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Volunteering Opportunities in Raleigh
Are you searching for volunteering opportunities in Raleigh, NC? Here are ten great non-profit organizations in Raleigh that always seek new volunteers.
Moving to a new city is an exciting adventure, but it can also feel a bit isolating at first. One of the most rewarding ways to put down roots in Raleigh is by giving back to the community that welcomes you.
Whether you are a longtime homeowner looking to deepen your connection to the area or a newcomer eager to meet your neighbors and make a difference, volunteering offers a unique opportunity to become part of something bigger than yourself.
Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, use your special skills and talents to assist your neighbors, and make a difference in your community. According to the University of Washington, volunteering leads to longer, healthier, and happier lives.
Raleigh's vibrant nonprofit sector reflects the city's values of compassion, community, and collaboration. From feeding the hungry to building homes for families in need, the Triangle area offers countless ways to contribute your time, talents, and heart.
The holiday season, in particular, brings a special urgency to many of these missions, as organizations work overtime to ensure that everyone in our community experiences warmth, dignity, and hope during what should be a joyful time of year.
If you live in Raleigh and want to start volunteering and make a difference, check out these top ten volunteering opportunities. All volunteer applications can be found online, and most non-profit organizations require volunteers to be 18 or older or at least 16 with a guardian.
Consider volunteering at these non-profit organizations
1. Meals On Wheels of Wake County
Address: 1001 Blair Dr, Suite 10, Raleigh, NC 27603
Meals On Wheels of Wake County is a non-profit social services organization that provides home-delivered nutritious meals and congregate meals Monday through Friday for older adults, primarily senior citizens.
Since its founding in 1974 with just ten volunteers delivering meals in downtown Raleigh, Meals on Wheels of Wake County has now delivered over eleven million meals throughout the county. This beloved organization addresses two critical issues facing our senior population: hunger and isolation.
Volunteer drivers deliver lunch and friendly conversation to senior and disabled clients Monday through Friday, with routes taking approximately sixty to ninety minutes. Many volunteers serve as the only daily contact their recipients have, providing not just nourishment but also a safety check and caring presence.
With over 2,200 volunteers helping to deliver meals each week, Meals on Wheels demonstrates the power of community members coming together to ensure our most vulnerable neighbors maintain their independence and dignity.
Volunteers must be over 18 and fill out an application online. Once the application has been received, a site manager will follow up with a phone call to schedule and answer questions about the organization and what is expected from volunteers.
2. Habitat For Humanity of Wake County
Address: 2420 Raleigh Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27604
Habitat for Humanity of Wake County has been transforming lives through affordable housing for over four decades. This non-profit organization serves Wake and Johnston Counties and helps local families build and improve places to call home.
Build days are held every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at various new construction sites, with no construction experience required. First-time volunteers receive on-site training and work alongside experienced volunteers and staff.
Beyond the construction sites, Habitat Wake operates ten ReStore locations throughout the Triangle, where volunteers help sort donations, assist customers, and keep the stores running smoothly.
These home improvement stores sell donated furniture, building materials, and household goods at discounted prices, with proceeds benefiting Habitat's affordable housing mission. Whether you prefer swinging a hammer or organizing retail inventory, there's a place for you at Habitat Wake.
More than 2,700 corporations and individuals donate to this organization every year to help make its mission of building and supplying affordable housing possible.
3. Inter-Faith Food Shuttle
Address: 1001 Blair Dr, Raleigh, NC 27603
The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is a food bank and non-profit organization in Raleigh with the mission to end hunger. The organization distributes over twelve million pounds of food annually across seven counties, with almost thirty-five percent consisting of fresh produce.
What makes the Food Shuttle unique is its focus on long-term solutions alongside immediate relief. Beyond food distribution, they teach skills for self-sufficiency, including culinary job training, shopping and cooking healthy on a budget, and how to grow food.
North Carolina is the tenth hungriest state in the country, and one in six children is at risk for hunger. The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle operates in seven counties in North Carolina and provides nutritious food and healthy meals to low-income families.
Volunteer opportunities range from working at the Food Shuttle Farm (where you will help grow organic produce that goes directly to those in need) to assisting with the Gardens For Everyone program, which builds raised-bed garden boxes in backyards of low-to-moderate income households.
4. The Green Chair Project
Address: 1853 Capital Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27604
The Green Chair Project addresses a need many people don't think about: what happens when someone escapes homelessness or crisis but has nothing to furnish their new home with? Since 2010, this organization has served as a crucial conduit between vulnerable Wake County families and vital housing resources.
The Green Chair Project has helped more than 23,000 individuals and over 8,000 households. Fueled by community donations and volunteers, there are many ways to get involved, whether processing donations or providing assistance in the warehouse.
Families are invited to shop through a curated showroom where they can choose items that fit their needs and preferences. This choice-based model honors the autonomy and individuality of each family.
The organization partners with more than 120 local nonprofits and agencies to identify families who need their services. Through the Sweeter Dreams Program alone, they've provided over 8,000 beds to children and infants across Wake County.
5. Shepherd's Table Soup Kitchen
Address: 121 Hillsborough St #1762, Raleigh, NC 27603
For over forty years, the Shepherd's Table Soup Kitchen has been a soup kitchen on Hillsborough Street in Downtown Raleigh that helps people experiencing homelessness and financial insecurity receive nutritious and warm meals.
The kitchen welcomes nearly ten thousand volunteers each year, serving two hundred to three hundred people daily from eleven a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday.
The beauty of volunteering at Shepherd's Table is the direct, immediate impact you will see. You will prepare food, serve your neighbors, and share conversation.
All volunteers must be at least 18 years old or at least 16 if accompanied by an adult. All interested volunteers must fill out the volunteer registration form on the website and wait to hear back from the volunteer coordinator.
6. CORRAL Riding Academy
Address: 3620 Kildaire Farm Rd, Cary, NC 27518
CORRAL Riding Academy is located in Cary, a well-known Raleigh suburb about a 16-minute drive away. This faith-motivated organization helps girls address hurt, trauma, and unhealthy patterns through working with horses, allowing them to learn emotional intelligence and develop leadership skills.
Volunteer opportunities include providing transportation for girls to and from the farm, offering academic tutoring, helping with farm maintenance, supporting equine-assisted psychotherapy programs by working with rescue horses, and even joining a monthly prayer team via Zoom.
No horse experience is necessary; volunteers just need a willingness to help maintain the farm and support the incredible work being done with vulnerable youth. This is an especially meaningful opportunity for those who love animals and want to support young people at critical points in their lives.
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7. Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina
Address: 1924 Capital Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27604
Food insecurity can affect anyone; approximately one in seven people in North Carolina face hunger, and one in five children is hungry.
As one of the largest food banks in the nation, the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina serves 34 counties through six regional branches. In fiscal year 2021-2022, the Food Bank distributed more than 95 million pounds of food, with over half consisting of nutritious perishable items such as meat, dairy, and fresh produce.
The Raleigh branch, located on Capital Boulevard, serves as the main distribution center for nine counties in central North Carolina. Volunteer projects typically include building food boxes, sorting and repackaging produce, handling bulk dry items like pasta or rice, or labeling food containers.
With the rising need for food assistance in recent years, volunteers are more critical than ever. The holiday season sees particularly high demand, making your time especially valuable during November and December.
With branches located throughout central and eastern North Carolina, there are many ways to get involved and help distribute resources throughout the community and local neighborhoods.
8. InterAct of Wake County
Address: 1012 Oberlin Rd, Suite 100, Raleigh, NC 27604
InterAct of Wake County is the only provider of comprehensive services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Wake County. Through dedicated staff, passionate volunteers, and community partnerships, InterAct serves over sixty thousand community members each year.
InterAct provides three twenty-four-hour crisis lines dedicated to domestic violence and sexual assault, along with group and individual counseling, bilingual counseling, specialized children's counseling, case management, court and hospital advocacy, and a full violence prevention curriculum in Wake County public schools.
The organization also operates Wake County's only residential program for women and children fleeing abuse and North Carolina's first community-based sexual assault forensic examination center, the Solace Center.
InterAct's Volunteer Program accepts applications for various roles, though some program areas may have waiting lists. Volunteers make lasting impressions in the lives of individuals and families impacted by violence.
9. Neighbor To Neighbor
Address: 1200 S Blount St, Raleigh, NC 27601
Neighbor To Neighbor, also referred to as N2N, is a non-profit and community development organization that offers the chance for neighbors to come together. This organization takes a holistic, relationship-based approach to helping youth and adults thrive educationally, developmentally, and spiritually.
Through mentoring relationships, Neighbor To Neighbor provides academic mentoring, afterschool enrichment, asset development, and workforce development programs for members of the community.
In addition to educational mentoring in math and language arts, students participate in enrichment classes covering areas like the arts, STEM, entrepreneurship, and physical education. The organization also offers adult literacy programs and GED preparation four days a week in partnership with Wake Tech Community College.
Serving the Southeast Raleigh area for over 25 years, students of Neighbor To Neighbor have grown three times faster than the national average academically, and 97% of students are first-generation college students.
It takes over three hundred volunteers each year to make Neighbor to Neighbor's programs possible. The one-on-one nature of the mentoring means your investment of just one hour per week can literally change a child's educational trajectory.
10. Rise Against Hunger Raleigh
Address: 3200 Wellington Ct #112, Raleigh, NC 27615
Rise Against Hunger Raleigh is part of a global movement to end hunger in communities. This international humanitarian non-profit organization works to empower communities and provide nutritional meals to individuals and families.
The organization coordinates assembly-line packaging of highly nutritious dehydrated meals, giving dedicated groups hands-on experience in international hunger relief while developing leadership, team-building, and problem-solving skills.
As many as one in 11 people are affected by hunger globally, and Rise Against Hunger is working to change that. This organization has helped millions of lives and counting and is always in need of volunteers who want to help end hunger and provide nutrition education to neighbors.
Methodology
We used data and information from local non-profit organizations, Feeding America, and the World Health Organization to determine what volunteering opportunities are available in Raleigh, NC.
FAQs
How do I choose a volunteer job?
The best way to choose a volunteer job is to determine which organization and cause you are interested in, determine your motivation for volunteering, consider how much time you have to commit to volunteering, and start looking for positions in your area.
How can I get the most out of volunteering?
In order to get the best out of a volunteering experience, it is important to know your goals, be open to new opportunities, be flexible with your schedule, keep expectations realistic, and be prepared to learn new things and ask questions.
What type of person makes the best volunteer?
Someone reliable, personable, open-minded, passionate, respectful, positive, authentic, adaptable, organized, and selfless makes the best volunteer.
Volunteering Opportunities in Raleigh, NC - Final Thoughts
Each of these ten organizations represents the very best of Raleigh's community spirit. No matter where you choose to volunteer, any amount of help that you are able to give will go a long way towards achieving each non-profit organization's mission.
If you are ready to move to Raleigh and want to find your dream home, contact the experts at Raleigh Realty. We are here to help and answer any questions.
