Residents of The Woodlands and south Montgomery County have a number of options for places they can volunteer to help with the community, children, animals, food insecurity programs and other nonprofit groups. Here are a few organizations accepting volunteers or donations. This list is not comprehensive.

Animals

Montgomery County Animal Shelter

The Montgomery County Animal Shelter helps with animal care and placement in Montgomery County. The shelter cares for hundreds of dogs and cats by providing services such as neutering and microchipping while holding animals until they can be placed in a new home.

Sample activities: assist with dog bathing and walking, cat handling, on- and off-site adoptions, fostering and laundry; administrative tasks; serve as vet staffer, a surgery assistant or a photographer’s assistant


Donations accepted: monetary donations, medical supplies, blankets, toys, food, treats, lick mats, crates and kennelsOperation Pets Alive

The nonprofit, all-volunteer organization strives to elevate Montgomery County to a no-kill community through programs that raise community awareness, reduce the number of dogs and cats that enter shelters, and increase the number of pets that leave shelters alive.

Sample activities: social media/marketing, vetting, fostering dogs and cats

Donations accepted: Monetary donations can be made on the website, and physical donations including cat litter, puppy and kitten food, and Amazon wishlist items are also accepted.Children


Child Advocates of Montgomery County

The organization empowers vulnerable children through volunteer advocacy. The vision of the nonprofit is to create a connected community where children and families thrive, and members work to eliminate childhood trauma, abuse, and neglect.

Sample activities: become an advocate for a child, volunteer for various activities and needs at the Child Advocates office in downtown Conroe, or help with one of their fundraising events

Donations accepted: new toy and new book donations for children and youth from infancy to 18 years old; monetary donationsChildren’s Books on Wheels


The nonprofit provides educational and community resources to the Tamina community and surrounding residents. Volunteers are needed for the organization’s tax assistance program, VITA, and other community activities.

Sample activities: tax assistance, distributing books to children

Donations accepted: Book donations can be dropped off at 330 Rayford Road, Spring.Community aid

Interfaith of The Woodlands


The nonprofit social service organization has volunteer opportunities for its activities including a food pantry and resale shop. Most programs are for volunteers ages 16 and older, and bilingual volunteers are always needed.

Sample activities: volunteering in the food pantry, the Hand Me Up Shop or the Veggie Village; assisting with senior activities; driving for the senior transportation program

Donations accepted: food, books, clothing, housewares and furnitureHands of Justice

The nonprofit strives to provide economic empowerment to survivors of human trafficking through awareness, outreach, survivor scholarships, survivor-led and trauma-informed support groups, counseling, advocacy and more.


Sample activities: planning and executing the following events: Annual Human Trafficking Collaborative Summit, Fashion for Freedom, assembling Freedom Bags for donations

Donations accepted: financial donations and items for Freedom BagsEnvironment

Bayou Land Conservancy

Bayou Land Conservancy conserves over 15,000 acres from Bryan to Beaumont, focusing on key areas that impact the water supply, wildlife, and flood control. Volunteers can work on trail maintenance, special events, join the board of directors or lead guided hikes for the community.

Sample activities: conduct guided hikes, trail maintenance, removing invasive species, educational outreach, volunteer committees and events

Donations accepted: Money is accepted as well as donations of landFood insecurity

Keep US Fed Montgomery County

The nonprofit has rescued and redistributed over 7.9 million pounds of surplus food at no cost to food-insecure neighbors since 2015, alleviating hunger and reducing food waste in the community.

Sample activities: pick up food from food donor partners and deliver to shelters, group homes, and food pantries in the community; administrative, organizational, fundraising and marketing tasks

Donations accepted: food donations and food drive organizationKids’ Meals

Kids' Meals, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating childhood hunger by providing free, healthy meals to preschool children in need, delivering directly to their homes. Volunteers ages 8 and older are needed for shifts Monday-Friday from 9-11:30 a.m., and all children under 18 must be supervised by an adult at all times.

Sample activities: making sandwiches, preparing snacks, compiling lunch bags, sorting food donations, packing grocery bags

Donations accepted: decorated lunch bags, DIY-packed lunchesMontgomery County Food Bank

The food bank provides nutritious food to children, seniors and families through a network of partner agencies.

Sample activities: sort and package food, deliver groceries to low-income seniors, drive-thru food distribution assistance

Donations accepted: monetary donations, food donationsHealth

Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital

Volunteers interact with patients, assist staff and provide administrative support. Volunteers must meet certain onboarding requirements, receive an annual flu shot and be able to commit to volunteering at least one day per week for at least four hours. Houston Methodist also partners with area organizations to provide pet therapy, handmade crafts and comfort items.

Sample activities: rounding on patients, greeting/wayfinding, and providing departmental support

Donations accepted: books and magazines

Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center

The hospital has volunteer opportunities for adults over the age of 18 and junior volunteers for high school students at least 15 years old. Applications for 2025 are accepted through Dec. 15 for year-round junior volunteers program.

Sample activities: patient interactions, community event support and clerical services, hospitality, gift shop

Donations accepted: Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center accepts donations to supply programs and resources. Donations are also accepted for pediatric patients and visitors and the NICU has an active foundation gifting program.Housing

Habitat for Humanity Montgomery County

The nonprofit aims to build safe and sustainable housing. Volunteers must be at least age 17 to help at the nonprofit’s resale shop, ReStore, and home repair volunteers must be at least age 18.

Sample activities: home repairs, construction, resale shop

Donations accepted: monetary contributions, donated home goods, supplies through the resale shopSeniors

Meals on Wheels Montgomery County

The nonprofit provides homebound seniors in Montgomery County with hot, nutritious meals and a safety check from volunteers as well as curb-to-curb transportation services.

Sample activities: delivering weekday meals and Saturday breakfast bags; helping in the kitchen; Thanksgiving meal bag delivery and holiday gift delivery

Donations accepted: soups, stews, large-print puzzle books, Breakfast Bags, and Thanksgiving Meal BagsWomen

The Montgomery County Women’s Center

The Montgomery County Women’s Center helps survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault by providing an emergency shelter, legal services, crisis intervention programs, a 24-hour hotline, case management and transitional housing

Sample activities: cooking meals at the shelter, monitoring children during counseling, overseeing counseling sessions, volunteering at the store with unloading and sorting clothes.

Donations accepted: household items, clothes, furniture, dishes, toiletries, toddler beds, portable cribsYouth

Yes to Youth

The organization provides crisis counseling, intervention and suicide prevention services as well as shelter programs for families and youths.

Sample activities: hosting needs drives, helping with events, groundskeeping, meals and spending time with youth

Donations accepted: monetary giftsThe Champion Project

The nonprofit accepts volunteers for its program to work with children living in residential treatment centers in Harris and Montgomery counties. Mentor volunteers complete a background check and have a one-year commitment to mentor youth twice a month.

Sample activities: mentor a child or help manage a program in a partner church; begin the program in a new church; tutoring

Donations accepted: Online monetary donations are accepted through the website.