Volunteer Guide 2020: 12 ways to get involved in the Cy-Fair community

Help out the Cy-Fair community in a number of ways throughout the year by volunteering with local nonprofit groups. Volunteer opportunities included in this guide range from helping children to helping families in crisis. This list is non-comprehensive.

EMPOWER CHILDREN

1. Boys and Girls Country: With a licensed residential home, the nonprofit aims to break the cycle of poverty for children by providing a secure, stable, Christian home environment with an emphasis on education, building healthy relationships, and setting goals for the future.

Sample activities: Remote volunteer activities include tutoring and teaching different skills. Donation drives for food, hygiene products and school supplies are also needed. Donations can be dropped off on campus or purchased through the Amazon wishlist at www.bit.ly/wishlistbgc.

18806 Roberts Road, Hockley. 281-351-4976. www.boysandgirlscountry.org

2. Cy-Fair ISD: The school district's Volunteers in Public Schools program typically has opportunities for community members to mentor students in addition to serving at community events. While these programs are limited this school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said campus volunteer liaisons can provide information about off-campus opportunities.

10300 Jones Road, Houston. 281-894-3950. www.cfisd.net/volunteer

3. Cy-Fair Sports Association: The association hosts baseball, basketball, cheerleading, football, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball and wrestling events for youth athletes age 18 and younger in Cy-Fair.

Sample activities: coaching (background check required), sport committees, leadership positions

22515 Schiel Road, Cypress. 281-256-3400. www.cy-fairsports.org

4. Cy-Hope: The nonprofit serves local children in need by providing food over weekends, homework help, mentors, counseling, recreation, education, music and sports initiatives.

Sample activities: assisting with activities at the after-school Hope Centers, bagging food and/or delivering food to schools, supporting Dierker's Champs Baseball League as a coach or umpire, working a weekly shift at the Hope Chest Resale Market, working with students as a mentor, serving at special events, serving on a maintenance team

12715 Telge Road, Cypress. 713-466-4673. www.cy-hope.org

5. YMCA: Two YMCAs serve the Cy-Fair community through programs and social services designed to help individuals and families.

Sample activities: coaching youth sports teams, assisting with adaptive programs for youth with developmental and physical challenges, serving at community events, fundraising, mentoring youth, serving on the board of advisers

D. Bradley McWilliams YMCA, 19915 Hwy. 249, Houston. 281-469-1481. www.ymcahouston.org/locations/d-bradley-mcwilliams-ymca-cypress-creek

Langham Creek Family YMCA, 16725 Longenbaugh Drive, Houston. 281-859-6143. www.ymcahouston.org/langham-creek

CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

6. Bayou Land Conservancy: The organization preserves land along streams for flood control, clean water and wildlife.

Sample activities: projects including tree planting, cleanups, youth education and trail building

10330 Lake Road, Ste. J, Houston. 281-576-1634. www.bayoulandconservancy.org

HELP THE COMMUNITY

7. Cy-Fair Fire Department: Individuals can contact pio@cyfairfd.org or stop by one of the department's 13 stations to learn more about volunteer opportunities. Before volunteers can submit an application, they must attend three station meetings to learn about responsibilities and expectations. Qualified individuals who are willing to commit to the six-month training academy will be provided with firefighting gear and certifications at no cost.

Sample activities: firefighting, firefighting training, emergency medical responder

10710 Telge Road, Houston. www.cyfairvfd.org

8. Habitat for Humanity Northwest Harris County: The global nonprofit housing organization operates on faith-based principles and is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally through constructing, rehabilitating and preserving homes.

Sample activities: administrative duties, new-home construction, disaster recovery repairs, providing lunch at construction site, volunteer at the ReStore, children's and youth programs

13350 Jones Road, Houston. 281-477-0460. www.habitatnwhc.org

HELP THOSE IN CRISIS

9. Cy-Fair Helping Hands: Run entirely by volunteers, this nonprofit serves the homeless in addition to hungry individuals and families.

Sample activities: working in the day center, assisting with meals, delivering compassion bags of food to those living on the streets, serving one day a week at the drive-thru food distribution, working in the food pantry, picking up donations from community grocery stores, assisting in registering clients by translating in Spanish and Vietnamese

7520 Cherry Park Drive, Ste. B, Houston. 281-858-1222. www.cyfairhelpinghands.org

10. Cypress Assistance Ministries: The organization is dedicated to assisting individuals and families in financial crisis.

Sample activities: helping in the food pantry, assistance office, resale shop, donation center and community outreach programs; serving as a food pickup driver, job counselor, or GED or English as a second language instructor

11202 Huffmeister Road, Houston. 281-955-7684. www.cypressassistance.org

11. Shield Bearer: The nonprofit offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, families and children as well as prevention services through parenting workshops, school services and faith-based programs.

Sample activities: helping transfer donation items and supplies between offices; coordinating events and help in the offices with mail-outs, data entry and data organization, among other tasks

12340 Jones Road, Ste. 290, Houston. 281-894-7222. www.shieldbearer.org

HELP THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

12. Reach Unlimited: The nonprofit provides support services for people with learning or developmental disabilities.

Sample activities: assisting in classrooms at the Learning Activity Center; providing or sponsoring a craft or activity session; assisting or sponsoring special events; clerical duties; volunteering in the gift shop; adopting a group home by sponsoring monthly game night, picnic, movie night or pizza night for the residents of one of 23 groups homes

11832 Mueller Cemetery Road, Cypress. 281-213-8323. www.reachunlimited.org

This article comes from our ABC13 partners at Community Impact Newspapers.

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