volunteers help at varying times on varying days. Tasks include helping to repair and maintain various things in our well used and loved space. Some examples include a shelf needing repair, a slide, paint touch ups, a broken toy, or binding a book.

Garden Work

Garden work volunteers help at varying times on varying days. Tasks include helping with soil health and putting gardens to bed. Also helping indoors with grow lights and organizing and maintaining garden tools, as well as organizing garden materials, like seeds and garden information.

Super Group

Help and play with kids on the autism spectrum, giving parents time to chat, and children time to make connections. Come by Mondays from 4-6, as well as Saturdays and Sundays once a month! Important to have some knowledge of the autism spectrum and a readiness to play!

Current opportunities include:

Grocery Prep

Grocery prep occurs at Feeding Chittenden, 228 North Winooski Ave., Burlington, VT, on Monday-Friday between 8:30am–3:30pm. Volunteers prepare to-go boxes with an assortment of nutritious and balanced foods. This role may also include repackaging donated bulk food items into individual/family sized portions, tidying up/organizing the space, and unloading trucks.

Intake

Intake occurs at Feeding Chittenden, 228 North Winooski Ave., Burlington, VT, on Monday-Friday between 8:30am–3:30pm. Help them sign folks in and hand over groceries, accommodating choice and dietary restrictions on the spot.

Home Delivery

Home Delivery occurs Tuesdays, Thursdays and alternating Fridays at varying times out of their hub in Colchester.

Tasks for home delivery include hitting the road and delivering food right to the doors of people in need!

• Times vary but in general volunteers pick up orders around 11
• Deliveries are usually around 2 hours
• You will need to use your own vehicle (small sedans have worked fine!)
• Recurring shifts and a commitment of at least three months are desirable

Contact Samantha at sgreen@cvoeo.org to learn more or apply at www.feedingchamplainvalley.org

Note: All volunteer opportunities occur between 6am and 4pm M-F. They cannot accommodate volunteer opportunities outside of these hours or on the weekends. Currently their volunteer shifts range from 2-4 hours, once a week. There are also opportunities to combine program duties. For example: one can do a food rescue run and work in grocery distribution after they drop it off.

Shelving is Fletcher Free Library's most common volunteer opportunity, but they also have volunteers help with the youth desk, perform custodial work, staff library programs, inventory items, and more. The library also occasionally seeks volunteers for short-term large events. Most volunteer opportunities are located at the main branch in downtown Burlington. They occasionally have limited volunteer opportunities at their New North End satellite location.

Find all of Fletcher Free Library's volunteer position descriptions here.

The Friends raise money through the sale of books at occasional sales, through online channels (eBay), and at a small store in the library across from the Main Desk ("The Stall"). Friends also maintain a Stall at the New North End branch of the library, and books for sale at cafés throughout Burlington. Check out examples of volunteer opportunities below!

Occasional opportunities (typically 3-4 hour shifts):

• Book sales

• Fundraising events

Regular opportunities (one or more hours, weekly or monthly):

• Processing donated books - sorting & pricing books

• Maintaining the eBay store (photographing books & writing descriptions, packaging & mailing books to buyers)

• Supporting Stalls (Main Library, NNE Branch, and around town)

• Supporting the Friends website

• Supporting our social media sites: Instagram, Facebook, Front Porch Forum

• Developing content for the monthly Friends newsletter - writing; editing; graphic design; photography

• Supporting the independent hosts of Little Free Libraries

Volunteer opportunities include:

• Gardening help April through October: April through May general clean-up of the grounds, May through September watering help

• School-wide events

• Assorted projects related to gardening, local food, health and wellness, and art when needed

Trail Stewardship

• Please attend an in-person orientation to steward year round if you wish. Volunteer while you recreate! Duties include picking up light litter, reporting on issues on an app, removing invasive species along trails, and being a friendly, helping and welcoming presence. Register to be a trail steward here.

Land Stewardship

• Help steward the 360 acres owned and managed by the Intervale Center. Land stewardship volunteer opportunities include: habitat stewardship and restoration plantings, planting and maintaining perennial food bearing plants and fungi, and removing non-native invasive plants. Sign up here.

Intervale Conservation Nursery

• Help the Intervale Conservation Nursery (ICN) prepare the next generation of trees and shrubs for conservation! Volunteers will be helping to propagate both cuttings and seed in the greenhouse, which includes prepping soil trays, sowing seeds, and sticking cuttings into the tubes. Sign up here.

Fair Share Support

• Help run the free weekly CSA program, Fair Share. Volunteers will help move and unload produce, help Fair Share members pick up their veggies, answer questions, wash totes and more. Volunteers needed from July to October. Sign up here.

Gleaning

• Help harvest surplus produce in farmers’ fields! The produce will be distributed through their weekly Fair Share CSA to eligible community members at no cost. Please make sure to check the time and location of this volunteer opportunity, as they also glean at neighboring farms outside of the Intervale. Volunteers needed July through October. Sign up here.

People’s Farm & Garden

• The People’s Farm is a 1.5-acre community-powered farm in Burlington's Intervale working to grow vegetables for our local charitable food system. The farm is for volunteers to build relationships, feed their neighbors, and learn growing skills. Typical tasks include transplanting, weeding, harvesting, and other field tasks. Sign up here.

Visit the Intervale's volunteer page to learn more about how to get involved.

The ICF continually needs help with weeding pick-your-own crops, to keep those areas welcoming and accessible for the Farm's members. These members, through their support, enable the ICF to donate significant amounts of vegetables to food-shelves and other community groups. Volunteer days are on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 7:00-11:00 and helpers can come down for the entire four hours or any part. Thank you so much for your interest in the Farm!

Please contact Bonnie Acker for volunteer dates at the ICF for Summer 2026.

One-Time or Short-Term Opportunities

Family Dinner Volunteers – Four times per year
Help create a welcoming community meal for youth and families by assisting with set-up, serving food, and clean-up. A great way to connect with the King Street community in a short-term role.

Building Projects
Occasional opportunities to assist with facility improvements, repairs, organizing spaces, and other hands-on projects around the Center.

Ongoing or Longer-Term Opportunities

Community-Based Mentor Program
Volunteers provide consistent support, friendship, and encouragement to a young person enrolled at King Street Center.

• Mentors for ages 5–10: Approximately 2 hours per week.

• Mentors for ages 11–18: Approximately 4–6 hours per month, typically over 2–4 visits that fit both schedules.

• Volunteer Age: 21+

Book Buddy Program
Support young students in developing confidence and a love of reading. Volunteers meet weekly with a kindergarten through fifth-grade student at King Street Center to read, play literacy-based games, and explore books in a fun, supportive environment.

• No teaching experience required—just patience, enthusiasm, and willingness to spend time with a young learner.

• Volunteer Age: 16+
  Summer Program Commitment: Monday, June 22 – Friday, August 14, 9:00–9:45 AM
  School Year Commitment: October 12, 2026 – end of May

The focus is on connection, encouragement, and helping students see themselves as capable readers, making a lasting impact through consistent support.

Learn More at kingstreetcenter.org/volunteer. Sign up to volunteer here

Bike Ferry Dockside Ambassador

Friendly Visitor Volunteers are needed mornings and afternoons late May through mid October at the Cut on the Colchester Causeway. Greet passengers, answer questions, and collect donations for Local Motion. Visitors are often looking for trail info, maps, recommendations on where to enjoy ice cream, and details about the education and advocacy programs of Local Motion. Enjoy being outside on beautiful Lake Champlain and help us make it safe, accessible, and fun for everyone to bike, walk, and roll in Vermont.

Please allow an extra 30 minutes on either side for travel time down the Causeway. You will receive 4 volunteer hours, including the 30 minute travel time to the Cut and the 30 minute travel time returning from the Cut.

Sign ups to volunteer during May-October 2026 start in April.

Valet Bike Parking 2026 Volunteers

You will help set up the bike parking area, greet cyclists, assist with parking their bikes, monitor the bikes, and ensure bikes are returned to their rightful owners at the end of the event. Together we will create a space that advocates for active transportation, fosters a sense of community, and is a powerful part of the solution to reduce fossil fuel consumption.

Sign ups to volunteer during May-October 2026 start in April.

EZ Breezy Group Bike Rides

You will assist our ride leaders in ensuring the safety of riders on the open roads around Burlington. Build community and celebrate the joy of biking year-round. Bring the energy level up with silly costumes & a fun playlist. Sign up with friends - there are many spots available at each ride! Rides are typically the last Tuesday of each month, starting and ending at Local Motion HQ, 1 Steele St., Burlington.

Sign ups to volunteer now!

Community Calendar Upkeep

Help to keep their community calendar up to date with all of the exciting biking, walking, and rolling events happening statewide. This project will take roughly two hours per month. Volunteers must have familiarity with Google calendars, access to their own computer and an internet connection. Contact val@localmotion.org to sign up!

Image Descriptions Volunteer

As part of Local Motion’s commitment to accessibility, they are looking for a volunteer who can help write image descriptions for posts on social media (Facebook and Instagram) - especially for video posts. The amount of time needed varies based on the volume of posts each week. Volunteers will need access to their own computer and an internet connection, and should be able to work independently. This is an ongoing project. Contact val@localmotion.org to sign up!

Your Member Work with NOFA-VT supports all of NOFA-VT's important programs. Ongoing opportunities include:

• Administrative tasks and projects

• Mailing quarterly publications and other outreach materials

• Events (NOFA-VT Winter Conference, Summer Pizza Socials, On-Farm Workshop series

• Photography

Pizza Oven Support: 

Come help run the pizza oven over the course of multiple summer events. Stretch dough, chop veggies, top pizzas, and eat! Sign up here.

• Outreach

• Market day-of support

• Poster hanging

• Market set-up

• Market break-down

They host a weekly drop-in volunteer night on Tuesdays from 5-7 pm. Bike repair experience is welcome but not necessary. There is no need to sign up in advance. Follow Old Spokes Home on Instagram for any last minute changes in the schedule.

Volunteers are also critical to events like the Fall Fundo fundraising ride in September and the annual kid's Bike Bonanza giveaway in May. Join their volunteer list to learn about upcoming events and other volunteer opportunities.

Volunteers help with cooking, serving, and cleanup. Typically 2- to 4-hour shifts are offered between 2pm and 8pm. There are limited additional opportunities available throughout the month, including putting up fliers and other outreach support.

You can make a difference in the lives of homeless and at-risk youth in our community by volunteering in the following ways:

• Mentoring: For just 4 hours a month, you can make a difference in the life of a teenager or young adult. Enjoy time together on a bike ride, teach them how to cook, or explore career options.

  • Mentors and Mentees are matched based on shared interests and meet at least twice a month. We have a particular need for male mentors of color and LGBTQ+ identified mentors.

  • Mentors must be at least 21 years of age, have reliable transportation, attend a training, and pass a background check.

  • Reach out to mentoring@spectrumvt.org to learn more!

• Donate a Meal: Spectrum's Drop-In Centers serve two meals a day – lunch and dinner, five days a week. Prepare a meal at home and bring it in for Spectrum to serve. Please plan on providing enough food for 25-30 servings. You can sign up for the Burlington Drop In MealTrain or St. Albans Drop In MealTrain.

• Multicultural Youth Program: Spectrum is looking for youth ages 18-26 with tutoring experience to help out in our Resource Space for multicultural and New American youth. They are looking for a commitment to helping out a few hours each week.

• Help with Donations: Thanks to the generosity of our community, Spectrum has lots of clothing donations for youth. They are looking for volunteers to help organize donations at their Drop-In so that youth can find what they need.

• Special Projects and Events: Spectrum occasionally needs help with events and special projects, like large mailings or fundraising dinners.

• Holiday Meal Donations: Sign up to contribute to meals for the teenagers and young adults living in their supportive housing programs and warming shelter. Please divide your donation into 2 or 3 containers/trays, as they'll be bringing food to multiple locations. Please include a list of ingredients! (Some of the youth have allergies.) Please label your food and include any reheating/serving instructions, if necessary. Please bring your food in a container that does not need to be returned to you. Sign up here, and reach out to mfredette@spectrumvt.org with any questions.

Depending on the season, VYCC needs volunteers to help with the following tasks:

• Seeding

• Greenhouse work

• Greenhouse construction

• Preparing fields for summer crops

• Planting

• Harvesting

• Packing Health Care Shares

• Washing produce

• Processing chickens*

• Canning/preserving

*If interested in processing chickens, please indicate that in your email or phone call.

April through early June, VYCC needs volunteers on Thursdays from 9am-12pm to help get ready for the Health Care Share season. September-October volunteers are needed during the same time to help with harvesting, packing produce, and other field projects.

If interested in helping out, visit here to learn more or email Chris at volunteer@vycc.org with any questions.

The People's Farmstand operates from mid May through October. We have two options available for volunteers: a garden shift or a farmstand shift. There are opportunities for everyone, regardless of ability and experience. We love having repeat volunteers! It helps build rapport with our community to see familiar faces!

Gardening shifts happen Friday mornings at Mama's Farm in Williston, and depending on the time of year, involve planting, weeding, and/or harvesting vegetables. Shifts go from around 8:30AM-11AM. Contact us for the exact timing, as it changes depending on the weather and time of year.

Farmstand shifts happen Friday evenings in Burlington and involve bagging and restocking veggies, talking with community members, and sharing other food access resources. We are at Pomeroy Park from 4:45 to 6:30PM, then pack up and move to Baird Street from 7:00 to 8:00PM. It's helpful to have volunteers who are available to come to both locations, but not absolutely necessary! Again, contact us to confirm timing, as we shift our hours a bit in fall as we run out of daylight.

Opportunities include garden and greenhouse maintenance at multiple program sites in the Burlington/Winooski area from March through November. Occasional volunteer support during community events such as workshops and plant giveaways. Please fill out the VGN Volunteer Sign-Up Form to join their volunteer mailing list.

Volunteering at the market is a great way to get involved and meet new people! There are weekly opportunities to help with market and vendor setup/takedown and transactions at the manager's tent. There are monthly opportunities to lend a hand with various tasks on our special event days, such as helping folks at the manager's tent or running community activities. There are also occasional opportunities to engage customers in a market survey.

You can sign up for a volunteer shift here.

Volunteer Requirements:

• Must by 18 years or older

• Must be able to lift 25 lbs

• Use of masks is encouraged but not required.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Tuesdays - 9am - 11am:

• Packing Bags/Organizing Food- Fill bags with dry goods, canned food, and toiletries for Wednesday distribution. Help organize and move food when necessary. No interaction with the public.

Wednesdays - Set-Up 11am - 12:30pm; Serve - 12pm - 3:30pm

• Set up- Bag up fruits, vegetables and beans. Take meat out of freezers and put in coolers. Set up eggs for distribution, carry tables outside and place some items on tables.

• Serve - While indoors, bring bags of pantry staples, eggs, meat and diapers to the door. Pass items through a hole in the plexiglass of the door. At 3 pm break down tables, carry inside, and clean

Saturdays- Set-Up - 8am - 9am; Serve - 9:15am - 11am.

• Pick up and Delivery- Pick up food from Hannaford at the University Mall and deliver to Food Shelf

• Set up - carry tables outside, arrange food on tables, carry items from vehicles to tables and organize food for distribution or pack bags to be given out.

• Serve Inside- Provide requested diapers to clients at door of foodshelf. Also give boxes of food to clients who signed up for a commodities box. At 11 clean area.

• Serve Outside- Help people select food from tables and refill tables as needed.