5 Volunteer Opportunities in Old Town Fort Collins
Volunteering. The idea sounds nice. Helping the whole Fort Collins community and giving back to those in need is just part of the draw. Volunteering also looks good on resumes and can provide helpful experience in the professional world. Many people think so.
When do I have time to volunteer? Where are there places to volunteer? How long do I need to commit to helping?
These questions sometimes table the ambition to volunteer. This article should give a jump start to answering these questions and helping you take hold of the opportunity to make a difference in the Fort Collins community.
Here are five places to give your time and energy too in the Old Town, Fort Collins area.
1) Fort Collins Rescue Mission
Time Commitment: 2–3 hours per meal service.
Location: 316 Jefferson St. Fort Collins, CO
How do I get involved?: Click here and schedule a time
The Fort Collins Rescue Mission is a non-profit organization that serves the homeless population in the Fort Collins area. It shelters around 90 homeless men and women each night according to it’s website. The Mission also serves around 150 meals a day, providing breakfast and dinner daily. The website lets you schedule when you could come and serve a meal which lasts about two to three hours depending on the meal. The Fort Collins Rescue Mission directly impacts people in the community and has a small time commitment for those of us with not many hours to give.
2) FoCo Cafe
Time Commitment: 2–5 hours
Location: 225 Maple Street, Fort Collins, CO 80521
How do I get involved? Fill out an application here.
The FoCo Cafe is a non profit restaurant with a unique mission. You pay what you can for meals. The website says,“If you can give more, please pay it forward. If you have a little less, pay what you can. If your pockets are empty, participate in community with your time and talent in exchange for a mouth-watering meal.” To keep this mission going volunteers are needed to run the cafe. Different shifts are available to volunteer but scheduling a few weeks ahead is recommended. If you have some kitchen experience or are just curious about the cafe, this might be the volunteer opportunity for you.
3) Everyday Joe’s Coffee House
Time Commitment: 4 hour shift a week
Location: 144 S Mason St, Fort Collins, CO 80524
How do I get involved?: Message volunteer coordinators from the website here.
Everyday Joe’s Coffee House is volunteer ran coffee shop and event venue in Old Town. With over 30 volunteers working 4 hour shifts throughout the week, Everyday Joe’s is a popular place to volunteer. If you love coffee and serving people this is the place for you. Even if you don’t know much about coffee or if it’s pronounced expresso or espresso, Everyday Joe’s will train you in the barista arts. Since Everyday Joe’s is a popular place to volunteer, availability to start is limited.
4) Larimer County Food Bank
Time Commitment: 2–3 hours a week with options for ongoing volunteers for larger commitments of time.
Location: 1301 Blue Spruce Drive Fort Collins, Colorado 80524
How do I get involved?: Fill out the volunteer questionnaire here.
The Larimer County Food Bank is the largest food bank in the county and provides food for over 37,000 residents according to their website. With a large volunteer structure, volunteering at the Food Bank is simple and impactful to the community.
5) Ten Thousand Villages
Time Commitment: 2–3 half day shifts per month
Location: 113 Linden St. Fort Collins, CO 80524
How do I get involved?: Email or stop in the store to contact the volunteer coordinator for orientation.
With an organization stretching around the world, Ten Thousand Villages has stores around the country that sell fair trade home decor made by people in developing countries. Ten Thousand Villages helped found the World Fair Trade Organization and has been fair trade for 70 years, way before it was cool. Volunteers are involved in every part of the store’s operation. Most volunteers are part of the retail staff that sells the hand crafted goods. A great place to volunteer to develop skills in retail while helping artist in developing countries around the world.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of places to volunteer in Fort Collins. Hopefully the article helped see how easy it can be to give back to your community and how many amazing ways there are to do that.
