Check out a list of Madison House volunteer programs below that are still seeking a few new recruits for this year! (Last updated: October 2, 2025)

Animals & Environmental Services

Casa Alma
- Casa Alma promotes access to local, sustainable living resources. Volunteers plant and harvest fruits and vegetables for community sharing. They also help maintain upkeep of community goat pens and chicken coops. Volunteer shifts are every Friday, 2pm-4pm, with a 10-minute drive. Transportation is required. To volunteer, submit an interest form or contact program director Alyssa Donovan.

Fluvanna SPCA Pet Pals
- Volunteers assist the Charlottesville SPCA with dog walking, cat socialization, dog enrichment, and more! To volunteer, submit an interest form or contact program director Kassandra Frew.
Gallastar Farms
- Ranger's Refuge at Gallastar is a nonprofit animal sanctuary in Esmont home to over two hundred rescued farm animals! Volunteers should wear clothes and shoes they don't mind getting dirty and bring a water bottle. Volunteering is outdoors and tasks typically include helping to feed the animals, cleaning animal enclosures, and helping with small equipment repairs. To volunteer, submit an interest form or contact program directors Samuel Baker or Emma Hinson.
Houses of Wood & Straw
- HOWS was created in 2008 to improve the lives and well-being of outside dogs in Charlottesville and surrounding areas. Volunteers deliver dog houses and assemble fences/pens. Sometimes volunteers work events to benefit HOWS at the Ting Pavilion. To volunteer, submit an interest form or contact program director Lilly Lopez.
Montanova Stables
- At Montanova Stables, we seek to bring Charlottesville-area elementary school students and college students together through horseback riding. Riders receive scholarships granting them free lessons. No prior experience with horses or children is required as we accept all volunteers willing to learn. To volunteer, submit an interest form or contact program director James Schwartz.

Parks and Trails
- Partnering with the local Rivanna Trails Foundation, volunteers meet on the second Saturday of each month to work on various projects on a portion of the trail. Past projects have included cleaning up after storms, installing bridges, and setting up a new story walk. To volunteer, submit an interest form or contact program director Sophia Fox.

PVCC Community Garden
- The PVCC Community Garden program promotes sustainable living and increases regional food security. Volunteers planting and harvest crops, perform garden upkeep, and package crops for distribution. Shifts are available every Friday, 3pm - 5pm, and Sunday, 2pm - 4pm. There is a 15- minute drive to the site. Volunteers must have transportation. To volunteer, submit an interest form or contact program director Alexa Graham.

Education & Youth Services

Adult Education
- Volunteers with TJACE help enhance core academic English skills for community members and establish community with local students and others in the Latinx community. To volunteer, contact program director Walker Watson.
Afterschool Tutoring - City of Promise
- Volunteers with City of Promise play games and lead kids through hands-on lessons that promote STEM and encourage creativity. They also read to children in Grades K-4. Volunteer shifts are Mondays and Thursdays from 2:30pm - 4:15pm. To volunteer, contact program director Sarita Baron.

Afterschool Tutoring - Zion Union Baptist Church
- Volunteers with ZUBC teach elementary through high school-level topics to kids and play outside after all work is done. Tutors foster a strong friendship by tutoring the same student each week. Volunteer shifts are every Monday 6:30-7:30pm. To volunteer, contact program director Sam Jackson.
Cville Tulips
- Volunteers with CVille Tulips facilitate English lessons; provide childcare for families in attendance; lead youth programming (soccer, basketball, outdoor play, and art projects); and lead art programming for teen girls and women. To learn more, contact program directors Anna Climo or Taryn Tuttle.

Music Resource Center
- The MRC provides free music lessons, recording equipment, studio space, and a creative community for local Charlottesville middle- and high-school students. Volunteers give private music lessons, participate in impromptu jam sessions with MRC members, and help monitor the MRC front desk. Volunteer commitment is one-hour per week, days and times are flexible. The site is located at 105 Ridge Street in Charlottesville and is accessible by public transportation. To learn more, contact program director Ella Notis.
Reclaimed Hope Initiative
- Volunteers with Reclaimed Hope Initiative create a fun and safe environment for kids of all ages and attend one Parents Night Out event per month. Shifts are 3-4 hours on one Saturday afternoon per month. Personal transportation is preferred. To learn more, contact program director Megan Yi.
School Day Tutoring - Middle School & High School
- Assist in classrooms during the school day with students in grades 7-12. For middle school tutoring, contact head program director Ava Franklin. For high school tutoring, contact head program director Eddie Zhang.
SPLASH
- Swimming Protects Lives and Sparks Hope! This organization raises awareness of the need, and provides the motivation, systems, and tools to waterproof our community so that all children have basic swimming skills and are safe around water. SPLASH volunteers help coach children (usually young children) with little to no prior experience in an effort to help them develop skills for water safety. Volunteer commitment is one or more hours per week. The schedule is flexible! Typically shifts can be Monday through Thursday from 4:00-5:00pm or on Sunday between 2:30-4:30pm. Program sites include Crow Hill Pool and the ACAC Albemarle Square. To learn more, contact program directors Lily Liau or Leigh Bailey.

Virginia Discovery Museum
- The Virginia Discovery Museum is a small nonprofit museum that centers learning through play. Volunteers help enhance the learning experience of children attending the museum and aid in hands on teaching experiences and imaginative exploration that is community-centered. Volunteer roles include gallery worker (playing with kids, tidying up, helping out with programming) and front desk worker (answering questions, checking people in, and other administrative duties). Volunteers commit to one 2.5-hour shift each week and play an important role in creating a safe, welcoming, and inspiring learning environment for children and families. The museum is located on the Downtown Mall and provides free parking validation for volunteers or easy access by CAT trolley. To learn more, contact program director Claire DeBusk.

Volunteer Tutor Bus
- Do you have one morning per week to devote to being a tutor or classroom assistant in a local elementary, middle, or high school? Madison House has partnered with Albemarle County Public Schools to provide bus transportation for Madison House tutors on weekdays. The bus leaves Madison House at 9:30am and returns before noon. To learn more, reach out the track director Mackenzie Chen.
Walking Bus
- Walking Bus, is a Madison House program that emerged in response to the shortage of bus drivers in Charlottesville City Schools that requires students within 3/4 mile radius of Clark Elementary and Venable Schools to walk to school or arrange private transportation. In response, a volunteer corps of teachers and administrators mobilized to walk elementary students to and from school. To volunteer, contact program director, Gillian Krupicka.
Westminster Child Care Center
- Volunteers at WCCC participate in games and activities with children, oversee the safety and wellbeing of students, and help children build social skills. WCCC is within walking distance to UVA Grounds. To volunteer, contact program director Emily Werner.

Health & Medical Services

Adopt a Grandparent
- Build a meaningful relationship with an older adult in our community through weekly visits to nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, elderly communities, memory-care units, and recreational centers. A very limited number of spots remain for specific shifts. To learn more, contact head program director Sophia Cassis.

Crozet Volunteer Fire Department
- Volunteers train to become first responders or provide administrative support to the department as an auxiliary member. To learn more, contact program director Louisa Craig.

Parkside/Post High
- Albemarle County Post High and Charlottesville High School Parkside are programs for students ages 18-22 with varying abilities. The program facilitates transition from traditional school settings to adult life in the community, working closely with each individual to build valuable life skills, foster a supportive environment, and enrich their lives through active and interesting activities. To volunteer, contact program director Pravleen Saini.

Human Services

Albemarle Housing Improvement Program
- Student AHIP volunteers work with our community partner to provide improvement services for a variety of construction and cleanup projects around the Charlottesville area. This includes private property for homeowners in need or public spaces like local schools. We build decks and stairs, do yard work and home repairs, paint houses, and more! No previous construction experience is required! To volunteer, contact program director Taylor Buckley.

Habitat for Humanity - Build Site
- Volunteers at the Habitat for Humanity Bilingual Build Site assist construction staff and guide families around the build site. Spanish speaking ability is desirable. No construction experience required. To volunteer, contact program director Rebecca Vanni.

Habitat for Humanity - ReStore
- Volunteers at the Habitat Store help restock inventory, price items for sale, and unload donations. To volunteer, contact program director Benjamin Herald.
Holiday Sharing
- The Holiday Sharing program brings joy and support to our community during the holiday season. Still seeking a very limited number of volunteers to fill one of the following shifts: Mondays 11:30am - 1:30pm or 3:30pm - 5:30pm; Wednesdays 3pm - 5pm; or Thursdays 3pm - 5pm. To volunteer, contact program director Liza Webb.
Meals on Wheels
- Seeking drivers to deliver meals Monday - Friday between 10:30am and 12:30pm. Must have own transportation. To learn more, contact program director Anay Upadhyay.