Find the Perfect Project

Welcome to United Way of Greater Knoxville’s Spring Volunteer Guide! Explore regularly updated opportunities from April through June to find the right fit for you.

Whether you’re an individual seeking a fulfilling opportunity, a family teaching your children the importance of giving back, a group hoping to gather friends for a fun experience, or a corporation interested in making an impact, we have volunteer opportunities to fit your needs.

Click the title of the volunteer need to register.
= family-friendly volunteer opportunities
= group volunteer opportunities

Festivals and
Events

May 3
Outlandish Adventure Festival ⒻⒼ
Ijams Nature Center

May 3
Race for Hope 5K ⒻⒼ
CONTACT Care Line

May 3
Fun Fest Booth Support ⒻⒼ
CONTACT Care Line

May 9-10
Southern Skies Music and Whiskey Festival
Dogwood Arts

May 12-16
Event Set-up
Smoky Mountain Scottish Festival and Games

May 17
Children’s Festival of Reading ⒻⒼ
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

May 22
Chamber of Commerce Foundation Pickleball Tournament
Gatlinburg Convention & Visitors Bureau 

Environment and Animals

April 22
Native Flower Planting
ⒻⒼ
Knox County Parks and Recreation 

April 25
Emerald Academy Garden Workday ⒻⒼ
Knox County Community Gardens and Growers Alliance

April 26
Park Day at Marble Springs ⒻⒼ
Marble Springs State Historic Site

May 2
Fort Loudon Lake Cleanup ⒻⒼ
Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful

May 17
Native Flower Planting
ⒻⒼ
Knox County Parks and Recreation 

May 31
Echoes and Ecosystems: A Worthington Cemetery Workday
Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning

Ongoing
Weeding Wednesday ⒻⒼ
Lakeshore Park Conservancy

Ongoing
Feeding Shifts
Volunteer Equestrian

Child and
Youth Services

May 3
STEM Carnival ⒻⒼ
Youth Outreach in STEM

May 7-14
Healthy Cooking Class Volunteer
Little Chefs, Big Change

May 16
Spring Carnival Volunteer ⒻⒼ
UWGK Community School Maynard Elementary

May 17
Spring 5K Volunteer
Girls on the Run of Greater Knoxville

May 19-21
Vine Middle 8th Grade Send-Off Week
UWGK Community Schools, Vine Middle Magnet School

Ongoing
Great Starts Skills Instructor
McNabb Center

Ongoing
Wednesday Warehouse Warriors ⒻⒼ
Helping Mamas

Ongoing
1:1 Mentor
Girl Talk, Inc.

Ongoing
Mentor
Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee

Ongoing
Biweekly Gardening ⒻⒼ
Muse Knoxville

Hunger and Homelessness

June 30
Mobile Pantry Support: Cocke County/Newport ⒻⒼ
Second Harvest Food Bank

Ongoing
Fourth Saturday of the Month Volunteers ⒻⒼ
FISH Hospitality Pantries

Ongoing
Tuesday/Thursday Volunteers ⒻⒼ
FISH Hospitality Pantries

Ongoing
Food Warehouse Volunteers ⒻⒼ
FISH Hospitality Pantries

Ongoing
Warehouse Product Recovery ⒻⒼ
Second Harvest Food Bank

Ongoing
Mobile Pantry Distribution Support: Scott County/Oneida ⒻⒼ
Second Harvest Food Bank

Ongoing
Mobile Pantry Distribution Support: Anderson County/Rocky Top ⒻⒼ
Second Harvest Food Bank

Older
Adults

Ongoing
Provide Companionship to Hospice Patients
Caris Healthcare

Ongoing
Deliver Meals to Homebound Seniors ⒻⒼ
CAC Mobile Meals

Health and
Wellness

April 23
Girl’s Night Volunteers
The Camp Koinonia Foundation

April 24
Guy’s Night Volunteers
The Camp Koinonia Foundation

May 13
Lunch and Movie Volunteers
The Camp Koinonia Foundation

June 4
June Jams Volunteers
The Camp Koinonia Foundation

June 24
Summer Social Volunteers
The Camp Koinonia Foundation

Ongoing
Great Starts Volunteer Skills Instructor
McNabb Center

Volunteer Spotlights

May 3

Volunteer at the Outlandish Adventure Festival, celebrating our great outdoors. Support vendors or provide general event help. Volunteers can explore the festival before or after their shift.

May 9-10

Get a team together to volunteer at the 2025 Southern Skies Music and Whiskey Festival. Help ticket sales, bartending, and more. Volunteers receive a free t-shirt and festival day pass.

Ongoing

FISH Hospitality Pantries is seeking volunteers in their warehouse and at the storefront. Sign up to set up food displays, help guests pick out groceries, sort goods, and more.

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We Love Our Volunteers!

About Volunteer East Tennessee

Volunteer East Tennessee (VETN) is a program of the United Way of Greater Knoxville. It serves as the region’s volunteer center, a match-maker between community volunteers and nonprofit organizations. Local volunteers have the ability to choose from over 200 organizations with posted needs to serve their community. Click here to get started as a nonprofit partner or volunteer.