Volunteer Opportunities

Pawsitive Reading

Pawsitive Reading – a program in which children visit the shelter to read to the pets – is designed to provide enrichment for kids, dogs, and cats. Believe it or not, just listening to a person reading out loud has been proven to lower stress levels in animals! Pawsitive Reading is also a great way for kids to work on their literacy skills in safe, fun environment. For more information click HERE. 

Youth Volunteer Program

Our youth volunteer program gives teens between the ages of 16-18 who are still enrolled in high school the opportunity to complete community service hours for school or scholarship requirements.

We are limited in the number of youth volunteers that we can take on at one time and are only able to bring on new youth volunteers in the Summer, Fall, and Spring at the start of each semester.

We are looking for youth who…
…demonstrate academic excellence.
…can commit to volunteer at least once a week for at least 12 weeks.
…can commit to volunteer on the same day and time each week.
…are willing to work with cats and/or dogs.
…are comfortable talking to members of the public.

If a student is unable to fulfil our program commitments, they will not be accepted into the program.

There is also a $30 program fee that is required of all volunteers.

To become a youth volunteer, the first step is to attend a Youth Volunteer Info Session. Youth Volunteer Info Sessions are held three times per year in January, May, and August. After attending an info session, if you still wish to join the program, you will be required to submit an application and participate in an interview.

Our next Youth Volunteer Info Sessions will take place in January 2024.  Please check back for registration in December. Questions? Email us at volunteer@jaxhumane.org.

The homeless in our community need your help. Make a difference by volunteering today.

Volunteer efforts are instrumental to our daily operations - from serving meals, helping manage supplies and shelter cleanliness, to extended ministry efforts with our Lifeline and Spiritual Recovery programs.

Families can volunteer in our kitchen.  There is currently no minimum age. All children under 18 must have a consent form filled out by their parents, and they must be accompanied by an adult to enter our facilities. 

Volunteers play a critical role in carrying out our mission to keep dogs and cats in their homes and out of shelters and to provide low-cost spay/neuter services with an emphasis on feral/community cats.

Without our dedicated team of volunteers to assist with everything from Clinic Care to Laundry, from Food Bank to Front Desk, and everything in between, we simply would not be able to do what we do:

● Treat over 200 pets a day, 7 days a week in our vet clinics

● Perform over 20,000 spay and neuter surgeries annually

● Distribute 280,000 pounds of pet food annually to families in need at our Food Bank

● Help maintain a 90% or higher save rate in shelters and keep Jacksonville “no-kill”

Please read the information on the website  to learn more about the process of becoming a FCNMHP volunteer. If you have any questions, contact the Volunteer Manager: volunteer@fcnmhp.org

Who Can Volunteer?

We accept volunteers starting at age 14. 14 and 15-year-olds must be accompanied by a parent/legal guardian while volunteering. 16 and 17-year-olds may volunteer on their own. Parents/legal guardians are required to attend Volunteer Orientation and sign waivers for all volunteers under the age of 18. 

Whether you want to join in home construction or ReStore operations, for one day or every week, we have many opportunities for you to explore. No experience is needed – we will teach you what you need to know!

Who Can Volunteer?

All volunteers need to be age 16 or older.

Minors (16-18) need an online Liability Waiver signed by a parent or guardian at the time of registration.

You can volunteer at any of our build sites or in either ReStore location.

You can also create a HabiJax Club on your campus. We’d love to help.

Our event list, linked below, shows all of our events, which includes cleanups. All ages can come out to our cleanups, but minors need an adult with them and to sign the waiver.

You can also reach out to our education specialist, Jamie, if you want to ask about any kid-specific volunteer opportunities that might not be on our site. Jamie@stjohnsriverkeeper.org

All ages can volunteer in clothing room, yard sale organization and any local events they see listed.