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How You Can Help
Basic Needs Coalition devotes its efforts to heightening the Austin and Central Texas communities’ understanding of the breadth and depth of the problems of poverty.
Help bring attention to this crisis. Show your support for the fight against poverty by joining the Basic Needs Coalition or by volunteering at a member agency.
To update your agencies information, please fill out the attached website update form and email to the BNC Administrator at
To update your agencies information, please fill out the website update form and email to the BNC Administrator at
Basic Needs Coalition
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Basic Needs Coalition of Central Texas works to lead the community in creating solutions that secure the basic resources – food, housing and clothing – of our neighbors in need.
In-kind Donations Needed:
- Letterhead/ Envelope Stationary design work
- Printing of envelopes and letterhead
- Subscription to Constant Contact
Top Volunteer Opportunities:
- Administrative and Clerical
- Marketing and Design Volunteer
- Data entry and database Management Volunteer
- Research Assistant
- Website Management Assistant
- Finance and Accounting Assistant
Contact:
Erik Luna, Administrator
512-651-6124 direct
You can help provide basic need assistance in your community by supporting one of the following BNC Agencies
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A [NewEntry] Inc.
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New Entry exists to provide community reentry and personal integrity support for individuals rebuilding from losses associated with homelessness, incarceration and addiction. A New Entry provides:
- One-on-one and group counseling, recovery and spiritual education classes.
- Facilitating and delivering access to affordable, recovery-supportive housing.
- Goal-oriented case management services including development of permanent housing, living-wage employment, and personal stability.
- Employment access and retention support through training and practical resources.
- Development and assignment of adult mentors and volunteers to program participants.
- Participation in community collaboration and planning for improving conditions, capacity and opportunity for those identified in our mission.
Monetary donations:
Donations help/fund:
- Clients to obtain ID
- Subsidize housing fees while searching for employment
- Pay for recovery supportive materials
- Train mentors to support community reentry efforts.
In-kind donation needs:
- Household cleaning supplies
- Bed linen and towels
- Adult hygiene products
- Office supplies
Top Volunteer Opportunities:
- Adult Christian mentors
- Adult life skill instructors
- Adult substance abuse counselors
- Substance abuse mentors
- GED instruction
Contact Information:
Name: Peter Daniels
Telephone: 512 524-8982
For more information visit www.anewentry.org.
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AIDS Services of Austin
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In-kind donations needed:
- Food bank: Food including nutritional supplements, personal hygiene items as well as volunteer support for food bank operations.
- Event support and sponsorship: Annual events include AIDS Walk, Viva Las Vegas, Hill Country Ride for AIDS and on-going Red Ribbon Dinners, Octopus Club and various other events throughout the year.
- Prevention, outreach and education: Preparation and distribution of prevention education materials; peer educators; support activities at various community events
- Administrative support: Answering phones, greeting clients as well as routine office support activities.
- Staff training: All levels of staff development and training including cultural competency, management, supervisory and leadership training.
Top volunteer opportunities:
- The Helping Hands Food Pantry relies on volunteers to provide 100% of the staffing on days when clients come in to order and pick up food. These individuals serve as important client contacts for the agency, seeing many of the same clients regularly and helping the agency to monitor client needs and status.
- The agency’s reception area is also regularly staffed with volunteers to greet clients and direct phone inquiries. Other volunteers offer regular office staff support.
- Volunteers comprise all of the agency’s fundraising and development committees and staff the agency’s fundraising events.
- Volunteers help the agency leverage financial resources to increase capacity.
Contact information:
Telephone: 512-458-2437
Street Address: 7215 Cameron Rd., Austin, TX 78752
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Any Baby Can Child & Family Resource Center
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Any Baby Can provides case management services, mental health counseling, parenting education and family support services.
Advocacy:
Any Baby Can encourages people to get involved with issues such as:
- Infant Mental Health
- Nurse-Family Partnership
- Children’s Hearing Aid Texas
Monetary donations:
- $15000 covers the cost of a full day of services at Any Baby Can.
- $3000 provides support, case management, counseling services and emergency financial assistance for one year for a Candle lighters family that’s coping with childhood cancer.
- $500 provides 10 hours of respite care for a parent who has a child with autism
- $250 pays for 1 month of in home physical therapy for a child.
In-kind donations needed:
- Spanish language translation
- Data entry
- Graphic design
- Printing
- Maintenance for agency vehicles
- Building maintenance & repair
- Gasoline (gas) cards for agency vehicles
- Reference materials on: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Infant Mental Health, Attachment, Social Emotional Development, TouchPoints
- Stackable office chairs
- Gently used strollers
- New car seats/booster seats
- Gently used cribs and highchairs
- Clothes: layette items, maternity, seasonal all ages
- Children’s books (English and/or Spanish)
- Grocery/gas gift cards for ABC families
- Art & craft supplies
- Diapers size 4 and up
- Child safety items: safety gates, outlet covers, door knob safety covers
- Baby bottles & Sippy cups
Top volunteer opportunities:
- Family literacy classes: volunteers are needed Tuesday through Saturday to assist children and adults with basic literacy and student homework.
Contact information:
Name: Allison Daskam, Communications Manager
Telephone: 512-334-4426 or allisond@abcaus.org
More information at www.abcaus.org.
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Arc of the Capital Area
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The Arc of the Capital Area provides case management, basic needs and crisis assistance, education advocacy, juvenile justice, home and employment referrals, art classes, and social interaction opportunities that promote independence and choice for people with developmental disabilities.
Monetary donations:
Your financial support can underwrite the Family & Caregiver Support Services which provide support to families with children with disabilities through school advocacy, parent-to-parent mentoring, family cooperative classes and juvenile justice.
90 percent of clients are at or below the federal poverty level.
In-kind donation needs:
- Any art supplies especially canvases and acrylic paint
- Gifts cards to Wal-Mart, HEB, Target to cover basic needs
- Personal Care Items
Top Volunteer Opportunities:
- Arc of the Arts Volunteer: Volunteers with artistic ability are needed during the week and on the weekend to work one-on-one with a student in the new Arc of the Arts program. Young adults collaborate with volunteers to work on paintings, pottery, jewelry, glasswork and other art projects.
- Academic tutors/coaches: once a week
- Childcare providers: once a month to give parents a much-needed break
Contact Information:
Name: Adria Dawidczik, Volunteer & Special Event Coordinator
Telephone: 512-476-7044 ext. 217
For more information visit www.arcofthecapitalarea.org.
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Capital Area Food Bank
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Capital Area Food Bank provides hunger relief to the capital area through its extended network of partner agency food pantries who then provide direct hunger relief to families. It also utilizes mobile services units to reach various demographics and geographic areas to fill gaps in service.
Monetary donations:
Although the Capital Area Food Bank receives grants for programs that supply food to individuals, many of its programs go unfunded. The Mobile Pantry, Wheels of Sharing which currently visits 9 difference locations serving an average of 200 households at each one is in need of financial donations to make the services possible.
In-kind donations needed:
- Foods that are high in protein
Top volunteer opportunities:
- Food Inspector: Help inspect food and ensure that it is ready for distribution and consumption.
- Food Distribution Assistant: Help with food distribution at the Food Bank, East Austin Service Center or mobile pantry operations.
- Food Drive: Hold a food drive at your place of employment.
Contact information:
Financial Contributions Name: Amy Silvey
Telephone: 512-684-2542.
Volunteer Services Name: Paige DeLeon
Telephone: 512-684-5244.
More information at www.austinfoodbank.org
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Caritas of Austin
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In-kind donations needed:
- Peanut Butter
- Mac and Cheese
- Uncooked boxed pastas
- Ramen Noodles
- Bagged or canned beans
- Baby Food - Diapers
- Evaporated Milk
- Bagged White rice, long or short
- Hygiene Items – Toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner
Top volunteer opportunities:
- Community Advocates
- Interpreters
- Coordinating Food Drives
- Serving in the Community Kitchen
- Re-stocking the Food Pantry
Contact information:
Telephone: 512.646.1262
Street Address: 611 Neches Street
Austin, TX 78729
E-Mail Contact:
www.caritasofaustin.org
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Catholic Charities of Central Texas
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Catholic Charities of Central Texas works to strengthen individuals, families and communities through direct services, community collaboration and social justice advocacy.
Monetary Donations help to provide:
- $25 - Food for a week for a senior on a fixed income (note - we support St. Mary's with this)
- $50 - Provides parenting and life skills classes to a young teen mother
- $100 - Financial literacy workshops to help individuals better manage their budget
- $250 - Enrolls 25 working families into CHIP(Children's Health Insurance Program)
- $500 - Legal assistance to immigrants experiencing domestic violence or other violent crimes
- $750 - Rental assistance to a family until their next paycheck arrives
- $1000 - Parish social ministry training and resources to parishes in our Diocese
Top Volunteer Opportunities:
- Administrative Support
- Video/Photography Volunteer
- Child Care Volunteers for our Young Parents Succeed Program
- Graphic Designer
- Translators
- Data Entry
- Food Donations facilitator
Contact:
Ryla Simmons, Development Director
512-651-6103
Martha Jasse, Volunteer Coordinator
512-651-6126
More information available at www.ccctx.org
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City of Austin Neighborhood Centers
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Donate school supplies for yearly school supply drive (contact neighborhood center near you).
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Communities In Schools
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Communities In Schools of Central Texas’ mission is to help kids stay in school and prepare for life. We provide a continuum of care through school-based services including case management, counseling, supportive guidance, linkage to health and human services, parental involvement, career exploration, higher education awareness, mentoring, tutoring, and enrichment activities.
Monetary Donations:
In Central Texas, over 100,000 students have been identified by the Texas Education Agency as “at-risk” of dropping out of school for risk factors such as: being held back in school, failing the TAKS test, or being pregnant or parenting. To serve more high-need students, CIS has expanded to five school districts - Austin, Bastrop, Georgetown, Lockhart, and Hays. CIS targets students from Pre-K to 12th grade who are the most at-risk of dropping out of school. CIS’s programming is client-centered, relationship-focused, evidence-based, and highly-effective. Our evaluation data from the 2006-2007 school year confirms that effectiveness: of the 5,149 students CIS served intensively last year, 99% completed the school year, 89.2% advanced to the next grade, and 87.9% improved in grades, attendance, and/or behavior. These benchmarks indicate that very high percentages of at-risk students served by CIS are back on track to stay in school and prepare for a successful life.
In-Kind Donations:
- School supplies
- socks
- underwear
- graduation caps & gowns
- hygiene items (soap, shampoo, deodorant)
- diapers & wipes
- early literacy books
Top Volunteer Opportunities:
- Mentor a student once a week for the school year
- Tutor a student once a week for the school year
- Volunteer at our after school program located on public housing sites
- Provide a career presentation
- Help at a CIS special event
Contact:
Name: Mary Campana
Telephone: 464-9716
Website: www.cisaustin.org
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El Buen Samaritano
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By offering a hand up, not a hand-out, El Buen Samaritano provides a safety net of programs and services such as integrated health care, social services, adult and early-childhood education and community outreach to 37,000 people every year.
Donations:
El Buen encourages its donors to be as involved in its mission as they would by specifying which programs they would like to support with their contributions. It is because of the support of individuals, that El Buen is able to provide a safety net of programs and services to working-poor Hispanic families. This year, individuals helped provide 900 families with Thanksgiving bags filled with the ingredients needed to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Individuals donated the monetary equivalent of a turkey and/or ingredients for side dishes. Without the help of individual donors, the event would not have been as successful. The impact of individuals is large and cannot be over emphasized.
In-Kind Donations:
- Food
- diapers
- Bilingual children books
- and school supplies
Top Volunteer Opportunities:
- Childcare Assistant (Daytime and Evening)
- Physicians: Family Practice, Internal Medicine, OB/GYN, Nurse Practitioner (MUST be bilingual),
- Medical assistant
- Clerical/ General Office Assistant
- English as a Second Language (ESL) Instructors
- Teaching Assistant (ESL)
- Computer Instructor
- Student Registrar (Daytime or Evening)
- Office Assistant/ Attendance Monitor (Evening)
- Food Pantry Volunteer
- Administrative/ General Office Volunteer
- Exercise Instructor
- Nuestra Hermandad Feliz Facilitator (Our Happy Brotherhood)
- Small-Group Facilitator
- Promoters (Health Outreach Workers)
- Counselor (LCSW or LPC)
- Counselors (LPC)
Contact:
Name: Ivan Dávila
Telephone: (512)439-0748
Website: www.elbuen.org
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Family Eldercare
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Family Eldercare provides critically needed services to the Austin Community. The individuals served by Family Eldercare represent a population in the community that is often neglected and overlooked. Seven distinct programs are provided which include; In-Home care & Respite, Guardianship, Bill Payer, Elder Shelter, Consultation & Service Coordination, Summer Fan Drive & Low-Income Senior Housing (Lyons Garden)
Monetary donations:
Contributions received help ensure that the vulnerable elderly population has the opportunity to age with grace, goodwill and dignity.
In-kind donation needs:
- Blankets
- Sleeping bags
- Heaters
- Gift cards for food and other necessities
- Non-perishable food items
- Toiletries for low-income elderly and people with disabilities
Top Volunteer Opportunities:
- Bill Payer and Guardian Advocate Volunteers: These volunteers support dignity, independence, and quality of life for older adults and adults with disabilities. Training is provided.
Contact Information:
Name: Julie Freeman, Director of Development
Telephone: 512-483-3579
For more information visit www.familyeldercare.org.
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Front Steps
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Front Steps manages the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, providing day and overnight shelter, case management, computer lab, access to information and referral, and basic needs services. Front Steps also provides transitional and permanent housing, with ongoing case management support, to single homeless adults. Front Steps operates the Recuperative Care Program in partnership with St. David’s and Seton Healthcare Systems. This program places homeless adults from the hospitals in a nursing home to recover from their illness while receiving intensive case management, and then continues to work with them through transitional and permanent housing.
Advocacy:
Front Steps is committed to expanding affordable housing opportunities in Austin. This includes educating the community at large, including businesses, neighborhood groups, and City Council, about homelessness and reducing the NIMBYism (not in my backyard) that prevents many affordable housing projects from being sited.
Donations:
- Financial donations will be used to provide:
- furnishings and household goods for clients moving into housing
- work boots and uniforms for work
- identification
- criminal history reports needed for housing
- utility deposits
- rent and utilities in transitional or permanent supportive housing.
In-kind Donations
- blankets
- hats
- gloves and coats during the cold months
- men’s jeans, especially sizes 32 through 40
- socks
- hygiene items (razors, toothbrushes, feminine products)
Top Volunteer Opportunities:
- front desk volunteers
- administrative and clerical volunteers
- mentors
Contact:
Name: Dawn Perkins
Telephone: (512) 305-4174,
Website: www.frontsteps.org
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Goodwill Industries of Central Texas
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In-kind Donations:
- Clothing
- Household Items.
Contact:
Christine Chute, volunteer coordinator,
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Housing Authority of the City of Austin
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Top Volunteer Opportunities:
Volunteer at partner agencies listed, all serve HACA residents.
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Meals on Wheels and More
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Top Volunteer Opportunities:
- Sign up to deliver meals to people in need.
- Large groups can paint homes, do yard work, and other home safety projects.
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SafePlace
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Safe Place provides a 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, hospital accompaniment, counseling and education for survivors of sexual and domestic violence and their allies.
Advocacy:
Reach out to your legislators and ask them to support bills that:
- Provide funding for domestic violence shelters and rape prevention programs and allow sexual assault victims to terminate their lease without penalty (a 2003 survey of 100 homeless mothers found that 25% if them were homeless because they left an abusive home (ACLU, 2004);
- Create a ‘sexual motivation’ finding that could be attached to any criminal offense in an effort to provide law enforcement with a chance to stop sexual predators before their crimes escalate into rape or sexual assault. Many crimes, such as assault or peeping or stalking, are sexually motivated but not easily identifiable when looking at prior criminal history;
- Make Strangulation an Enhance-able Third Degree Felony because incidents of strangulation in intimate partner relationships indicate both a progressing nature of abuse and a high degree of danger for the victim; or
- Foster Real System Change by creating a Domestic Violence Fatality Review statute, similar to the child fatality reviews, that establishes a framework for family violence community partners to come together to look at these deaths to determine what could have been done differently – and may have saved a life. In 2006, 123 women were killed in Texas by their intimate partner.
Donations:
Although 50% of funds come from state, local, and federal funds, we have seen significant declines in these budgets and expect more in the near future. Donations to SafePlace are needed to help provide critical services including:
- Shelter
- Transitional housing
- On-site school and child care
- Community education
- and much more.
In-kind Donations:
- Personal items for women and children
- Baby formula, diapers and clothing
- Children’s art supplies and toys.
Top Volunteer Opportunities:
- Field Day and Festival in April
- Working with events and donations team to keep things running smoothly on day of the festival.
- Working with children’s services team.
Contact:
Name: Amy Temperley/Christine Langa
Telephone: 512-267-SAFE (7233)
Website: www.safeplace.org
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Salvation Army
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The Salvation Army and other co-located programs provide assistance to help people. These include: a medical clinic; Lifeskills and parenting classes; mental health services for adults and children; NA & AA meetings; and worship services.
Donations:
Donations help to provide:
- Shelter - 7 consecutive day shelter for single adults. There are no fees for emergency shelter stay.
- Shelter for homeless families with children. Families who participate in case management may stay up to 90 days and be eligible for after-school programs, summer camp, parenting classes and referral to housing programs.
- Job Search Workshops
- Bus passes
- Learning Lab and Resource Room to provide assistance with obtaining employment.
Inkind Donations:
- Shampoo, conditioner and body soap
- Toothbrush/toothpaste for men, women & children
- Deodorant
- Hairbrushes and combs
- Underwear, bras, socks, black shoes, running shoes
- Shaving cream, feminine hygiene products, disposable razors, towels
- Blankets
Top Volunteer Opportunities:
All who wish to volunteer at The Salvation Army are asked to participate in the 1-hour orientation session. The orientation is held in the conference room at the emergency shelter at 501 East 8th St, Austin, TX 78701. Contact
Contact:
Name: Robert Cox,
Telephone: 512 634-5909
Website: www.salvationarmyaustin.org
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St. Louis Catholic Church
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St. Louis Mobile Loaves & Fishes provides food pantry and Mobile Loaves and Fishes ministry.
In-Kind Donations:
Top Volunteer Opportunities:
- Sorting and stocking the food pantry shelves
- Sorting and separating items to different programs.
- Distribution Help
- Bread pick up in various locations
Contact:
Name: Bea Dela Rosa
Telephone: 512-454-0384 ext. 199
Website: www.st.louis.org
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Sustainable Food Center Information
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The Sustainable Food Center cultivates a healthy community by strengthening the local food system and improving access to nutritious, affordable food. Through programs such as Grow Local, Farm Direct, and The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre™, this organization works to advance a food secure community where all children and adults grow, share and prepare local, healthy food.
Advocacy:
- Support the new Sustainable Food Policy Board by staying aware of the issues impacting the local food system.
- Check for updates on www.sustainablefoodcenter.org, read their blog, The Dirt, and read local publications such as Edible Austin for more information.
- Vote with your fork by shopping at Austin Farmers' Market and supporting local farmers.
Monetary donations:
By providing financial donations persons can make a direct contribution toward advancing the goals of a food secure community. Your donation can help support:
- Healthy snacks training for after-school programs
- Fund water for a community garden
- Training in marketing and business planning for family farmers.
In-kind donation needs:
- Digital video camera and/or donation of videographer services
- Lightly used 10x10 ft. popup tent
- 100-foot medium-grade extension cords
- Eight functioning power strips
- 8x6 ft. folding tables
- Storage sheds on skids (10x8 ft. or 8x8 ft.)
- New irrigation T-tape or row cover
- 30-quart storage boxes
- Weight scales
- Sand bags
- Clipper/shredder for tool lending library
- 50-lb metal scales for 31 school gardens to weigh their vegetable harvests
- Use of pickup trucks to bring compost and mulch to new community, school and home gardens
- Tool bench for garden tools for Sanchez Elementary School
- Garden gloves for volunteers to use on workdays
Top Volunteer Opportunities:
- Videographer: with digital camera to shoot footage of farm visits, farm to institution deliveries, school gardens, nutrition classes
- In-office admin volunteers: needed on project basis. InDesign software skills a plus.
Contact Information:
Name: Susan Leibrock, Community Relations Director
Telephone: 512-236-0074 ext. 111
For more information visit www.sustainablefoodcenter.org.
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Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid
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In-kind Donations:
- Donations of office furniture and toys for the reception area.
Top Volunteer Opportunities:
- Need attorneys and bi-lingual translators for Monday and Wednesday night clinics.
- Need Social Work and Law Students for Internships
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The Wright House Wellness Center
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The Wright House works to improve quality of life for persons living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and hepatitis C by providing low- to no-cost physical and emotional support and services. Along with peer education, support, and community education at a variety of area locations, Wright House provides something else: the human touch and a deep sense of dedication.
In-kind donation needs:
- Non-Perishable Food Items for Clients Living with Chronic Disease
- Wellness Supplies including massage tables, oils, acupuncture needles, yoga mats, blankets, sheets, scented candles, etc.
- DVD Player/VCR, Computer Projector for Staff & Client Presentations
- One Digital Cameras for Client Events / Socials / Functions
- Hand Held Tape Voice Recorders for Client Advocates, Case Management and Out Reach Teams and Volunteer projects
- Car Washing & Cleaning Services for the organization’s vans
- White Noise Sound Machines for Client Sessions
- Office Supplies for Both Administrative and East Austin Offices
- Signage & Banner Services
- Give-aways & In Kind Donations for Client Socials (gift cards, gift baskets, etc.)
- Exercise equipment (treadmill, elliptical, etc.)
- Slip Covers for a Love Seat and a Sofa or New Couch and Love Seat
- Weekly food donations for our Monday Night Volunteer Club
Contact Information:
Name: Mark A. Johansen, Volunteer Coordinator / Office Manager
Telephone: 512-236-8901
For more information visit www.thewrighthouse.org.
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Travis County Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs
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Travis County Health and Human Services and Veterans Services provides emergency Assistances with Rent/Mortgage/Temporary Shelter payments; utility assistance with utilities like natural gas, butane/propane, electricity, garbage, water and fire wood; food pantry and food voucher assistance, out-of-town transportation-on a limited basis, Medical Assistance Program (MAP) certification (rural community centers only, meeting space-rural community centers primarily, social work case management services along with the Youth and Family Assistance Program, indigent burial, housing weatherization and heating/cooling energy units and appliance repair, replacement and retrofitting; Call Center for the AirCheck eligibility program operates out of a rural community center.
Monetary Donations:
Financial donations help to supplement services that are unable to be provided by Travis County. e.g., work boots for customer who just got a job through case management assistance; supplement services provided by Travis County, e.g. prescription assistance for customers with more prescriptions than Travis County can fund; assistance with preventing evictions and homelessness when Travis County funds are unable to assist with the total bill due or if found ineligible for assistance and there are children, seniors, persons with disabilities in the household, etc.
In-kind Donations:
- Volunteers to participate in the Retired Senior & Volunteer Program (RSVP) who then become available to serve as volunteers to the seven community centers.
- Youth to participate in the Work-Based Learning Program who then become available to fill limited work- load jobs during the summer throughout Travis County.
Top Volunteer Opportunities:
- May Vary From Center to Center: Clerical/computer data entry/waiting room-front office support; work in the clothes closet arranging clothing-distributing clothes to authorized persons-coordinating volunteer recruitment-training-retention activities
- East Rural Community Center (Manor): Food pantry coordinator, clothes closet (gift/thrift shop) coordinator, library volunteer, file room coordinator and/or information and referral coordinator,
- North Rural Community Center (Pflugerville): Work in the food pantry on Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Friday stocking Capital Area Food Bank delivery into parcels for food distribution.
Contact information.
Andrea Colunga Bussey, Family Support Services Division Director, 512-854-4102
Mike Manor, Social Services Program Administrator , 512-854-9172
For more information visit http://webdev2.internal.co.travis.tx.us/health_human_services/family_support_Services/default.asp
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United Way Capital Area and 2-1-1 Texas
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Top Volunteer Opportunities:
- Volunteer for any of the coalition members through Hands On Central Texas (a program of United Way Capital Area and a member of the national Hands On Network)
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