We Need You!

Each year, Jewish Family Service volunteers donate thousands of hours helping us help others in our community. Volunteers are a vital part of JFS. Men and women of all ages and backgrounds generously give their time, energy and experience to help isolated seniors and others who may be struggling with difficult circumstances. Volunteers also provide professional assistance with various JFS programs and services. Their efforts bring smiles and comfort to those in need. Join them—and join us.

Whatever your skills or talent, JFS has a place for you. Whether you love to be a caregiver, work with crafts, read, teach, make new friends, or just talk on the phone, someone nearby needs your help.

Click here to download the Volunteer Application

Volunteer Opportunities include:

Emergency Response

Response to Urgent Community Needs Hurricanes Ike, Katrina and Rita demonstrated what incredibly compassionate citizens call Houston their home. Continue the tradition of excellence by signing up to be a part of the response to urgent community needs list. For example, if a small or large scale disaster affects the lives of others in our community, let us call upon you to provide assistance. A recent instance was a family who lost their home in a fire. JFS volunteers provided clothing and other household essentials to the family. If you want to be on our standby community emergency response contact list, please click here.

Helping People

Chaplaincy and Hospice programs Jewish patients at the Texas Medical Center from around the world benefit from the Houston Jewish Chaplaincy Program of Jewish Family Service. For more than 40 years, specially trained and very committed volunteers and professional staff attend to the needs of patients and their families.

Volunteers visit patients at M.D. Anderson, Methodist Hospital, St. Lukes and other Texas Medical Center hospitals. Other volunteers are involved by making patients and their families feel more welcome during their time in Houston in such ways as providing Shabbat and holiday baskets, uplifting messages and other items. These "behind the scenes" opportunities are ideal for caring volunteers of all ages.

Teen Mitzvah Projects Numerous opportunities exist for teens to volunteer for JFS projects. In our Chaplaincy department, Adopt-a-Holiday is a chance for teens to make our hospital patients’ holidays away from home a little brighter. Shabbat Boxes are also a way to add blessings to a challenging time for out-of-town patients and families. Contact Toby Brown (tbrown@jfshouston.org or 713-667-9336) for further information.

For volunteer opportunities for teens at Jewish Family Service, click here.

Teens can volunteer in a variety of ways at some of our offsite service delivery locations. Contact Cheryl Levy (clevy@jfshouston.org or 713-667-9336) for more details.

NOTE: The above teen projects can count toward required high school community service hours and/or B’nai Mitzvah projects.

Project Shalom Project Shalom is a weekly group for chronically mentally ill adults. You can sign up for a regular weekly commitment to work with members of Project Shalom. You’ll work with crafts, field trips and serve meals. You could also help by presenting a one-time program or craft project to share with the group. Project Shalom meets every Thursday afternoon for lunch and an activity.

Pro Bono Professional Services Local attorneys, business experts and licensed mental health professionals offer their services to benefit JFS clients as well as the agency. Contact us if you would like to join our pro bono team to provide legal or other professional services.

Shalom Bayit Shalom Bayit is a group that addresses domestic violence in the Jewish community. Annual programs educate and increase awareness of this issue. For the third year, Shalom Bayit is presenting “Love Shouldn't Hurt,” a program to help teens develop healthy relationships, to learn how to react to bullying and how to communicate clearly. Volunteer facilitators will be trained to present this curriculum.

Helping JFS

"Signed, Sealed, Delivered" Mail Crew "Signed, sealed, delivered…" please be OURS! Throughout the year, mail crew volunteers help JFS send out promotional materials, prepare invitations to meetings and other events, and they have a great time doing it! If you can help once or many times throughout the year, there is a place for you in the crew!

Board Jewish Family Service board members are elected for up to two three-year terms. Board members make a minimum contribution of $1000 to the agency annually; attend monthly board meetings; serve on board committees and use their expertise and influence in partnership with the professional staff. The nominating committee is chaired by the immediate past president of the agency.

Special Events JFS holds several events throughout the year that tell the community about those we serve and help raise the funds we need to continue our work. These programs involve creativity and a great deal of fun.

Community Outreach/Speaker’s Bureau Spread the word! JFS seeks enthusiastic Volunteer Guild ambassadors to represent JFS at community events and to speak about JFS programs to other organizations. If you love to talk, this volunteer position could be the right one for you!

Specific Volunteer Positions Our coordinator of volunteer services maintains a list of specific positions that when filled help the agency extend or add services that do not already exist. For example, we have an attorney who volunteers twice a month and offers pro bono legal services to our most vulnerable clients.

For more information, or to volunteer for an activity, contact the Coordinator of Volunteer Services at (713) 667-9336 or contact us via email or by using our Contact page.