Volunteer

Clothing Donation and Volunteer Update

Due to an unexpected surge in donations, we have paused our acceptance of gently-used items until June 1, 2021. Please refrain from bringing any gently-used donations, including clothing, household and children’s items, to our campus until this date. Thank you for your understanding!

Questions or concerns? Email Rachel Warne at rwarne@covenanthouse.org.

In accordance with the policies of the City of New Orleans, we are allowing a limited amount of in person volunteer opportunities. For more information on availability or virtual volunteer opportunities please contact volunteerNOLA@covenanthouse.org.

Interested in Volunteering?

For volunteer positions interacting directly with youth, individuals must be 25 or older. We also ask for at least a six month commitment to a regular schedule.

We also ask that, if possible, volunteers donate $25 to cover the cost of processing the background check.

Want to get started? Create your (free!) VolunteerHub account here. Once you create your account, sign up for the next available Volunteer Orientation session.

We love our volunteers, and are always open to new ideas! For any questions related to volunteering, email volunteerNOLA@covenanthouse.org.

Please note that we cannot validate court mandated volunteer hours.

Individual Volunteer Opportunities

Any item denoted with a * is currently unavailable due to COVID-19 safety precautions.

Clothing Room Volunteers

Each day, donors bring their gently used clothing and goods to our site. Our Clothing Room Volunteers organize and sort the donations, allowing our residents easy access to the clothes they need most. Many of our youth arrive with just the clothes on their back, and these donations help us ensure they have access to clean and quality clothing.

We currently have shifts available on Mondays and Fridays.

Tutoring & Job Readiness

Homework Help & Tutoring

If you have tutoring experience, join our Homework Help Hotline! Assist youth with homework at least once a week via a Zoom call. Ideally, volunteers can tutor multiple high school-level subjects. Volunteers must have access to a stable internet connection.

Job-Readiness Assistance

Our Educational & Vocational team supports our youth with a variety of job readiness needs, and we love support from knowledgeable volunteers. Let us know if you have professional experience with resume building, interview prep, and job applications!

Welcome Desk Volunteers*

Welcome Desk Volunteers work in the hub of our Care Center and are the first friendly face a youth sees when entering Covenant House. In this position, you learn about everything going on at Covenant House and get to interact regularly with residents and community members. It’s a fast paced position that is vitally important to keeping things running smoothly in the Crisis Center. Volunteers interested in this role must commit to 1 four hour shift a week, for a minimum of 8 months and should have experience working with youth.

Care Package Prep

Our off-site residents are always in need of certain home goods and food items, and we need the volunteer power to prep baskets for them with donations we receive from the community. Volunteers in this role will organize donations, prep kits, and then deliver the kits to off-site residents at their apartments. Please note: volunteers will be placed in groups of two or more for this activity, and at least one volunteer for each shift will need access to transportation for delivery.

Create an account & Register for Orientation

Emerging Leaders in Nonprofits (ELIN) Program

Calling all undergraduate students! Our ELIN Program allows students to gain valuable on-the-job experience while providing our staff with much needed support. Additionally, ELIN interns will complete our Professional Development Workbook, guided by Covenant House staff at biweekly program-wide meetings. We are able to verify intern hours for degree requirements. Unfortunately, at this time we are unable to offer paid internships.

Applicants should be at least 18 years old, and commit to at least 3 months with us. Please note that some positions will require interns to be at least 21 years old.

Undergraduate interns can assist with Development, Volunteer Coordination, Social Media, Finance, Administration, and more.

If you are interested in applying to be a part of our team, please send a cover letter and resume to volunteerNOLA@covenanthouse.org. We will inform you once we open the application cycle (1-2 months before the start of the semester).

Group Volunteers

Please note that our group volunteer opportunities are currently paused due to COVID. Email us at volunteerNOLA@covenanthouse.org to learn about other ways to get involved.

Prepare & Share a Meal

Prepare & Share a Meal for our residents! Groups (of 10 or fewer) can prepare or cater dinners or lunches for our youth.

Want to learn more about this opportunity?

If your group, club, church, or company is interested in our Prepare & Share a Meal program, email us!

Move Krewe

Many supporters often want to donate gently used furniture or appliances, but we do not always have the capacity to transport these donated items from a donor to a youth. If you have a mid-sized vehicle and are able to move large objects, you can join our Move Krewe list.

When we receive notification of a large donation, we will notify our Move Krewe team. Please note: this activity requires groups of two or more, and you will need access to transportation for delivery.

Physical Service Projects

We are always happy to have groups complete physical service projects, which include facility improvements like painting, cleaning, or gardening—anything that helps keep Covenant House a home for our residents.

For these types of projects, we typically recommend a 3 hour weekday commitment, between 9:00 to noon or noon to 3:00 PM. This opportunity is ideal for groups to be between 10 and 20 people.

Hold a Donation Drive

Our Most-Needed Items

Visit our Wish List to review a list of our most common needs.
Our needs change frequently! Before beginning a donation drive, please contact Rachel Warne at 504-584-1136 or rwarne@covenanthouse.org.

Special Occasions

We always want our residents to know that they are loved and cared for. Holiday donation drives ensure that no young person is left out of the joy of the holidays.

Christmas
- Gift card drive (Target, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Ulta, etc.)
Easter baskets
Valentines baskets
Halloween goody bags
Welcome Home Baskets
- Collect donations for individuals moving into their own apartments for the very first time!

Before collecting donations for any special occasions, contact rwarne@covenanthouse.org for the most up-to-date needs list.