Places to Volunteer in St Augustine

Love this great list of places to volunteer from Simply St Augustine. 

Seasons change and fads come and go but caring for our community and those who live here is always in style. Over the years, our family has searched for ways we can serve together… it can be hard to figure out where the needs are! Add young children to the mix and it can seem impossible to figure out where to volunteer in St. Augustine. Well, worry no more! While this list is not comprehensive, there should be enough ideas to help you find a place to be an active part of the community. 

WHERE TO VOLUNTEER IN ST. AUGUSTINE

St. Francis House Shelter

St. Francis House does an amazing work caring for the homeless and needy in our community through their dining room, food pantry, transitional housing and helping connect those who need work with hiring businesses.

ways you can give back in St. Augustine:

• donate to the food pantry: peanut butter, jelly, crackers, pasta, sauce, soup, oatmeal, cereal, tuna, one-box-meal-mixes, rice, canned beans, granola bars, macaroni & cheese. Always donate unopened foods that are not expired! A 3 year old bottle of salad dressing or a random “quinoa, tofu and anchovies mix” that your family didn’t like is not a blessing to anyone!
• make a box of PB&J’s and drop off – St. Francis makes these available during times they aren’t serving meals
• volunteer in their food pantry, dining room or clothes pantry

St Gerard Campus

St. Gerard Campus is, at its core, a maternity home & Christian high school for pregnant teens. Their care is felt in the community in many additional ways: the pregnancy center offers pregnancy testing, sonograms and counseling, the community outreach program provides food, clothing, furniture, resources and counseling and all services are free of charge.

ways you can give back in St. Augustine:

• donate baby clothes, maternity clothes, diapers, wipes and other essentials
• nursery – while teen moms are in high school, babies need someone to rock them and love on them!
• volunteer to counsel, answer phone calls or hand out supplies
• thrift store – to help raise funds, St. Gerard Campus has opened a thrift store at 1333 #3 Old Dixie Highway, St. Augustine. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. Volunteer to sort donations or help customers.

Keepers of the Coast

Beach cleanups don’t have to be officially organized to benefit the people and sea life who spend time there. Every time you visit a beach, take a bag for trash and tidy as you search for shells! Keepers of the Coast organized to raise awareness of Coastal Clean Up & Conservation. They host the annual Sea Turtle Education Festival to raise awareness before Sea Turtle nesting season each year, a July 5th cleanup and other events to bring awareness of our coast’s value.

ways you can give back in St. Augustine:

• host a beach clean up with friends
• check Keepers’ site for festival volunteer opportunities

Ayla’s Acres

In Northeast and North Central Florida, more than 30,000 animals are euthanized every year. Ayla’s Acres No-Kill Animal Shelter is doing their part through both adoption and spay and neuter options. Unadoptable animals may find their forever home at Ayla’s Acres’ 45-acre sanctuary.

ways you can give back in St. Augustine:

• donate gently used stuff to their Thrift Shop
• volunteer at the Thrift Shop or at the shelter

St. Augustine Lighthouse

The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum would love to have you as a volunteer! As a not-for-profit organization they rely on volunteers to keep them standing tall and shining bright! If you like to interact with visitors from around the world, help maintain a historic treasure, and be involved in your community, they have a place for you here! Call Loni at 904/829-0745.

ways you can give back in St. Augustine:

• volunteer as a docent
• volunteer with grounds maintenance
• volunteer with LAMP – underwater archaeology

Lightner Museum

Sometimes called The Smithsonian of the South, Lightner Museum has a quality, quirky collection! We take our children there to explore- you’ll come across Tiffany lamps, an Egyptian mummy, a collection of Nickelodeons, depression glass, a button collection, eye glasses and steins and a stuffed lion and so much more! All this is housed in the historic Hotel Alcazar – make time for lunch in the delicious Cafe Alcazar when you volunteer. It’s located in the deep end of what was the world’s largest indoor pool! I love the vegetable panini but it’s all delish.

ways you can give back in St. Augustine:

• volunteer as a docent
• volunteer in the shop

St. Augustine Amphitheatre

If music is your gig, you’ll love this volunteer opportunity with a major perk… you get to spend your evenings at concerts! The Amphitheatre brings national bands to our small town and provides a memorable experience for attendee and bands!

ways you can give back in St. Augustine:

• volunteer as an usher & help people find their seats at concerts

The Castillo de San Marcos

As a National Park, the Castillo is both a national treasure and a tourist attraction in St. Augustine. There are often more visitors than rangers to talk with them – this is where volunteers come in. If you have a penchant for costumes, you’ll like this even more… you can dress as a Spanish soldier or lady and interact with visitors!

ways you can give back in St. Augustine:

• volunteer as a living history character

Limelight Theatre

If you’re passionate about live theatre, you’ll want to know about this opportunity: Limelight Theatre is always looking for volunteers! Our local, nonprofit, community theatre utilizes volunteers in a wide array of roles- from hands-on jobs like assisting with set construction & scenic painting to customer-facing assistant roles. Please contact Amanda Arany, Limelight Production Manager, for more information at 904-825-1164 or email amandalimelight@gmail.com

ways you can give back in St. Augustine:

• Serve as an usher or bartender
• Serve meals for cast & crew
• Use your skills in construction & maintenance