Volunteer

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Looking to Volunteer in the Roanoke Region? Get Outside!

Our region is full of folks looking to make a difference for the both the environment and their neighbors. From food banks to land conservation groups, you, too, can support our region by volunteering.

And it starts with us. Roanoke Outside is a charitable organization working to make your region the capital for world-class, outdoor fun. We started RoanokeOutside.com, Get Outside Weekend Update, Blue Ridge Marathon, Go Cross, GO Fest, and Project Outside. Plus, we’ve been the advocate for the many changes that are making this place more awesome than ever. We’ve got plans for even more exciting events and facilities. And you can be a part of it all. Tax-deductible contributions and volunteering at events such as the Roanoke GO Outside Festival and Blue Ridge Marathon help us continue to push for a future where Roanoke is the greatest place for outdoor recreation.

Want to make a difference in a child’s life? Want to share your outdoor skills and knowledge with the next generation of outdoor users? Roanoke Outside Foundation, in partnership with Roanoke Parks and Recreation and local nonprofits has created our Outdoor Explorers Program to connect more children to the outdoors. Please consider volunteering your time.

Other Opportunities to Volunteer Outside

Volunteer

  • Blue Ridge Land Conservancy Expand Collapse

    The Blue Ridge Land Conservancy has helped preserve over 20,000 acres of land and 60 miles of streams since its founding in 1996. The group promotes and holds conservation easements, permanent legal agreements that protect what makes western Virginia such a special place to work and play.

    The Blue Ridge Land Conservancy  is a 501(c)3 non-profit.

  • Blue Ridge Off Road Cyclists (BROC) Expand Collapse

    If you love mountain biking and care about the environment, you belong with BROC – Blue Ridge Off Road Cyclists. When you join BROC, you join the region’s only mountain biking club.

    BROC is a member-based, 501(c)3 nonprofit, operating under the umbrella of IMBA (International Mountain Bicycling Association) and is dedicated to promoting land access, trail preservation, and new trail development in order to enhance mountain biking in the Roanoke Region of Virginia.

    Blue Ridge Off Road Cyclists was formed to protect and expand trail opportunities for mountain bikers in Roanoke, including the counties of Bedford, Botetourt, Craig, Franklin, Montgomery, and Floyd.

  • Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation Expand Collapse

    The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is the primary fundraising partner, 501(c)(3), for the Blue Ridge Parkway, providing support for initiatives along the 469-mile route, including historical and cultural preservation, environmental protection, visitor amenities, and educational outreach. Since the Foundation’s start, our Community of Stewards has invested more than $12 million toward Parkway initiatives and programs.

    The Blue Ridge Parkway needs your support to ensure it remains the magnificent park we all know and love. Join us in our mission to help protect this remarkable place. Donate or Volunteer, the Parkway needs you!

  • Boy Scouts of America Blue Ridge Mountains Council Expand Collapse

    Scouting is about building character, developing personal fitness, and learning leadership and citizenship. These goals are achieved in the outdoors. The adventure of hiking, camping, swimming, boating, high-adventure challenges, and touring is woven into the scouting program.

    • Cub Scouts: First through fifth grades (seven to 10 years old)
    • Boy Scouting: Ages 11-17, program of fun outdoor activities, peer group leadership opportunities and a personal exploration of career, hobby and special interests
    • Venturing: Youth development program for young men and women who are ages 14-20
  • Clean Valley Council Expand Collapse

    The Clean Valley Council is a non-profit organization that has served the Roanoke Valley for more than 30 years. CVC provides educational programming and citizen participation events to spread the word about litter prevention, recycling, waste stream reduction, stormwater pollution prevention and protecting our natural resources.

    CVC provides educational resources and programming for the school systems, the public, and the municipalities in the cities of Roanoke and Salem, the counties of Botetourt and Roanoke and the town of Vinton. The group hosts and sponsors several regional litter cleanup events and e-waste collections each year.

  • FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Expand Collapse

    FRIENDS is a non-profit, volunteer organization that is dedicated to preserving and protecting the Blue Ridge Parkway, a national treasure. FRIENDS programs focus on preservation, protection and education. Saving Parkway Views is the organization’s signature project.

    Volunteers help preserve the beauty of the Blue Ridge Parkway and have a lot of fun while doing something great for the environment and the Parkway’s future.

  • Girls on the Run Central Virginia and Blue Ridge Expand Collapse

    Girls on the Run is a transformational physical activity based positive youth development program for girls in grades 3-8. GOTR teaches life skills through dynamic interactive lessons and running games. The program culminates with the girls being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5k running event.

    The goal of the program is to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness. Girls on the Run is an Independent Council of Girls on the Run International, which has a network of over 200 councils across the United States and Canada.

  • Local Environmental Agriculture Project (LEAP) Expand Collapse

    LEAP is a Roanoke-based 501c3 nonprofit with a mission to nurture our food community. We do this to create an equitable food and farming system which prioritizes health and abundance by supporting community initiatives, markets, farms, and farmers.

    LEAP operates two farmers markets in Roanoke. The Grandin Village Farmers Market has been selling fresh local food since 2009 and the West End Farmers Market since 2010. LEAP also offers an Online Marketplace  where local food can be ordered from Wednesday to Sunday and picked up at the West End Farmers Market the following Tuesday.

    All LEAP markets accept and double SNAP/EBT and P-EBT benefits. LEAP also supports SNAP programs at other markets statewide through a network called Virginia Fresh Match.

    The LEAP Mobile Market makes scheduled stops throughout Roanoke and the region year round, bringing fresh, healthy foods to nutritionally underserved neighborhoods.

    LEAP offers a Farm Share (a pre-paid weekly bag of locally sourced vegetables, fruits, eggs, bread, and pantry staples picked up at one of four locations). The Main Season Farm Share runs from May to October and the Winter Farm Share runs from November through January.

    The LEAP Kitchen allows start-up food businesses access to a fully licensed, shared kitchen and other resources to help their businesses thrive.

    LEAP runs three community gardens in Roanoke and facilitates the Roanoke Community Gardens Network, a group of community gardeners supporting growing efforts across the area.

    Finally, LEAP leads the Roanoke Foodshed Network, a multi-stakeholder group with representatives from seven counties plus Roanoke and Salem, working to increase access to healthy food, cultivate a regional food identity, and nurture regional food production and distribution. For more information, email mo@leapforlocalfood.org.

  • Pathfinders for Greenways Expand Collapse

    Pathfinders is a group of citizens who represent the trail users of the Roanoke Valley for non-motorized trail uses, with a vision is to have all area trail users meet and work together on projects that would benefit the community.

    • Promote and encourage development of a greenway network in the Roanoke Valley
    • Educate citizens and officials on greenway benefits and value
    • Raise and receive gifts, donations and grants for greenways
    • Organize volunteers to assist with greenway development and maintenance
  • Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC) Expand Collapse

    The Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC) is a recreational hiking association of volunteers who preserve and improve the Appalachian Trail as the nation’s premier, continuous, long-distance footpath. Founded in 1932, the club is celebrating  90 years of service and adventure on the Appalachian Trail.

    The RATC is an all volunteer 503(c) nonprofit Appalachian Trail (AT) trail maintenance organization. The club maintain 120 miles, 16 Shelter/Privies and 53 bridges on the Appalachian  Trail from Lick skillet Hollow in Giles County, VA to Black Horse Gap in Botetourt County, VA. This includes Virginia’s “Triple Crown”, i.e., Dragon’s Tooth, mcafee-knob-shirtMcAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. McAfee Knob is the most photographed spot on the AT with approximately 50,000 hikers visiting each year. Virginia’s “Triple Crown” has become a destination hike and draws visitors/hikers from all over the USA.

    Show your support for the Appalachian Trail by purchasing a McAfee Knob t-shirt. All proceeds from shirt sales will be utilized by RATC to continue our mission to maintain, protect and preserve with an emphasis on Virginia’s Triple Crown, i.e., Dragon’s Tooth, McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs.

  • Roanoke Outside Foundation Expand Collapse

    The Roanoke Outside Foundation is a charitable organization working to make your region the capital for world-class, outdoor fun. We started RoanokeOutside.com, Get Outside Weekend Update, Blue Ridge Marathon, and GO Fest. Plus, we’ve been the advocate for the many changes that are making this place more awesome than ever.

    We’ve got plans for even more exciting events and facilities. And you can be a part of it all. Your tax-deductible contribution will help us continue to push for a future where the Roanoke Region is the greatest place for outdoor recreation.

  • Trout Unlimited Expand Collapse

    The Roanoke Chapter of Trout Unlimited is a diverse group of more than 265 people with the common interest of pursuing the Trout Unlimited mission to “conserve, protect and restore North America’s trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds.”

  • Unbridled Change Expand Collapse

    Unbridled Change is a non-profit equine assisted activities and therapies program with a mission to partner people with our horses through hands-on activities to create lasting change and true healing.

  • Volunteer in Park Program Expand Collapse

    Volunteers are always needed for the Blue Ridge Parkway.

    Give back to the park through service in the following areas:

    • Trail Maintenance
    • Trash and Debris Pick-up
    • Overlook and Tail Adoption
    • Natural Disaster Response
    • Routine Maintenance

    Tools, training and supplies provided by the National Park Service.

    To get involved contact:

    • Jim Mullins, District Maintenance Supervisor at (540) 348-3227
    • Scott Lord, Vinton Lead Maintenance Volunteer at 540-494-8699 or wscottlord@gmail.com

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