Volunteer

COVID-19 Safety Policies

As of July 2021, we are requiring that all volunteers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to volunteering on-site. Masks must be worn at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Thank you for helping us keep our youth safe! Questions or concerns? Email us at volunteernola@covenanthouse.org.

Interested in Volunteering?

Volunteer Age Information: For volunteers interacting directly with youth, individuals must be 25 or older. Youth volunteers (ages 16-24) may join us on a limited basis to help with special events or peak service seasons like the holidays.

Time Commitment: While we welcome single day volunteers, we request at least a six month commitment to a regular schedule.

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

Onboarding: Want to get started? Create your Thinkific volunteer onboarding account here. Once you create your account, you can follow the course to complete your onboarding process.

Groups: If you are visiting New Orleans and would to have your group volunteer, please email us at volunteerNOLA@covenanthouse.org to make arrangements. In most cases, we are unable to accommodate groups larger than 20 people. If you are a local group, let’s chat!

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 are unable to validate court mandated volunteer hours.

Start Volunteering Onboarding!

Join Our Volunteer Email List

Individual Volunteer Opportunities

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.

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!

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

Group Volunteers

Groups of volunteers (up to 20 people) are welcome at Covenant House New Orleans! Email us at volunteerNOLA@covenanthouse.org to discuss your specific group project.

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.

Sign up for volunteer opportunities with POINT

We are now using the POINT App to schedule all of our volunteer shifts. Public (individual day) volunteer opportunities will be posted below for registration.

If you are interested in recurring volunteer shifts, you will need to complete our full onboarding process (through VolunteerHub above) to gain full access to our other shifts on POINT. If you have already completed onboarding, please create your POINT account and then join “Covenant House New Orleans” on the app. Reach out to volunteerNOLA@covenanthouse.org with any questions!

Our Volunteer Philosophy Statement

Covenant House New Orleans encourages and values the contributions of volunteers to our programs, administration, and facility so that, together as a Covenant House community, we can provide youth facing homelessness and human trafficking with respite and long term care.

Covenant House New Orleans will give volunteers meaningful responsibilities, effective supervision, and recognition for their important work done. Volunteers are expected to perform their duties with absolute respect and unconditional love, remaining loyal to the mission and vision of Covenant House.