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Dear AU Community:
As the impact of COVID 19 expands, we know that many of you are looking to stay involved and support local communities. One way to do that is through volunteering with nonprofit agencies and schools. These groups are committed to continuing to address the issues they work on, though now under more difficult circumstances. Below you will find a list of groups and their opportunities. Most are remote. They may entail activities like tutoring through Zoom or indirect service such as working on social media or doing research. A few entail direct service (e.g. delivering food to seniors) but do not require contact with others. Your involvement is completely voluntary so chose what fits your skills, interests, and location. If you would like support in writing up your service on your resume, please feel free to contact the career center staff in your schools or AU’s main Career Center. International students on F-1 or J-1 immigration status may not be permitted to volunteer without prior ISSS or U.S. government authorization. Please check with ISSS before making any volunteer work arrangement.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us in the Center for Community Engagement & Service at volunteer@american.edu.

Online Service Projects
Name Location In Person No Contact or Virtual Description
Amnesty International National Virtual Amnesty Decoders is an innovative platform for volunteers around the world to use their computers or phones to help our researchers sift through pictures, information and documents.
Be My Eyes National Virtual Be My Eyes is a free app that connects blind and low-vision people with sighted volunteers and company representatives for visual assistance through a live video call.
Book Share National Virtual Scan or proofread books added to an online digital collection for individuals with reading disabilities.
CARECEN Washington D.C. No Contact/Virtual CARECEN’s citizenship and civic engagement program prepares permanent residents to pass the naturalization exam and become active and engaged US citizens. Interpreters, interviewers, and teachers needed.
Calvary Women's Services Washington D.C. No Contact/Virtual Our programs are designed for women who are survivors of violence and trauma, are living with mental illness, or are in recovery from substance abuse.” Calvary has asked for support providing meals, working on social media, and fundraising.
Capital Area Foodbank Washington D.C. and Virginia In Person/No Contact Food Bank Volunteer: Pack and sort food at the warehouse, and assist in off site distributions or DONATE Food.
Career Village National Virtual Offer career advice to students interested in learning from professionals- all you need is a LinkedIn to get started.
Citizen Archivist National Virtual Help make records of the National Archives more searchable and discoverable
CovEd(ucation) National Virtual Our goal is to create a virtual platform for pairing mentors from higher ed institutions with K-12 students affected by school closures.
Crisis Text Line National Virtual Get trained and staff a free 24/7 national crisis-intervention and counseling service conducted exclusively through SMS text. Volunteers are screened and complete self-paced training, afterwards staffing one four-hour shift each week for a year.
DC Reading Clinic Washington D.C. Virtual The DC Reading Clinic (a project of DCPS) offers training and tutoring in reading to DCPS children. During the COVID-19 event, the clinic staff are working with schools to tutor struggling readers Grades 1-2 online while DCPS is engaged in distance learning. If you, as an American University student, are interested and able to participate, please complete the form at the link.
Do Something National Virtual Do something promotes a variety of virtual campaigns for a global movement of good. Work on database entry or other projects.
Free Minds Bookclub Washington D.C. Virtual Read and respond to our members' poetry, join our volunteer letter writing circle, or provide poetry feedback.
Hopecam Virginia Virtual Video chat with immunocompromised children and help overcome social isolation while social distancing
Horton's Kids Washington D.C. Virtual Help tutor, or come up with ideas and tricks for videos that can be sent to students across the DMV area.
Latino Student Fund Washington D.C. Virtual Video tutoring will take place every weekday from 3 - 6 pm. Tutoring sessions are an hour long beginning at 3, 4, and 5 every weekday afternoon. We'll be using Zoom video conferencing for tutoring. Zoom has amazing features like screen-sharing, so tutors will be able to see students' screens, and a digital whiteboard.
Malta Pen Pal Program National Virtual Write letters to folks who are incarcerated and are experiencing social isolation at this time with the Malta Pen Pal Program. To get involved, email Doug at maltapenpalprogram@gmail.com.
Martha's Table Washington D.C. In Person/No Contact Please help us with food preparation, the mini market, Food tidying up shift, grocery bagging, or food delivery services!
Miriam's Kitchen Washington D.C. Virtual Please help us with donations, donation drives, and more.
Missing Maps National Virtual Missing Maps is an open, collaborative project in which you can help to map areas where humanitarian organisations are trying to meet the needs of vulnerable people.
National Park Service National Virtual Volunteers needed to help shape the future of the National Park Service’s digital presence
Omprakash National Virtual/In Person Connects students to vetted NGOs worldwide who are looking for volunteers, virtually (and in person).
Salvation Army DMV DMV Area Virtual/In Person Come find multiple ways to volunteer including joining our Emergency Disaster Services Team
SCOTUS Notes National Virtual We need your help transcribing the handwritten conference notes left by Supreme Court justices. Your transcriptions will provide unprecedented access to the justices' conversations in thousands of Court decisions.
Smithsonian Institute National Virtual Smithsonian Transcription Center- Transcribing historic documents to be able to be accessed online.
So Others Might Eat Washington D.C. In Person/No Contact Serve: volunteers are needed to assist preparing food containers to be given to guests and clean after their shift. No contact with guests. Sign up here.
SOUL Washington D.C. Virtual We are in need of student researchers, students to design an interactive virtual tutoring approach, virtual tutors, and help with fundraising and development.
Thrive DC Washington D.C. Virtual In need of students to work virtually on a PowerPoint about Thrive, a resource guide, donation guide, and volunteer leadership research.
Rosie The Seamstress National Virtual Sew hospital face masks as part of Rosie the Seamstress, a national effort to bring sewists and hospital facilities together to provide much needed masks.
Translators Without Borders National Virtual Are you fluent in more than one language? Spend some time helping Translators Without Borders translate materials for crisis relief, health, and education projects around the world.
United Way of Central Maryland Maryland Virtual/In Person There are a number of opportunities here, some remote and appropriate for online CBL (such as tutoring students remotely) and others are more appropriate for those in central Maryland.
U.S. Digital Response National Virtual Join the U.S. Digital Response Team for COVID-19 Volunteers, and provide assistance with data, digital, and operational capacities for the government.
Virtual Student Federal Service National Virtual Through the Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS) program, students can work on projects that advance the work of government on multiple fronts. Projects include helping counter violent extremism, strengthening human rights monitoring, developing virtual programs, engaging in digital communications, mapping, economic and political reporting, data analysis, graphic design, and app building.
Volunteer Match National Virtual/In Person This site allows registered users to submit and find volunteer opportunities to aid communities impacted by Covid-19.
Volunteer Medical Corps DC Washington D.C. Virtual/In Person Help with administrative and logistical work in a field that is currently needing more and more help.
Virginia Volunteer Health System Virginia Virtual/In Person The Virginia Volunteer Health System (VVHS) is a web-based information, alerting and credentialing system used by local Medical Reserve Corps Coordinators and health districts for the management of medical and support volunteers who desire to support public health emergencies and daily public health activities in Virginia.
Washington Legal Clinic Washington D.C. Virtual The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless has created an extensive COVID-19/Coronavirus Resource Guide and is looking for volunteers.
We Are Family Washington D.C. In Person/No Contact Volunteers are needed to assemble grocery bags and deliver them throughout the Columbia Heights, Parkview, and North Capitol neighborhoods, as well as in kind donations and direct donations are needed.
Friendship Place Washington D.C. Virtual Friendship Place volunteers provide invaluable support to the men, women, and children experiencing homelessness in the DC community. They also occassionally host online webinars for volunteers and their clients.
HIAS Washington D.C. Virtual Providing a collection of online offerings to keep you engaged and up-to-date on the issues facing refugees and asylum seekers, and to create region-specific programming that help new immigrants and refugees succeed through economic opportunity.
WAF Washington D.C. Virtual/In Person Need shopping, delivery and phoning volunteers to help assist grocery delivery to seniors. Contact Mark at wearefamilydc@gmail.com if interested in volunteering.
Food & Friends Washington D.C. In Person They have opportunities in the kitchen and grocery operations, as well as on the delivery route to ensure people with illnesses have food.
LSSNC Washington D.C. Virtual/In Person An innovative movement supporting small businesses, first responders, the food-insecure, and those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Seeking movers and virtual family tutors/mentors.
Safest Drug National Virtual Has a number of initiatives and projects that we could use support on and all volunteering can be done in a “COVID friendly” manner, with students working remotely from the safety of their home.
The Young Center National Virtual Currently providing virtual training for new volunteers as it relates to child immigrant rights and advocacy.
GW Washington D.C. Virtual Webinar where speakers will introduce broad topics such as systemic racism, implicit bias, and intersectionality and the impact these have on public health.
UAID National Virtual United Against Inequities in Disease (UAID) is a national non-profit organization that empowers students to eliminate health inequities locally.
Be the Change National Virtual This free virtual program is a yearly event that helps young people connect with peers from around the country who are passionate leaders of change in their schools and communities.
Nature Conservancy DMV Virtual The Nature Conservancy is offering the public the opportunity to submit photos and videos to be utilized in their publications.
JGI Virgina Virtual Interns who work in the communications and marketing work on a wide variety of projects across a number of departments at the Jane Goodall Institute to help advance and manage the Institute’s messaging and public identity.
Manna Project National Virtual They are looking for community development interns to work virtually with communities in Ecuador in any field of interest regarding community development.
UPO Washington D.C. In Person UPO is looking for volunteers to serve, organize, and distribute hot meals and groceries to our most vulnerable.
YMCA Washington D.C. Virtual/No contact YMCA is looking for people to assist in emergency child care within the District through multiple outlets.
RAINN National Virtual RAINN is looking for volunteers to help run the online National Sexual Assault Hotline.
NOVA Parks Virgina In Person/No Contact NOVA Parks is looking for volunteers to assist in the upkeep of thier parks. Email or call the number provided on the page.
ONE Track International National Virtual ONE Track is looking for ambassadors to spread awareness of their orphan care mission.
Food For All DC Washington D.C. In Person/No Contact Food For All is looking for drivers in the DC area to help drop food off to the local community.
Serve D.C. Washington D.C. Virtual/In Person/No Contact Serve DC is looking for volunteers to help support the District's COVID response.
Meals for Metro House Washington D.C. No Contact National United Methodist Church Congregation is looking for people to drop off meals at this specific location.
Meals for St. Luke's House Washington D.C. No Contact National United Methodist Church Congregation is looking for people to drop off meals at this specific location.
Hughes Memorial Church Washington D.C. In person Hughes Memorial Church is offering many opportunities from meal prep. to participating in running thier anti-violence after school program.
Food Rescue US Washington D.C. No Contact Food rescue is looking for people to deliver food to prominent locations thoughout DC.
Grace Episcopal Church Washington D.C. In Person Grace Church that provides and shares a meal and an interfaith Bible study at 11:30 am on Saturdays for persons who are homeless or on the margins of being homeless.
Capitol Hill United Methodist Church Washington D.C. In Person The church can always use your helping hand – helping to cook, serve, or simply to be friendly to all guests!
Central Union Mission Washington D.C. Virtual/No Contact Central is looking for people to help host fundraising drives virtually, or anyone who can drop off imperative supplies.
Friendship Place Washington D.C. In person Volunteers needed to help with donation pickups and running office tasks/duties. This org. is focused on alleviating homelessnes in the Washington region.
Sanctuary DMV Food Iniative DMV No Contact Looking for people to help with food distribution. A vehicle would be recommended.