Get Connected
Serving God by Serving Others
You can support our special ministry of service in many ways. Whether you choose to donate your dollars or your time, you are making a difference. We can’t fulfill our mission without you!
Volunteer
Any volunteer wanting to serve in-person must sign a COVID-19 liability waiver included in the online application.
When Volunteers of America was founded in 1896, volunteering meant stepping forward to commit yourself to a cause. Individuals pledged their whole lives—their hearts, spirits and professional careers to help people in need. Today, our staff of paid professionals adopts this same ideal of service. Yet, we cannot be successful without our dedicated volunteers who give their free time and talent to support our most vulnerable neighbors.
If you would like to join our ministry of service, follow these steps:
1. Explore the diverse range of volunteer opportunities we offer. You can choose from our list of Volunteer Opportunities below or even propose your own project that aligns with our mission.
2. Complete our online Volunteer Application form.
3. Complete the Consent to a Background Check online form and pay a $20 background check fee ($10 for students)**. You can click here to pay your Background Check Fee online.
Minors under the age of 18 do not need to complete a background check form. A legal guardian must sign the Release and Acknowledgement Form if you are a minor.
4. Upon receiving your application, all volunteers will be emailed a copy of the Confidentiality Agreement for All Non-Employees to sign digitally.
5. Once the background check is completed, you will be contacted to schedule a time to talk about volunteer placement and begin your onboarding experience.
**The background fee is not the full cost of the background check, but simply a way to help offset the total cost to us.
Volunteer Opportunities
Whether you’re looking to volunteer as an individual or as a group, we welcome your help and compassion! The volunteer needs are a bit different for each program, so we’ve divided them based your time to give below.
| Opportunity | Program | Available dates/times | Description |
| Tutor | LightHouse | Community Sites: Downtown LightHouse (820 Travis Street, Shreveport, LA) and Bossier City LightHouse (2101 Scott Street, Bossier City, LA); Mondays- Thursdays, 3:30- 5:00PM. School-Based Sites: Atkins Elementary, Broadmoor Stem Academy, Creswell Elementary, J.S. Clark Elementary, Caddo Middle Career and Technology School, Bethune Oak Park Elementary, Summer Grove Elementary. Tuesdays- Thursdays, 3:30- 5:00PM. | Tutoring children after school and helping them with their homework. Reading to children, helping with arts and crafts, sports, etiquette and other enrichment activities. |
| Tutor | Communities In Schools | Atkins Elementary, Booker T. Washington High School, Broadmoor Stem Academy, Creswell Elementary, Caddo Middle Career and Technology School, C.E. Byrd High School, Westwood Elementary, J.S. Clark Elementary, Bethune Oak Park Elementary, Woodlawn High School. Mondays- Thursdays during school hours. | Tutoring children in subjects where they have difficulty and helping them with their homework during the school year. 1 hour per week minimum. |
| Teen Club Speaker | LightHouse | Community Site: Downtown LightHouse (820 Travis Street, Shreveport, LA); Mondays/Wednesdays, 5:00- 7:00PM. | Speaking to high school students about your career, personal story, hobbies, etc. |
| Arts and Crafts Leader | LightHouse | Tuesdays- Thursdays, 3:30- 5:30PM. | Plan and lead and arts and crafts activity for the children ages Kindergarten through 12th grade. |
| Teach a Physical Activity Class | All Residential Lodges | Mondays- Fridays, daytime hours. | Teach a physical activity class for residents, such as stretching or chair yoga. |
| Teach a Creative Writing Class | LightHouse | Tuesdays- Thursdays, 4:00- 5:00PM. | Plan and implement activities that will increase and enhance our youth’s creative writing and poetry skills. |
| Opportunity | Program | Available dates/times | Description |
| Provide a Sunday Dinner | Veterans Home | Sundays, 4:00- 6:00PM. | Prepare and serve Sunday dinner for the 48 residents of the Veterans Transitional Living Center. Meals must be prepared and ready to serve upon arrival. |
| Bingo Caller | All Residential Lodges | Mondays- Fridays, daytime hours. | Call Bingo games for a group of residents. |
| Check Blood Pressure | All Residential Lodges | Mondays- Fridays, daytime hours. | Conduct monthly blood pressure checks for our residents. Perfect for students pursuing a medical certification/degree. |
| Lead an Activity | South Pointe Place | Mondays- Fridays, daytime hours. | Lead an activity, such as quilting, card games, or educational talks with group of residents. South Pointe Place is a 50 unit apartment complex for low income senior adults. |
| Plan an Ice Cream Social | Any | Mondays- Fridays, daytime hours. | Plan a fun social and provide ice cream for our clients! |
| Teach a Fitness Class | LightHouse Teen Club | Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:00- 7:00PM. | Lead teens in a fitness class. They are up for anything from dance to kickboxing to yoga! |
| Opportunity | Program | Available dates/times | Description |
| Host a Collection Drive | Ongoing | Host a collection drive to fill our program wish lists. | |
| Share Recipes | South Pointe Place | Ongoing | Teach a group of our senior adult residents your favorite recipe. Volunteers would need to supply ingredients and bring needed kitchen tools. |
| Share a Hobby | Ongoing | Are you passionate about a particular sport, topic or interest? Come share it with our clients. Bring pictures and a slide show to help engage everyone! | |
| Plan an Outing | Evenings or Weekends | Plan a trip to go fishing, bowling, attend a sporting event or go to the movies for a group of our clients. | |
| Friend of Volunteers of America North Louisiana | Varies | Sometimes we need help for a few hours with a special event. Let Emily Mayfield know you want to be a friend, and you will receive regular updates of how you and/or your group can: run check-ins, organize donations, serve food, or help with various other tasks for one of our one-time events. |
Thank you for whatever service you can give.
For more information about our Volunteer Program, contact our Community Development Manager, Emily Mayfield at Emily.Mayfield@voanorthla.org, or give us a call at 318-221-2669. Program specific wishlists
Visionaries
Visionaries is a group of engaged young professionals committed to helping the needs of vulnerable people in Shreveport-Bossier. We volunteer in high-impact, low time-commitment ways throughout the year, because we know all about busy lives. We partner with Volunteers of America North Louisiana to serve children, teens, and families in need.
Visionaries Leadership
Wesley Lazarus
Visionaries Leadership Team
Hannah Bourque
Ashby Davis
Cortez Davis
Mac Zentner
