If you’ve thought about volunteering, there is no time like the present to start doing it. Every day, thousands of organizations all over the United States need volunteers to help their organization run smoothly on a day to day basis. You can help them do that by simply volunteering your time. Here is a detailed list of places you can volunteer at in your area.
Where to Volunteer in Tampa, Florida #1: Tampa‘s Lowry Park Zoo
If you enjoy being around animals, the zoo might be a good place for you to volunteer your time at. They have volunteer programs for both teenagers and adults. Adults can volunteer to be a Docent or Animal Department Volunteer. A Docent has to be at least 18 years old and commit to 8 hours a month. As a Docent, you’ll be fully trained so you’ll be knowledgeable about everything at the zoo. You’ll lead tours and give information to the public. You will have to go through 70 hours of training but it would be sure to be a rewarding experience. Animal Department Volunteers work beside the zoo keepers as they perform various duties with the animals. Some of the areas you could work in are Florida Mammals, Primates, Asian Gardens, Safari Africa, etc. Some of the volunteer duties you will be doing is cleaning and maintenance of animal exhibits, animal husbandry, diet and enrichment preparation and more. For safety’s sake, you will not be working directly with any of the zoo animals. You must be 18 years old and commit to at least 4 hours a month for six months. Before volunteering, you will have to show the results of a negative TB test pass a background screening and undergo any needed training. If you’d like to volunteer, call Erica Clark at (813) 935-8552 extension 233. The zoo is located at 1101 W. Sligh Avenue Tampa, FL 33604.
Where to Volunteer in TampaFlorida #2: MOSI
MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) is located at 4801 E. Fowler Avenue Tampa, Florida 33617. There are currently twelve volunteer positions available. They are: Exhibits Shop Assistant (help set up, clean up and remodel exhibits), Clerical Assistant (work in the office doing data entry, answering/making calls, etc), Café clerk (work in the museums café), Retail Assistant (work at various stores at MOSI, giving demonstrations on how products work, etc), Intern (gain experience by working at different departments at the museum), Sky Watch Assistant (help set up telescopes and answer patrons questions), Teacher Assistant (You can be a teacher assistant at Summer Science Camp during the summer), Group Greeter (you’ll welcome school field trips and other groups as they come to tour the museum), Bio-Works Butterfly Assistant (You will assist staff with butterfly and plant care as well as give information to visitors), InterActor- Kids In Charge (help kids that come to the InterActor Kids in Charge program. This is an interactive program for children), InterActor- floor operations (Assist guests with the hands on programs available at the museum), and Guild Members (as a Guild Member, you can help recruit and train volunteers and even become a docent). If you’d like to start the volunteering process, you can request an application at the museum or print one out here: http://www.mosi.org/volunteerapplication.pdf. For more information, call (813) 987-6100.
Where to Volunteer in Tampa, Florida #3: The Humane Society
To become a volunteer for The Humane Society, you must first fill out an application, attend an orientation, commit to work 30 hours during a six month period and be at least 16 years old. Some of the areas you can work at are in Administration (data entry, answering phones, assist with mailings), Kennel Care (clean animal dishes/toys/kennels), Adoption Assistant (introduce visitors to pets that they may want to adopt), Animal Companion (spend time with an animal by playing with them, etc), Animeals (deliver pet food to homebound or senior citizens the first Saturday every month), Pet-a-Pet (take your own pet to visit nursing homes) and much more. The Humane Society is located at 3607 North Armenia Avenue Tampa, FL 33607 and their phone number is (813) 876-7138.
Where to Volunteer in Tampa, Florida #4: YMCA
Do you enjoy being around children or like the thought of working towards bettering the life of children? If the answer is yes then you may want to consider volunteering with the YMCA. They need volunteers to help coach kids, fundraise, work in the office doing data entry and helping with mailings and much more. The YMCA has several locations available in Tampa and you can pick which one you’d like to volunteer at. Click here for a list of the TAMPA YMCA’s. The main office is Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA and they are located at 110 E. Oak Avenue Tampa, FL 33602. Call (813) 224-9622 for more details.
Where to Volunteer in TampaFlorida #5: Ronald McDonald House
The Ronald McDonald house gives families with sick children a chance to have somewhere to stay that is like a home away from home. Volunteers are needed to help make it a pleasant experience for families staying at the house. Volunteers register families, give tours to those staying at the house, answer phones and help in any other way they are needed. You are required to commit to at least two 4 hour shifts a month. The Ronald McDonald house also has a program for teens volunteers who are at least 14 years old. If you don’t have the time to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald house directly, you can cook a casserole/soup/chili to take to the house that the volunteers can serve houseguests. For more information on volunteering, call Laura Wright at (813) 254-2398, extension 317. The Ronald McDonald house in Tampa is located at 35 Columbia Drive, Tampa, Florida 33606.
