As Volunteer Odyssey’s Summer of Service continues, the heightened need that nonprofits are experiencing from the pandemic are being addressed by Memphians month-after-month!
In July, we focused on opportunities that impact arts and education. This August, we are tending to environment and conservation efforts, because how we care for our streets impacts how our neighbors live; how we care for our city impacts its trajectory of in all areas.
Help make Memphis the best place to live, work, and play by supporting a nonprofit whose mission is keep our city healthy and conserve our planet.
Your summer of service continues today!
Highlighted below are six Memphis-based nonprofits that you can serve alongside as they take matters of mother nature into their own hands.
The Wolf River Conservancy is dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the Wolf River and its watershed as a sustainable natural resource. Their opportunities include tree planting, trail and waterway cleans ups, as well as special Earth Day and World Water Day events.
The Memphis Botanic Garden strives to enhance lives by connecting people with nature, and increasing appreciation and awareness of our environment. Their opportunities include summer camp assistance, Live at the Garden volunteer opportunities, monthly weed wrangles, special events for their garden displays, front desk assistance, and more!
The V&E Greenline is a natural green space located in Memphis, TN, which traverses the Vollintine-Evergreen Historic District—a diverse and vibrant community in the northern part of Midtown. Their opportunities include their monthly Second Saturday trail clean-up and their annual V&E ArtWalk.
Clean Memphis is working to create a cleaner, greener, and more environmentally sustainable Memphis by working with communities, schools, and restaurants. They have initiatives surrounding neighborhood clean ups—and are utilizing the Litterati app to capture and categorize litter so that governments, communities, and enterprise customers can diagnose the state of litter, and take tangible action to prevent it from happening in the first place.
At 4,500 acres, Shelby Farms Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country! Public parks like Shelby Farms play an important role in creating a just and equitable community for all as it has a little something for everyone, including volunteer opportunities! Their current needs are for their weekly Sprayground. Other volunteer needs include clean ups, mulch spreading, tree plantings, special event assistance, and more!
Memphis Rox is a nonprofit climbing facility located in Soulsville, South Memphis. Moreover, it’s a family institution that uses climbing to bring people together, to foster community—and to create a culture of encouragement, empowerment, and accomplishment. No one is ever turned away from Memphis Rox for their inability to pay. Volunteers are needed for monthly community clean ups and gardening days for their community gardens that provide neighbors with fresh produce!
Other nonprofits that positively impact the environment that need volunteers include Carpenter Art Garden, Catholic Charities of West TN, Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market, and Pinecrest Camp.
Looking for more ways to volunteer?
From food box packing to document translation to data entry to donation sorting, visit the Volunteer Odyssey to see and sign up for high quality volunteer experiences. If you want help getting started, we got you covered for that, too. Just email dannon@volunteerodyssey.com.
Guest post by dannon eubanks, volunteer odyssey director of community engagement
