Opportunities From: United Way of East Central Iowa

More than 100 local children are waiting for a mentor, and one caring adult can make all the difference.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar Rapids & East Central Iowa serves youth throughout Benton, Linn, and Jones counties, and we're looking for caring adults who are ready to help ignite a child's potential.

As a Community-Based Big Brother or Big Sister, you'll spend time with your Little doing everyday activities you both enjoy, grabbing ice cream, shooting hoops, visiting the library, exploring a park, attending one of our FREE match activities, or simply talking and building a trusted friendship.

You can mentor one-on-one, with your spouse or partner, or even as a family by including your Little in activities you're already doing together.

It takes little to be Big.

Spend at least 2 hours together once a month (or more!) for a minimum of one year.

Be a caring, consistent adult for a child who needs another positive role model.

Be at least 23 years old with a valid driver's license and current auto insurance.

The opportunity to make a lasting impact on a young person's life.

Access to FREE Big Brothers Big Sisters match activities throughout the year, making it easy to spend quality time together.

A meaningful friendship that can last a lifetime, many of our matches stay connected through graduations, weddings, and other major milestones.

The chance to strengthen your community while creating memories you'll never forget.

Right now, more than 100 children are waiting for someone just like you. Your two hours a month could be the moment that changes a child's future.

Become a Big today and help defend the potential of youth in Benton, Linn, and Jones counties.

Milestones in Marion, a program of Aging Services, is looking for a caring person (or group!) to help outside with periodic yard work. The hours needed are flexible. You will receive guidance about specific duties from the Manager. The ability to stand, bend, and kneel is needed is needed for this volunteer position.

Milestones in Marion serves adults 18+ who need medical care, socialization opportunities, or have other needs during the day. Participants then return home in the evenings. If you enjoy meeting new people and spending time with some awesome folks while making a difference, we would love to talk to you about this opportunity. 

Volunteers are fully trained and complete background checks. 

Aging Services is a certified Service Enterprise agency. Join our efforts and learn more about how we support our community as a team! 

Help get the market ready before the crowds arrive. Includes setting out garbage cans, signage, getting the information trailer and popcorn tent ready to go. As a bonus you get to first pick to buy from the vendors! 

Help make it look like the event never happened! Tear down the information trailer, popcorn tents, and transport garbage. 

Spend your shift popping and handing out free popcorn. It's a fun job, everyone loves free popcorn, and you'll quickly become one of the most popular people at the farmers market.

Become a wish granter from any county in the state of Iowa to create hope, strength, and joy for children with critical illnesses.

You will be partnered with a wish granter to meet with wish kids and their families to brainstorm ideas and help determine their wish. While Make-A-Wish Iowa staff is making these wishes a reality, wish granters will provide personalized items to celebrate the wish. Once wish planning is completed by Make-A-Wish Iowa staff, volunteers will help celebrate the child and the wish being granted.

Email volunteer@iowa.wish.org to receive a volunteer application and to get started with the volunteer onboarding process! Must be a minimum of 18-years-old.

Join us this growing season at the Cultivate Hope Urban Farm! We are looking for dedicated volunteer gardeners to help out this season with various tasks such as landscaping, planting and harvesting produce, trash collection, beautification, and general maintenance of the farm space.

The Cultivate Hope Urban Farm is Iowa's first urban farm, built on land where houses had been demolished after the flood of 2008, and provides 10,000+ lbs of produce annually to the surrounding community. The farm also serves as a valuable space for community building and youth education.

Key Tasks and Activities:

Age Requirements: Must be 18 years of age or older. Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

For questions or to sign up, visit matthew-25.org/volunteer.

Join us in delivering “more than just a meal.” As a Meals on Wheels volunteer driver, you’ll provide nutritious food, a friendly visit, a safety check—and the reassurance that someone cares. Your time helps seniors remain safe and independent in their own homes.

Our dedicated volunteers deliver more than 1,000 meals each weekday across the metro area. Drivers pick up meals around 10:45 a.m. from various pick-up sites, and each route takes about one hour to complete.

Flexible Opportunities:
Our routes are both family-friendly and business-friendly. You can deliver once a week, once a month, or as your schedule allows—we’ll work with you to find a fit that works best.

Volunteer Requirements:

A current driver’s license

Your own vehicle and proof of auto insurance

Completion of a background check prior to delivering

Youth are welcome to accompany an adult driver!

If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact in your community, contact us at volunteer@horizonsfamily.org or call 319-398-3943 to learn more.

If you're looking for group volunteer opportunities, we have plenty of work at our Wanatee farm. We can host upwards of 10-20 people and opportunities include but are not limited to:

For further inquiries or questions, reach out to outreach@feediowa1st.com! Close-toed shoes, water bottles, and clothing equipped for farming is recommended. Conditions will most likely be on the warmer side while in the fields. 

Camp Wapsie has several areas that could use some painting updates. We are seeking volunteers who can help us painting some walls, benches, signs and other areas around camp. Some inside and some outdoor projects. Volunteers fill out a Voluntary Disclosure form if they are here when we have guests in camp.

Do you like being outdoors and working with your hands? Are you interested in wood construction? 

WRAP is dedicated to providing freedom to individuals who need

ADA-compliant accessibility ramps.  WRAP Wood Ramp Builders change someone’s life in one day, providing freedom to those who are homebound.

Building a ramp allows someone the safety and security to go to medical appointments, have lunch with a friend, do shopping, walk the dog, attend church and community events, and other quality of life activities.

Key Responsibilities

As a WRAP Wood Ramp Builder, you will:

As a WRAP Wood Ramp Builder, you may:

Qualifications

WRAP is looking for individuals (and groups) to spend a build day working with our team to build accessibility ramps for individuals in the community.

Benefits of Volunteering

How to Apply:

Join us in making homes and lives more accessible! Bring your tape measure and drill driver, or use those we will provide, enjoy some time in the sunshine, as you improve someone’s home access with your volunteer efforts!

Individual Applications can be made at: 

https://www.volgistics.com/appform/449453408

Groups are welcome, including teenagers, however we require adult supervision for minors. For a group, please fill out the application by following this link:

https://www.volgistics.com/appform/836905891

WRAP welcomes and supports all volunteers, and the WRAP Program Manager is with you each step of the way!

Learn more about WRAP: wrapiowa.org 

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

✨ Together, we build more than ramps, we build independence, safety, and hope. ✨

Support a cause you care about by coordinating a collection drive! Review the guide below for best practices and nonprofit beneficiary ideas. For questions or to celebrate your success, please respond to this opportunity and email volunteer@uweci.org.

Grow Pamoja - Urban Garden Grow Pamoja offers immigrants and refugees hands-on farming experience in America. Our urban garden provides access to agricultural resources, supporting local food systems and empowering newcomers to grow and contribute to their communities.

Schedule: Every other week for tasks such as weeding Note: Must be scheduled in advance; volunteers need to be flexible with coordination

Be part of one of the library’s most popular draws – library programming! Program Assistants help with program preparation and setup, monitoring, and cleanup. Programs are held both in the library or at one of our many outreach programs. Click here to download a full description for this opportunity.

Stocked daily with fresh produce, meat, fish, dairy, frozen/shelf-stable goods, and culturally familiar products, the Catherine McAuley Center’s food pantry provides free, nutritious food available to all clients, students, and residents.  With a commercial refrigerator, freezer, and self-serve display shelves near our front lobby, clients can choose the food that fits their needs in any quantity, as often as needed. No limits, no questions—just the freedom and dignity to access the food that helps them thrive.

Hosting a drive is easy—and impactful. We’ve made it simple with downloadable flyers, an updated food wish list, and helpful tips to get you started.

1. View Our Wish list Explore our list of most-needed items—these are the foods that make the biggest impact: . Be sure to check what’s currently accepted. https://cmc-cr.org/food-pantry-wishlist/

2. Promote Your Drive Use our customizable flyers and social media posts to spread the word. If you’re giving a presentation, play one of our promotional videos to rally support for the CMC mission. 

3. Collect Donations Designate a bin or collection area and start gathering items. 

4. Drop Off When your drive is complete, bring your donations to CMC during our donation drop-off hours. 

Learn more here: https://cmc-cr.org/give/supply-drives/

From personal care items to household goods, supply donations stock our hygiene closet, furnish living spaces for residents, and provide materials for programs and services. These everyday essentials bring comfort and hope to women, families, refugees, and immigrants rebuilding their lives.

Hosting a drive is easy—and impactful. We’ve made it simple with downloadable flyers, an updated wish list, and helpful tips to get you started.

1. View Our Wish list Explore our list of most-needed items—these are the foods that make the biggest impact: . Be sure to check what’s currently accepted.  https://cmc-cr.org/give/wishlist/

2. Promote Your Drive Use our customizable flyers and social media posts to spread the word. If you’re giving a presentation, play one of our promotional videos to rally support for the CMC mission. 

3. Collect Donations Designate a bin or collection area and start gathering items. 

4. Drop Off When your drive is complete, bring your donations to CMC during our donation drop-off hours. 

Learn more here: https://cmc-cr.org/give/supply-drives/

Outdoor opportunity! As a land care and maintenance volunteer, you or your group will play an important role in carrying out Prairiewoods' sustainability mission on our 70-acre woodland and prairie property. Work varies by season and according to weather, but could include trail maintenance, gardening, invasive species removal, harvesting, plowing, mowing, woodworking, other specific conservation or building projects, etc. We have a variety of opportunities and projects to suit different skill-sets and interests.

We also have Woodland Wednesdays that happen every Wednesday mornings from spring through fall and you'll be part of a team of volunteers that help out on the grounds during the morning and then served a delicious lunch afterwards. Interested? Contact Sandy Rosenberger at srosenberger@prairiewoods.org or call 319-395-6700 Ext. 216 to learn more.